Masalo works proto-house magic on electric Rush Hour Records remix

With his roots extending deep into Japan, Masalo has been forging an impressive reputation on the international circuit from his Amsterdam home. Known for genre-defying DJ sets alongside partner-in-crime Kamma at their respected 'Brighter Days' events, the pair have been keeping up a busy worldwide DJ schedule in recent months.

In the studio, his co-productions with Chicago’s Jamie 3:26 garnered some hefty support, but it’s probably last year's debut on Rush Hour that burst him onto the radars of some of the scene’s heaviest hitters. 'New Dance' flew off the shelves and was undoubtedly one of the highlights of 2019 – it's heavy, bass-driven groove traversing disco, house, and techno divides.

Here he remixes Tom Noble's 'Flashlight' for the mighty Rush Hour Records.

Tom Noble has produced edits galore, with releases on labels including Razor N Tape, Lumberjacks In Hell and Soul Clap. He was also responsible for the wonderful gospel-flavoured House Of Spirits 'Holding On' via Tim Sweeney's Beats In Space imprint. His original version of 'Flashlight' comes on like a fully legitimate Italo space-disco number, complete with walking bass, funk guitar licks and synth-string sections.

Masalo's mix stays true to the original while taking the music into subtly new territory. He strips things back just a touch, toughens up the drums, reworks the string parts and adds splashes of dextrous synth work – all layered over a juggernaut of a synth bass arpeggio. The result is a driving, eight-minute club weapon that's emotive, harmonic and endowed with a timeless quality. This is a hugely impressive piece of work that improves with each listen.

Tom Noble 'Flashlight' is out now on Rush Hour Records. You can buy it here.