Singapore-born, now New York-based selector Marco Weibel is a cartographer of frequency, mapping the unspoken borderlands where spiritual jazz exhales into steamy ambient, dub techno dissolves into dusty house. A linchpin of the Darker Than Wax collective and a resident at The Lot Radio, Weibel trades in texture over trend, intuition over impulse.
His sets unfold like narratives, each rhythm a breadcrumb leading to the deeper code beneath the dancefloor. IA MIX 391 is no exception: a voyage executed with the precision of a surgeon and the irreverence of a punk, stitching together bleep-laden hypnosis, acid-jacking Chicago grit, Body & Soul-esque house and long-forgotten funk relics.
Perpetually in motion, Weibel embodies the cross-continental dialogue of a vinyl utopia – shaped by years navigating the world’s record stores, after-hours sanctuaries and radio booths tuned to the underground. His ear has been trained by the pulse of cities that never sleep, learning the delicate art of tension and release from the screech of subways to the throb of nocturnal dancefloors. Whether inside the smoky intimacy of Offtrack in Singapore, the hedonistic sprawl of Sisyphos in Berlin or basking in the golden haze of a Lot Radio afternoon in Brooklyn, Weibel is always attuned into the rhythms of urban life, absorbing its textures, dissonances, and infinite possibilities.
Marco’s selections carry the fingerprints of his global influences: the broken beat reverberations of early West-London, the percussive pulse of NYC’s club lineage, the refined sensibility of Japanese record culture and the cosmic blur of late-night soul. His intuition behind the decks has been forged in marathon sets, gradual builds and the emotional science of room reading. Whether commanding a low-lit dancefloor, curating transmissions at ROVR Radio, Weibel thrives in the intersection of curation and community, championing sound as resistance in an era of algorithmic flattening.
With IA MIX 391, Weibel distills a potent transmission, infused with the warmth of a selector fluent in the secret language of the dancefloor. It’s a mix that rewards listeners with a testament to the power of eclecticism when guided by a curator with impeccable taste. It plays like a tribute to the city itself—soundtracking a drift through New York’s restless arteries, from the crates of Human Head to Myrtle Avenue epiphanies, culminating in a 3AM descent into a steam-filled noodle joint, where basslines hang in the air like ghosts on the glass.
Interview by Mathias Chaboteaux
"My approach to mixes is always about story telling, starting at one point, transcending time / space and ending up at another - This mix is about losing yourself in the sound and going into a hypnotic zone."
Born and raised in Singapore, then relocating to New York nearly a decade ago – how has this shift influenced your sound and approach to DJing? What aspects of NYC fuel your creativity, and what elements of the city do you find most challenging?
I was going out a lot when I moved to New York in 2014, checking out different pockets of the music scene. It opened up my ears and influenced me so much – the city led me down many musical rabbit holes. It gave me perspective, a wider view of the vastness of sound, and different schools of DJing. The diversity of people and the energy in the city definitely fuel creativity.
Growing up in Singapore and Asian culture, it was a huge shift and culture shock. People are more in your face, blunt, but honest and real. There’s always something going on—it’s the kind of city where you can walk out of your apartment and stumble into something without trying hard. The rising costs of living are challenging. Right now, my partner and I are lucky to have a rent-stabilized apartment. Without that, being at the mercy of landlords and market rental rates would be unimaginable.
Your sound is deeply rooted in the cross-pollination of genres. What draws you to this approach, and how do you navigate these intersections in your DJ sets?
I enjoy listening to different things and draw inspiration from various sounds and moods. For example, I love listening to jazz, ambient, and soul in the earlier parts of the day. As the sun goes down, it’s more electronic, hypnotic, downtempo, breaks, etc. It keeps me interested in the music. Having DJed for a while, exploring different tempos and textures allows me to study the art of playing the right track at the right moment.
I think radio is a special place because it’s more personal in the sense that the sonics are not physically tied to a location. The listener could be tuning in at home alone, in the gym, on a run, or hosting a dinner party. In these settings, it’s great to have room to explore different sounds.
The way I play on radio is definitely not a reflection of how I play in a club. In a club or live setting, there’s more awareness of genre and vibe – context and place are very important. Just like an ambient song wouldn’t work at 2am in a club, a heavy acid track doesn’t make sense for a listening room situation at 9pm.
You’ve spoken about your strong connection to both the London and New York scenes. What parallels do you see between the two cities, and how do you feel about their current musical landscapes?
Both cities represent diverse cultures and a melting pot of sounds—those are some parallels – but musically, I believe they’re quite different. London’s days are generally more grey, and I think that shows in the sounds; it’s moodier and heavier (maybe it’s the dub influence?!).
I’ve been influenced by sounds coming out of the UK like early dubstep, broken beat, bleep, and jungle, but in terms of what’s going on currently, I honestly haven’t spent that much time in London to be able to tell you. Historically, New York has always been a big disco, salsa, Latin, jazz, and house city – it is rhythmic and alive. Those traditions still live on, but there are so many others to touch on.
Your involvement with Darker Than Wax has been pivotal in your career. How has working with the label shaped your trajectory, and where do you see DTW heading in the future?
My involvement with the label grew organically and mainly sprung from my friendship and mentorship with Dean Chew (co-founder). I met Dean back in 2008 in Singapore while going out to spots like Velvet Underground @Zouk, Night and Day, and Home Club.
He had already been doing his thing as a DJ for quite a bit, and we just clicked as homies—he shared a lot of knowledge behind the craft, crate digging, and put me on for parties he was involved with, whether through DJing or helping with visuals and design. I officially joined the label as a core member in 2012 when helping out with their 3rd-party series (doing visuals as well as playing opening sets, etc.). This was a couple of months after the label came to fruition with its first release, so I’ve been with them since the early days.
When I moved to NYC in 2014, it was only natural to continue pushing the platform out here and globally. It benefited us both ways because it was exciting for people in NYC to learn more about a Singaporean label, and in Singapore, through a post-colonial lens, people were starting to notice us more because we were doing things overseas.
I met Mawkus pretty early on in my NYC journey, and we were running parties. The Lot Radio show also came about a couple of years later. We’re hitting 15 years of running the label next year, which is a pretty mad milestone. In terms of the future, we’ve been on a release hiatus at DTW since mid-2023, but in 2025, we’re going to jump back into it. Expect some new music and releases coming soon—maybe a 15-year anniversary party, since we didn’t do one for 10 because of COVID!
"There’s always a trajectory for a party—there’s a beginning, a plateau, and an ending. Capitalizing on these trajectories for different moments takes experience, crowd reading, and planning different music and moods."
Through hundreds of radio shows on Darker Than Wax FM at The Lot Radio, you’ve built a real community. How has radio played a role in shaping your identity as an artist, and what are your thoughts on the future of web radio? Could you also tell us about your involvement in ROVR Radio?
It’s crazy to think The Lot Radio just turned 9 years old, and we’ve had a weekly show on it since day one. I think radio has played the most defining role in shaping my identity because I don’t release music—my output is really the radio shows.
The people who come to the club nights are the same people tuning into the show. It has also allowed me to connect with so many artists I admire in a non-club setting—that has been priceless. The consistency of a weekly show keeps me on my toes and forces me to be diligent about digging and listening. I listen to music pretty much every day to make sure I have fresh material to showcase on the radio show.
I think web radio will continue to thrive, but beyond that, physical spaces that allow communities to exist and hang out are so important. A station that is tied to a community through a storefront or public space, etc. is the way to go. I met so many people through hanging out at The Lot Radio – some of my closest friends and people I work with regularly, I met through that space. It’s a very organic way of bringing people with common interests together and helping one another.
ROVR Radio is a platform for non-algorithmic music discovery, through an app with weekly playlists and shows. They have an amazing roster and a dedicated team working on scaling their brand globally. Last year, they did a really cool launch party in NYC at Public Records with a stacked lineup (I played b2b with Toribio). I’m contributing to a weekly show called ‘Sub Club’ on there, which explores all things low-end, from roots classics to dubby electronics to jungle.
You document food with the same passion as DJing. What are your top food joints in New York? What’s the most unforgettable meal you’ve had on your travels?
NYC is a food heaven… (Singapore is too, DM me for my Singapore list ha!) Rolo’s in Ridgewood is always a go-to if friends or family are visiting and we want to go for a nice dinner. It’s a cozy New American neighborhood spot with amazing ambiance and quality food/drinks.
For my comfort food fix, it’s Wei Williamsburg. I’ve been going there for nine years. Before they renovated, it used to be a takeout-only joint. It’s amazing how far they’ve come—they just opened a second outlet in Ft. Greene. The food and music are always on point!
Other NYC honorable mentions: Win Son Bakery’s scallion pancakes, L’Industrie Pizzeria in Williamsburg for the best slice (get the fig jam bacon!), Nyonya for Malaysian food, Mariscos El Submarino for Mexican seafood, Xi’an Famous Foods for cheap hand-pulled noodles.
The most unforgettable meal is tough to pick, but having KBBQ in Seoul during winter was probably up there! Go to a spot where they cook kimchi fried rice on the skillet after you’re done with the meat. Shoutout to the Nyapi family in Seoul…
Who are the top three rising artists in New York that deserve more recognition?
There’s so many it’s tough to say a top three, but off the top of my head…
- Cosmo is one to watch, she’s got great taste and range, peep her 90s hip hop mixtapes on Soundcloud!
- Shawn Dub is one of those DJs who always surprises me with his selections and technique – he’s a Public Records resident and also works at Human Head, runs a monthly on The Lot Radio called Records Before Rent which is always killer.
- Lastly Toribio definitely comes to mind, he’s been putting in the work for over a decade, such a truly talented artist and the world needs to catch up.
What are your three favorite record-digging spots worldwide? Any unforgettable discoveries?
- Revelation Time in Osaka
- Atlantis Records in London
- Human Head in NYC
Countless discoveries that I feature in the weekly radio shows!
"Nowadays in NYC is probably one of those clubs for me. They have a strict no-phone-on-the-dancefloor policy and heavily encourage conversation off the dancefloor. It makes playing there very transcendental."
You’ve done a few all-nighter sets, what excites you most about these marathon sessions, and what, in your opinion, is the ideal DJ set format?
Being able to set the pace and build the music up for success is what I love most about playing all night. I like being booked to play for at least three hours. The most stressful sets are the shorter ones because you only have that small window to really hit it out of the park.
There’s always a trajectory for a party—there’s a beginning, a plateau, and an ending. Capitalizing on these trajectories for different moments takes experience, crowd reading, and planning different music and moods.
If, for example, the DJ opening the night pushes things into a plateau/peak too early, sometimes you can’t save the moment—it’s hit that peak, and it won’t again unless you break it down and build it up again. But do you have enough time to do that? Speaking of all-nighters, I just had this recording from my all-nighter in Sydney at Club 77 drop via Apple Music.
What’s your go-to DJ setup at the moment, and which club has left the deepest impression on you as a performer?
It’s pretty standard—two CDJs and two turntables. A rotary is always nice if available, but if not, I get busy on a Pioneer A9 or V10. Nowadays in NYC is probably one of those clubs for me. They have a strict no-phone-on-the-dancefloor policy and heavily encourage conversation off the dancefloor. It makes playing there very transcendental. People are engaged and open to hearing what you’re putting forward. Pair that with a serious sound system and a comfortable DJ booth, and it’s a very special place.
I recall playing the opening before Soichi Terada and was surprised at how effortless it was to warm up that floor—people just came in and gravitated to the dancefloor like flies to light. No talking, just vibing and dancing. We need more spaces that enforce these rules.
As dance music culture becomes more mainstream, there’s always been an etiquette, and many newcomers don’t get it—they need to be told. There are groups of people pushing through dancers to get to the front of the DJ booth only to have full-blown conversations with their friends, or people going out just to get a 15-second video to post on Instagram, and that’s their night out. It ruins it for people who are truly there for a cathartic experience and the music.
As an independent artist, you’ve been handling bookings yourself. What have been the biggest challenges of navigating the industry solo, and what advice would you give to emerging DJs looking to establish themselves?
Yeah I’ve been handling my bookings solo for the most part this past decade. The biggest challenge is managing burn out and people relations, it’s a constant hustle no matter what as an independent artist, you need to be on it at all times.
It’s also tough to advocate for fair fees, basic necessities (especially when traveling for a gig) like accommodation, ground transport etc. Without damaging a relationship or coming across as demanding / rude.
My advice to emerging DJs would be patience, I’m finally at a point now where it feels like having some help through an agency or management would be very crucial to moving into the next chapter.
I say this believing that the collaboration would benefit both parties and it takes time to get to that point, it doesn’t happen overnight. Getting a booking agent will not get you gigs, the artist needs to create the demand or narrative for these opportunities to happen.
Let’s talk about your mix – what was the vision behind it, and what’s been inspiring you lately
My approach to mixes is always about story telling, starting at one point, transcending time / space and ending up at another – This mix is about losing yourself in the sound and going into a hypnotic zone.
It’s an hour long because everyones got a short attention span these days but a pretty accurate representation of shades and moods I’d move through playing in a club all night. A heavy emphasis on the low end as always, psychedelic sounds and traveling deeper down that wormhole. Strains of dub techno, bleep, raw chicago house, detroit techno, funk – it’s one step in the past and one step in the future.
All these elements have been inspiring me lately, my peers and community – devotion to craft and practice. Dancers in the club, digging in record shops, listening and more listening.
Photography by Filipe Zapelini
TRACKLIST
1. Ani – Love Is The Message
2. Dexter Colt – Eternal
3. Solomonic Sound – Come Fi Mash It
4. Tom Carruthers – Psyche
5. Lefto Early Bird – Fu_K_You
6. DJ Split – Can I Tell You
7. Demuja – Tao
8. The Mighty Zaf & Linkwood – Yokai
9. George Duke – Brazilian Love Affair
10. ICYKOF – Payday
11. Planetary Assault Systems – Black Tea
12. Choice – Acid Eiffel
13. Dusk – Shadow Boxer
14. Rennie Foster & Aaron Carl – Savior (Willem Mulder Remix)
15. Audio Soul Project – Community