Westend and Noizu's 'Push To Start' Was Born From a Longtime Friendship

Westend got his start in 2016, quickly establishing a sound that spanned tastemaking imprints like Box of Cats and Sweat It Out. He was at the forefront of the new tech house sound that brilliantly fused a UK aesthetic with the feel of classic house music. Releasing as much music as possible, he also became a staple of the robust underground scene in Brooklyn, New York. Over the last few years, especially post-COVID, his star has risen rapidly. Through a series of high-profile releases, massive festival sets, and the strength of his community-building efforts via the Kick & Bass project, Westend is officially one to watch.

Collaboration has long been a part of his career. Several chart-topping co-productions dot his diverse catalog, including work with CID, Mindchatter, Kyle Walker, HUGEL, and Steve Darko.

In February 2023, Westend finally got to link up with longtime friend Noizu. Their first entry into the collaboration space, “Push To Start,” has been an absolute crowd destroyer. Collaboration among friends may seem like a foregone conclusion. However, syncing up on a project is often more complicated than one might think. So, when this pair decided to make it happen, they took a slightly less conventional approach.

“I’ve known Noizu since the end of 2019. I supported him when he played Exchange LA and that’s when we first met. I joined his management team as well and supported him a lot over the years,” Westend told Gray Area. “We’ve had a couple ideas go back and forth throughout the years but nothing stuck. For ‘Push to Start’ we started the process backward. We committed to a release date before creating anything.”

The song’s rave tech synths and chugging bassline perfectly match No/Me’s sultry peak-hour vocal. And that’s not an accident, as Westend reveals.

“My manager found the vocal, and we built the song around it. I started the idea, sent it to Noizu, and the whole thing came together in about a week. I got to premier it at EDC [Mexico] and immediately knew we had a hit.” Working off the vocal first helped Westend and Noizu craft that catchy interplay. Their goal was to create something for the rave, a proper banger that other DJs would play out during the peak of their sets.

“We had no time to promote the track and were worried about whether it would be received well. But once we got it out, people loved it, and the support on Spotify and Beatport helped get it to a good place.”

“Push To Start” has been a runaway hit. It quickly landed on the Beatport overall and tech house top ten charts and swiped support from MK, Marten Hørger, Oliver Heldens, Wax Motif, and more. It also helped further confirm Westend and Noizu’s friendship.

Westend explains, “we’ve become good friends, and he is a strong mentor for me. Whether it’s about DJing, production, or mental health, I know he has my back.”