With his latest single, “Neon Heat (feat. Vessa) [Radio Edit],” DJ Momotaro has fused genuine Italo disco DNA from 1989 with cutting-edge 2025 production. The track, produced and mixed at Momodisco Studios (Dortmund, DE), is a neon-noir dance-pop statement that blends Italo Disco, Euro Dance, Retro Pop, and Synthwave into a chorus-first design built for both playlists and club systems.
“I sketched the heart of Neon Heat as a teenager in 1989,” Momotaro reflects. “Releasing it on my birthday now feels like time folding in on itself—the late ’80s finally arriving in 2025.”
From the first moments, the chorus lands early—a deliberate choice to maximize instant hook appeal. Vessa’s bright, emotive topline leads the way, weaving in call-and-response with a singing lead synth. The mix is sleek and radio-clear, engineered to translate seamlessly from earbuds to car speakers to club PA.
Core elements include:
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Italo-inspired bassline with octave-driven propulsion
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Four-to-the-floor Euro-dance drums with crisp handclaps
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Shimmering synth pads and cinematic build-ups
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Tape-style warmth balanced with modern transient control
The result is nostalgia without dust—retro sonics with contemporary stereo width, sub architecture, and mix clarity.
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DJ Momotaro — producer, songwriter, synth/drum programming, mixing & mastering. Shaped the sonic and visual identity under his independent imprint, Momodisco Records.
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Vessa — featured vocalist. Discovered through a shared love of retro-futuristic pop, she brought the track to life with her expressive delivery, transforming an instrumental sketch into a hook-driven single.
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Momodisco Records — creative hub and label, providing rollout strategy, artwork, and playlist-ready assets.
The collaboration unfolded remotely: trading stems, refining toplines, and tightening the arrangement until the chorus and vocal chemistry sealed the track’s final direction.
“Neon Heat” carries echoes of the past while staying distinctly forward-facing:
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Giorgio Moroder — propulsive arps, perpetual motion basslines
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Ryan Paris / Gazebo / Sabrina — romantic toplines, sun-bleached synth pads
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Stock Aitken Waterman (PWL/SAW) — chorus-first song structure, punchy drums
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New Order / Pet Shop Boys — melodic bass interplay, cool vocal phrasing
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Jan Hammer / 80s film scores — expressive lead-synths, cinematic atmosphere
Or, as one early curator reaction put it: “Immersive atmosphere, groovy beats, clean ’80s sound—catchy and danceable.”
The core motif dates back to 1989, when Momotaro was experimenting with synth sketches as a teenager. Decades later, late-night sessions in Dortmund rekindled the concept:
“I was coming off a stretch of screen-heavy, head-noise days and wanted a track that pulls you out of your head and back into your body. Optimistic melancholy you can dance to.”
Vessa’s topline crystalized the theme into a story of two strangers under neon city lights—a fleeting spark that feels both new and familiar. The result is music designed to feel like a night-drive scene: human, hook-first, visually evocative.
Why “Neon Heat” Stands Out
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Hook-first design — Chorus lands clean and early, optimized for radio and short-form clips.
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Retro done right — Authentic late-80s textures polished with modern dynamics.
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Vocal × synth chemistry — Call-and-response interplay gives the drops emotional lift.
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World-building — Unified neon-noir visuals, artwork, and rollout via Momodisco Records.
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Mix translation — Balanced for earbuds, car stereos, and club systems alike.
The track was produced entirely at Momodisco Studios—Momotaro’s personal synth-first lab in Dortmund. Techniques included:
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Chorus-first workflow — every sound built to elevate the topline.
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Ghost-sidechain grooves — subtle pad pumping for Italo-disco flow without EDM overkill.
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Stereo width automation — verses tight, choruses blooming wide.
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All-original sound design — no sample packs, every patch crafted from scratch.
Vessa’s vocals were recorded remotely, exchanged via stems until the arrangement and performance reached their final synergy.
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9 August 2025 — Dortmund, DE. First public premiere during Momotaro’s DJ set at a locally legendary summer festival. Short live clips available after.
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15 August 2025 (22:00 GMT) — Official release via Momodisco Records, accompanied by artwork, Spotify Canvas, and short-form content kits.
“Neon Heat (feat. Vessa) [Radio Edit]” is more than just a retro-inspired dance track—it’s a piece of time travel, carrying the spark of 1989 into the present with emotional immediacy. As DJ Momotaro puts it:
“This song is, in a deeper sense, an original of the late 1980s that took 36 years to surface—same pulse, new skin.”
With its blend of nostalgia and modern clarity, Neon Heat is poised to light up playlists, festival sets, and late-night drives alike.
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