session #074 – Marco Weibel

Hailing from Singapore and currently New York Based,  DJ / Selector Marco Weibel brewed up a prodigious set of tunes, with a kind of miscellany that’ll kick in and set you on a dawn-till-dusk odyssey.

Marco, one of the core member of label / movement Darker Than Wax, shows up on our 10th anniversary podcast series with this one-hour gem, for the finest and unconditioned ears to yield into.

Where, When and How was this mix recorded?

Recorded in Brooklyn on one evening, on two technics, a mixer and with serato + some records, in the comfort of my own living room, sippin’ some n smokin’ some. The Rodney penthouse, those who know, know!

How would you describe it to us?

Current favorites of the moment, I included mostly new discovered music from the last 2/3 months in this mix. (even though some tracks are from the 70s/80s etc.) I listen to a wide variety of music so I really wanted this mix to be a reflection of the musical diversity that I love. I thought a little about the flow and wanted to kick it off on a more sunny tip before diving deeper into the sounds. The first segments are more broken and free formed and it locks into more of a hypnotic 4/4 groove in the second half.

Do you recall the first time you got into mixing to share music with the world?

I think I was about 17 when I really started getting into music. My older sister had amazing taste in music and I believe she strongly influenced my taste palette (she was bumpin’ RnB / Soul / HipHop around the house from when I can remember). There was a turning point where I distinctly remember realizing that discovering music held a special place for me. During that time I had two mixtapes on heavy rotation, one was a ‘Food For Ya Soul’ mix cd and the other was a Guillaume & The Coutu Dumonts RA mix, those we’re my musical bibles. That started the desire to dig and unearth weird / obscure / interesting records, I quickly realized i opened pandora’s box, a consciousness to the unlimited supply of good music we have on this world. The more you know, the less you know. Started going out to more parties and stuff in Singapore, coincidentally during Zouks Velvet Underground’s heyday alongside venues such as Night & Day and Home Club that we’re all pushing leftfield & eclectic underground sounds. Through that, I met and watched many people (local + international DJs) who changed my life and educated me on so much of the music that I still love to this day.

Your set tend to evoke such various and different moods, undoubtedly to these numerous genres in it. Have the numerous places you’ve travelled to perform, contribute to such textures in your taste?

For sure. I think that travel affects you so much. Learning about other cultures and our world we live in directly through experience, there’s nothing quite like it. It isn’t something i consciously think about when I travel, but i’m sure that in some way these experiences shape and change you as a person.

Can you sketch out what your headspace is like when you’re on the 1 and 2’s?

I get lost in it, to be honest. It’s a very weird thing that happens but sometimes I finish a set and can’t even really remember what I played – and those are usually the best ones. It’s always been about being in the moment, soaking up what is going on around you and a lot of what I play has to do with what I am feeling at that moment. What time it is, what the venue is (a warehouse is very different from let’s say a bar), how people are reacting, whether I’m in a good place or not, comfortable or uncomfortable, it all makes a big difference. When I can remember, I am more calculated while playing, I get by, but sonically I feel like it doesn’t translate as strongly as losing yourself in something. In terms of an overall message, I like to think I’m about educating and trying to put people onto new sounds, but I understand there’s a fine line between being too self-indulgent and not doing your job of entertaining people as well. A balance between both is where I try to be at.

Any particular reason you’ve decided to live in ‘New York’? and what are your thoughts on the city’s music scene?

New York has such a rich and colorful vibe. It’s one of the most racially diverse places, and I think that’s what drew me to it. There’s also something very liberating about being here because it’s the type of city you really can disappear and do whatever you want, especially compared to Singapore, where I was born/raised. I’ve always been a city dweller, and I thrive off the energy of cities. The New York grind is a serious one, and i got respect for the people who are out here doing what they love and working hard all around the clock. It’s an inspiring place, and definitely keeps you on your toes. The music scene here is alive and kicking, but everyone’s on their own grind. I feel like scenes are rather separate, and I’d like to see more cross pollination in New York’s music scene. This is why spaces such as The Lot Radio are great, it’s a meeting point for people from all different spectrums of music.

You’re a core member of Darker Than Wax. Could you tell us a bit about it and your involvement?

I’ve been with DTW since they started and always looked to Dean (Funk Bast*rd / Co-Founder) as a mentor in DJ-ing and music. I started helping them out with design / visuals as well as opening for their parties very early on. The label grew organically alongside us and right now, 5 years later, being out here in New York, I help run the US operations of the label. It’s a core team of us that essentially run it all, Dean/ Kaye / Rah / Jordan / John / Daryl out in Singapore, and me and Mawkus out here in New York. In New York, I’ve been busy co-hosting two radio shows (more on this below), playing out here 3/4 times a month, planning label showcases every 2/3 months, handling our merchandise and more.

You also co-host radio shows! How would you describe your experience at The Lot Radio and Dash Radio?

I co-host two radio shows – one called DTW FM, which is live every Saturday 12-2pm (EST) on The Lot Radio. The other is called We Move, which is recorded monthly at Red Bull Studios NY and airs on Radar Radio out of London.

We did Dash Radio for 2 months until The Lot Radio came about and we shifted our show there. DTW FM is more of a weekly live mix show, and we’ve been fortunate to have some great guests on our show.

We Move is more label centric and scripted, it focuses on forthcoming and unreleased music mostly by the Darker Than Wax roster. It’s a more global show that aims to feature interviews / live jam sessions / label highlights and more.

In my opinion, The Lot Radio really filled up a void that New York previously had, it serves as a meeting point for DJ’s / Label-heads / Producers from many different ends of the sound spectrum to have a creative space to network and hang out at in a very organic way. There is no pretense or fluff around it, no industry bullshit, its always been straight up about the music. It’s given me an opportunity to meet many people based out here that I look up to as well as educate and put me onto even more awesome people who are out here and doing very interesting things. I feel really blessed to be involved and just want to give a special shout out to Francois Vaxelaire, the main man behind the project, for pushing on despite it not being an easy task.

5 of your all time records?

Sucha difficult question haha. Moodymann – Black Mahogani is definitely up there as an all time. For the other 4, i’m gonna say, these aren’t my ‘all time records’ but rather, in current heavy rotation right now.