Moscow – Deep Heat review

Matt Waites drops a compelling afro-disco effort on Lo Recordings’ new, more disco focused offshoot, LoEB. “Deep Heat” launches the imprint with some highly electronic disco that builds with ancestral rhythms and an exotic feel throughout. Accompanied by a strong remix package, this is a statement of intent from the new label.

Now recording under his Moscow alias, Mr Waites has been around for some time, most notably under the Nightmoves moniker, which saw the talented producer unload killer remixes of Robbie Williams, The Klaxons, Roisin Murphy, Friendly Fires and Freeform Five & Mylo. In an attempt to turn onto a deeper, more atmospheric sound he gave birth to his Moscow project, which launched with two highly acclaimed remixes of They Came From the Stars I Saw Them and Detachments. This was followed up with his debut original production, the epic “Throw Up” disco jam on Japanese label, Endless Flight.

“Deep Heat” lands just as we move into the blissful months of a warm summer. A definitive cut of modern, leftfield disco, the title track builds throughout its entirety with a kind of trance music feel. Crisp layers of percussion and succulent synth textures ride over a fluid bassline, proving Waites’ deft production skills in one, dance inducing sweep. Moscow’s dub mix strips it down and instils a wonderfully spaced out feel before DFA’s Tim Goldsworthy turns in a more electronic remix as The Loving Hand. Toby Tobias is up next with two excellent remixes. First he places emphasis on a heavy bassline to create a driving atmosphere with touches of acid before his ‘Cut to the Chase’ remix develops the emotional synth motif even further. The Blessed finishes proceedings with a harder, big room peak time rework. A label debut is always an important release for establishing a tone and feel for further releases, and we can be assured that only the very best of electronically enhanced disco will get through the doors of LoEB.

Review: Tom Jones