Vancouver-based Westwood Recordings celebrates 10 Years of the label’s stunning achievements with a month-long schedule of special releases, starting with “10 Years of Westwood Recordings” – an album that perfectly complements the label’s party-ready but sonically very diverse sound. Featuring tracks from label bosses The Funk Hunters as well as Defunk, Moontricks, K Theory, Stickybuds, Kotek, LIINKS, and SugarBeats, Westwood truly pulls out all the stops for this one. Opening with “Freak” from The Funk Hunters and Defunk, the release kicks off with grimy basslines and serrating synths with catchy distorted vocals. The journey continues with Moontricks‘ funky swing-influenced midtempo “Nebulizer” and K Theory‘s “Outlaws,” which incorporates hip-hop vocals into ethereal bass music melodies. Then over to Stickybuds‘ funky organic electronica “Family Man,” featuring Glen David Andrews, and later onward to Kotek‘s drum & bass sounds in the form of “Dance With Me.” The album concludes with LIINKS‘ balladesque “One Thing About Me” and the closing SugarBeats‘ “Wild Cat” for a dark, grimy, and headbanging good time.
Since its creation in 2013 by Nick Middleton – 1/2 of The Funk Hunters – Westwood Recordings has had multiple notable achievements (listed below). With that impressive portfolio, we can only assume that the next few years will be even bigger and better for this one-of-a-kind Canadian imprint.
“Celebrating 10 years of Westwood feels surreal. It is a milestone I’m really proud of. What started as a passion project for our own music has grown into a community of artists, creatives, and like-minded music lovers that has exceeded every expectation I’ve had. This month-long celebration is a showcase of the best of the past, the present, and the future. I can’t wait to see where the next 10 years take us.” – Nick Middleton, Founder & CEO of Westwood Recordings
Selection of notable highlights:
– Westwood has worked with 200+ artists of varying genres over the past decade
– 2019 & ongoing: Shambhala Music Festival, Canada‘s premier and longest-running electronic music festival, joined forces with Westwood Recordings to present a Westwood stage takeover branded “Friday Night in The Fractal Forest” annually since 2019.
– 2020: Westwood launched Westwood Sounds in partnership with Splice, delivering coveted sample packs from their artists
– 2020: The Funk Hunters became the first electronic act to receive Canadian Independent Music Association‘s (CIMA) Road Gold certification
– 2021 & 2022: Westwood joined forces with Monstercat for the fifth and sixth annual Monstercat Compound Event, programming a Westwood stage takeover presented by Pioneer DJ
– 2021: Westwood‘s artist So Sus received JUNO nomination for Dancing Recording of the Year for his “Voices EP“
– Westwood has been running annual sold-out events in Vancouver at the legendary Commodore Ballroom in partnership with Live Nation. These include Westwood‘s annual Halloween event as well as The Funk Hunters long standing “Funk The Halls” show that tours across the country and culminates every year the weekend before Christmas with two back to back sold-out nights at The Commodore
Notable syncs:
– Spiderman: Homecoming (trailer) / Sony Pictures (Song: Stickybuds x K+Lab – “Clap Ya Hands Now“)
– Peloton (commercial and socials) / Peloton (Song: The Funk Hunters x Defunk x Akylla “Warn Ya“)
– The White Lotus Ep. 203 / HBO (Song: CITYWALKR “Sabre“)
– Sex Lives of College Girls Ep. 201 / HBO Max (Song: Akylla “Holding On”)
– Just Beyond Ep. 103 / Disney+ (Song: Sparkee x Def3 “Feelin’ Right“)
– One Of Us Is Lying Ep. 205 / Peacock (Songs: KR3TURE x Adrea Castiano “Only One (CVMRN Remix)” + Goddexx “U Down“)
– Valorant Tournament “First Strike” / Riot Games (Song: The Funk Hunters x Stickybuds x Flowdan “Empire“)
– Swiffer Wet Jet 21/22 National Campaign / Swiffer (Song: The Funk Hunters x CMC & Silenta “Tribute“)
– Dollface S2 Ep. 207 / Hulu (Song: Austero x Dub Princess “Humans“)
– 911:Lonestar Ep. 201 / FOX (Song: K+Lab x Melodownz “Good Juju“)
– Ode to Muir (film) / Teton Gravity Research (TGR) (Song: Moontricks “Home“)
– And more on Netflix, Disney+, HBO/Max, Hulu, Sony, National Geographic, YouTube, Facebook, BET, Peacock, Swiffer, Quibi, Sportsnet, FOX Sports, Comedy Central, Peloton, Riot Games, Universal, FOX, MTV, Nickelodeon, Syfy, CBC, NBC, TNT, TBS, Teton.
Future plans, to name only a few:
– In 2023 Westwood is expanding their partnerships with Live Nation to take Westwood Halloween across Western Canada with dates also in Calgary, Edmonton, and Victoria
– Westwood continues to feature Westwood curated stage takeovers at some of Canada‘s leading music festivals, including Rifflandia Festival, Shambhala Music Festival, and more.
– The reunion of Chali 2na and Cut Chemist for a full length LP, two of the founding members of the renowned hip hop group Jurassic 5, due out in 2024
– The Funk Hunters biggest album yet, featuring hi-profile collaborations with artists like Big Gigantic, Dr Fresch, Chali 2na, The Sponges, Kotek, Liinks, and many more, due out in 2024
– On the business expansion side of things, in addition to focusing on more branded events, tours, and Splice sample packs, Westwood will be launching a new music distribution service in 2024, expanding its reach significantly across the music landscape, not just as a boutique highly curated label, but as a distribution arm for independent artists with access to new technology, enhanced accounting services, and the ability to tap into Westwood‘s existing sync and licensing networks
– In addition to overseeing Westwood, Nick Middleton will also continue to lead the management of Midnight Agency (with longtime business partner Grant Paley), Canada‘s award-winning boutique booking agency now representing over 40 artists. Midnight is focused on building new revenue streams, harnessing new technology, and helping their acts navigate the ever-changing demands of delivering art and shared live music experiences.
Nick Middleton:
– Producer. Engineer. Talent Buyer. Artist Manager. Label and Agency Owner. Nick‘s career path is guided by the enduring principal that business can be pleasure.
– He’s produced and engineered remixes for world-class talent like U2 and Imagine Dragons, and built a legacy of independent music, art, and events under his acclaimed imprints and music companies, Westwood Recordings and Midnight Agency.
– Today he’s focused on building forward-thinking organizations and digital platforms tasked with empowering the next generation of artists. He is the current CEO of both Westwood Recordings and Midnight Agency.
– Head Talent Buyer for acclaimed Canadian music festival, Rifflandia where he has booked world-class acts such as Iggy Pop, Lorde, Diplo, Run The Jewels, Shaquuille O’Neal, Charli XCX, Herbie Hancock, Cypress Hill and many more.
– Middleton‘s other engineering credits include: Big Gigantic, Dr Fresch, Aloe Blacc, Glass Petals, Elohim, Kota the Friend, and Brasstracks, as well as official remixes for global stars such as U2, Selena Gomez, Imagine Dragons, Gramatik, Haywyre, Opiuo, Dub FX and more.
