This week’s Untitled 909 podcast comes from Markham Road Records founder Westdale. Based in the Czech Republic but originally from Canada, Westdale provides a mix filled with powerful uncompromising rhythms, putting drums at the forefront.
Initially moving to Europe to pursue a career as a professional ballet dancer, Westdale has since immersed himself in the rich local communities he has travelled to. A resident DJ at Vitamin in Brno where he also contributes to management, programming and club identity planning, Westdale also founded the community radio station Infame Radio which Westdale explains “is one of the most rewarding” projects he has worked on. Bringing together a wide circle of creatives to collaborate and share their stories and skills with an ownership with whatever they create for the platform, the journey of Infame Radio is just beginning with an expansion on the way, the world is their oyster at the moment. This desire for collaboration and platforming others shines throughout Westdale’s work. In 2023 he founded the record label Markham Road. Named after the Main Street near where his grandparents lived, Westdale decided to dedicate the label to his Pops as someone who always brought an explorative approach to the world around him – something that Westdale does so well. The label is focused on music rooted in percussion and has so far released records from the likes of Jan Loup & Son du Maquis, Elpac, COUNT and various compilations featuring RIZLA OPS, Teqmun, Beatrice M., Warzou, Kaval and many more.
With a busy release schedule in the pipeline and Westdale transferring his work in the theatre to full time music/culture work, we chat to the dynamic creative about his artistic journey so far, launching Markham Road Records, his experience of managing his own radio station and what the scene is like in the Czech Republic.
Hey Daniel! How are you doing? What have you been up to lately?
Yeah, doing pretty good thanks.
It’s been a busy start to the year for all of the projects, but I’ve really got high hopes for 2025. Lots of releases coming up and some pretty interesting travel itineraries.
Let’s start from the very beginning, what was your first introduction to music in general and then more specifically electronic music?
My parents are pretty big music enthusiasts. Growing up the radio was always tuned to either CBC or Radio Paradise. That led to a lot of music exposure from a young age, and is probably what drove me to pursue a ballet career (or pick up dancing in general). Once I moved to Canada’s National Ballet School one of my first roommates was also a big music lover. We ended up forming a DJ group and DJed all of the school dances and proms. I still remember asking for the most advanced equipment even though we had no idea how to use it :’)
Who was the first artist or band that you were a fan of?
Woah yeah. This really takes me back to school assemblies around the age of 10/11. For some reason the teacher that prepared the photo reels was a big fan of Green Day… and I have to say it transferred to me pretty effectively. Also have to give an elementary school mention to Kelly Clarkson and Canadian rap legend k-os.
Was there a formative moment growing up, whether that’s seeing your favourite band live or an incredible DJ set, that led you to this path?
I think the most formative moment for my music career was during COVID. At that point I was a member of the Bayerisches Junior Ballett in Munich, and all the young dancers lived in the same house. It was the closest I ever got to a “regular” university experience, and during the lockdowns I started playing music at all of the parties.
Where do you look for sources of inspiration outside of music?
At this point I’ve figured out that it’s impossible to live without travelling. Some of my most grounded moments come from just sitting in a coffee shop in a new city. These simple things really recharge my battery and make it all worth it. Pair this with a random conversation in the smoking area and a visit to the theatre and I think I’ve found a formula that works.
What has been your most recent musical discovery that you’re obsessed with?
Top of my airplane playlist right now is Lynx by Dove, Wadibusa by Uncle Waffles, and Westfield by Jawnino
Originally from Canada, what was it like growing up there and how did it influence you musically?
Huge! Canada is such a beautiful melting pot of experiences, cultures, opportunities, and approaches. I’ve always been attracted to bass heavy/rhythmical music, a style that has evolved directly from Black music and the African Diaspora. Living in such close proximity to Caribana (Toronto’s Carnival) and Salsa on St Clair, hearing sounds such as amapiano, gqom, and soca, walking through different districts of the city every week, all of that has definitely created a lasting effect on my listening/playing tendencies. This is really what Canada is… Canada is a reflection of the thousands of communities that call it home. Not what some politician on the news decides to tell you.
You’re now based in the Czech Republic, what can you tell us about the music scene there? How has this informed your artistry?
I mean I guess it’s easiest to just watch an FKA Twigs interview at this point? In all seriousness though the scene is incredibly versatile, innovative, and inspiring. I’m always surprised to see the commitment that goes into curating various events and happenings. I haven’t seen something like this before, and feel really lucky to call this my home for now.
I came into the scene at a high spot for EBM/industrial breaks and this instilled a love for hard rhythms in my selection. To this day I still think that my favourite Czech producers employ this edge of grit in their compositions. Some notable mentions like COUNT, domi zako, and (the newly formed) DDAT certainly do.
You launched your record label, Markham Road, in 2023, what was the motivation behind founding your own label? What is the ethos and concept behind it?
Markham Road is named after the main street around the corner from where my grandparents live. I’d been motivated to start a label project for some time, and after my Pops passed away I decided to dedicate it to the explorative approach that he always brought to the world around him.
The label is focused on any music rooted in percussion. This intention really comes from trying to quantify what I liked about the music that I was playing. I found out that music truly oriented around percussive rhythms makes me want to dance… and I really really really want to dance haha. I guess it’s pretty simple in essence.
There are quite a lot of labels around these days, especially with the accessibility of selling on bandcamp. I think it’s really nice to have this tool to showcase creative expression from your community, and in a way Markham is exactly that. Although artists are contributing from countries all over the world, our circles seem to overlap artistically, socially, and sometimes even politically. This is a communal expression.
Although the label generally ties into electronic music, the doors are wide open for further genres (as long as the intention of the track is founded in the drums). Catch some upcoming releases from COUNT, Entrañas, Slacker, Rizla Ops, and subsism coming soon. Also notably a full length rap project from Egyptian producer azzouni.
You also run the Infame Radio community radio station, what has the process been like running your own station?
This is a pretty tough question actually. Everything that’s happened creatively in my life (for the past 3 years) has been more or less centered around Infame. It felt like the most natural process, and one of the most rewarding ones as well. The platform is a product of everyone contributing time, ideas, music, and skills. It’s incredible to see its transformation into something that residents and contributors can take ownership of… and with the addition of the new studio in the coming months I think this is only the beginning.
What does community mean to you?
An interwoven web of individuals that comes together to form something that we’re all proud of. At the end of the day it’s this power of collaboration that builds these projects and brings a smile to all our faces.
You’ve also contributed a mix for the 909 series, what’s the concept behind this one?
Sooo excited about this one… I’ve been feeling a little disjointed with peaktime mixing these past few months. I’m gonna credit a lack of sunlight but the reason could stem from a lot of places. I thought that this might be an opportunity to try and put something together that makes me want to dance again. It really starts and ends with this same craving for movement.
The mix is led in by an unreleased tune from Praktikal (coming up on Markham) and the first section focuses on some rolling rhythms and textures. Things get a little heated afterwards and then get quite pacey at the end with another unreleased one from Entrañas (also Markham). It’s a proper bedroom mix put together with guts rather than skill, but maybe that’s why I enjoyed it so much?
As you might’ve guessed there’s quite a lot from the label in there. There seems to have been a recent point where the catalogue has expanded enough to create a mix based around label tracks. It’s been quite an exciting experiment.
When was the last time you were on the dance floor?
Well depending on the dancefloor it’s either this morning during ballet training or a few weeks ago in Belgrade at KC Grad. That one was a super nice time
What are you most excited about right now?
We’ve just launched Infame Radio’s partnership in 25av, an audiovisual project centered around community radio. It’s been a whirlwind to get to this point and I’m excited to work in partnership with Kiosk, Radio 80000, Radio Raheem, and Stegi. I can’t imagine how much I’ll learn from this project.
I’m also transferring over from my work in the theatre to full time music/culture work. I’ve had a really wonderful career in ballet but I think it’s time to pursue these new goals with a clear head. I’ll be looking for projects and gigs and I’m really excited to see where this leads me.
What’s on your vision board at the moment?
Markham Road – Sichuan noodles – Foundational partnerships – Road trip with Mum – More sauna time – Doing a little summer gig tour