If you’re in the mood for “music that makes you want to dance”, don't wait to queue up Heat Treatment.
Heat Treatment, a NYC-based musical duo featuring Ricky Lomas and Walker Perry, produce tracks influenced by inheritors of the Italo Disco movement scene from the 80's. (Think: disco, electronic grooves, and synths.) They also just released their fiery first album, Kerosene.
I sat down with the band in their Brooklyn studio to talk about how their beef with clubs influenced them to make music, the Wikipedia rabbit-hole that sparked their band name, why their production process relates to a Mos Def quote, and how they're complete opposites when it comes to music production. I also learn why Ricky is moving to France and why Walker has ~700 unread text messages.
What are your favorite tracks from Kerosene and why should someone listen to them?
Waiting on You (Album Version)
"It's disco, but it's its own thing too. Beautifully in and out of canon. You've heard it but the sound is different."
Kerosene
“The melody gets stuck in your head like nothing else. Short and sweet and hits when the bass comes in.”
Sweet Tooth
“Took 30 min to make. Ricky came up with chords, and we both knew exactly what it should sound like. I laced the bass immediately.”
Where did the name Heat Treatment come from?
Walker: “What do you think of Heat Treatment?”
Ricky: “What the f--- is that?”
If you're at a loss for what to label a music project, scientific technical jargon can be a good place to start. Why? It can both sound cool and be "vague enough to evoke a feeling." Walker, who has used such terms in the past to name music projects, came across "heat treatment" when going down a technical jargon Wikipedia rabbit hole on his way to work. The duo liked how the term evoked warmth and hospitality, cementing Heat Treatment as their official band name.
And for those of you unfamiliar with metallurgical processes or who had the same reaction as both Ricky and I – "heat treatment” is a metallurgical process that metal beams undergo to ensure they are structurally sound and not too brittle.
How did you get started as a band?
“I suggested we make music together, which Ricky was [laughs] extremely lukewarm about.” - Walker
The duo was introduced by a mutual friend, Jake, who suggested the two be roommates in NYC. Walker, equipped with the knowledge that Ricky posted his own music on Logic, decided to ask Ricky if he was interested in producing songs together during their first Zoom meet and greet. Though Ricky was initially hesitant (as he had not heard his future roommate’s music), he was on board once hearing Walker's tracks. As Ricky described, they "both quickly recognized the talent the other had" and Heat Treatment was born.
How would you describe Heat Treatment’s sound?
‘The musical center for us is “Music that makes you want to dance.”’ – Ricky
Ricky and Walker's shared love of going out dancing helped them define the exact music they wanted to make. On the dance floor, they both learned they were fans of inheritors of the Italo Disco scene from the 80’s (think L'Impératrice and Jungle). However, the two noticed that clubs rarely played this type of music, or music that encouraged people to dance in general. Disappointed in the lack of bodies on the floor and knowing exactly the type of sound they wanted to hear, Ricky and Walker set out to produce just that - “music that makes you want to dance.”
“Make something which no one has ever done before, but make it sound like it’s been there forever.” – Mos Def
Heat Treatment aims to make novel, yet timeless tracks. The tracks are novel in the sense that the pair pulls influence from bands and songs they like, but deconstruct it and make it their own sound. Walker will take a small part of an obscure record and fold it into something rhythmic, and Ricky will write chords around it. The band's choice of instruments from different eras (an organ from the 50’s, a Japanese synthesizer from the 80’s, a modern analog synth from 2010) gives the tracks a timeless feel. The end results are songs that may not be unified in style, but are "unified in texture."
What is your collaboration style like?
Ricky and Walker approach creating music in opposite ways and have different skill sets, which is exactly their strength. As Ricky puts it, they both do things and think in ways that the other does not, making them incredibly complementary. In sum:
Ricky | Walker |
Knows music theory | Does not know music theory* |
Specializes in smooth, melodic sounds | Specializes in rhythmic sounds |
More logical, analytical, and step-by-step when writing music | More impulsive and follows intuition when producing music |
*and actively tries to avoid learning too much to just focus on what he wants to hear/one train of thought
While their differences balance them out, the pair also laughed about they're also “adversarial”, i.e., they aren’t afraid to let the other one know if their base track or lyrics aren’t exactly the next best hit. However, it’s clear that again, this is what makes Heat Treatment work – their candidness, combined with the respect for one other and different approaches to music, only push them to challenge one another and create the best tracks possible.
What’s next for Heat Treatment?
Heat Treatment will be performing their new album on August 24th in NYC! (Get more info here). Soon after, half of the band is going global – Ricky will be obtaining a Master of Fine Arts in France, while Walker will stay in NYC as a music producer. However, the pair plans to continue making music together. Walker promised to send Ricky beats, and Ricky is including his synth in his packing checklist.
BONUS TRACKS: Getting to know Ricky and Walker outside of Heat Treatment
What’s something about each of you that someone wouldn’t know until they get to know you a bit more?
“Both of us, I’ll tell you right now, can dance” – Ricky
Immediately upon asking the question, both Ricky and Walker responded with the fact that they can dance. In case you were curious (I was) - Walker's signature move is a body roll, while Ricky's is moving his hips "more than most."
On a more personal note, Ricky's excited to finally be in a phase of his life where he has more time to pursue creative outlets, such as being in a band and attending a Master of Fine Arts program in France this Fall. It's a 180 from the past couple of years (studying computer science and working as a Sr. Software Engineer at SiriusXM) where he describes how he did what was standard to achieve success, but not necessarily what he was passionate about. With more time for creative outlets, he still finds time for other hobbies he enjoys, such as skiing or surfing.
On the other hand, Walker has always been drawn to the technical side of cinematography and music, but in the past struggled to know what he wanted to do in a professional context. Now the Supervisor of Technical Operations at NYU Tisch's Collaborative Arts program, he enjoys his role and produces records for other artists on the side. Outside of the music scene, he likes to keep his social scene strong by bringing friends who wouldn't normally interact with one another into one gathering - often resulting in scores of unread messages (current count: ~700).
Keep up with Heat Treatment on Instagram @heattreatmentmusic
Listen to them on Spotify here
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