- Freemasons (band)
Infobox musical artist
Name = Freemasons
Background = group_or_band
Alias = BN3, The Alibi, Walken
Origin =Brighton ,England
Genre = Dance, Funky House,Disco House
Years_active = 2005 - present
Label = Loaded
Associated_acts =Phats & Small Beyoncé Kelly Rowland Kylie Minogue
SolangeSophie Ellis-Bextor Katherine Ellis
URL = [http://www.myspace.com/freemasons Official MySpace]
Current_members = James Wiltshire
Russell SmallFreemasons are a Dance/House/
Electronica production team fromBrighton ,England . The act consists of DJ/Producer/composer/remixers Russell Small (who is also one half of the House production duo "Phats & Small ") and James Wiltshire (who also works with Phats & Small but under the alias "Jimmy Gomez").Career
The duo is well known for using samples and loops from classic club/dance and
Disco songs and blending it in with the new sounds of today's contemporary dance genres. The name is taken from the Brighton pub [http://www.thefreemasonstavern.com/ Freemasons] which they frequently visit. The duo also record and do remixes under the similar sounding "Freemaison" name, which is also the name of their newly-formed record label that was founded in 2005. They have also produced tracks under the names of Alibi, Walken, and BN3 (which is part of their hometown of Hove's postal code).In 2005 the duo transformed
Jackie Moore 's 1979 #1 BillboardHot Dance Music/Club Play track "This Time Baby" andTina Turner 's 2000 hit "When the Heartache Is Over " into an international club hit as "Love On My Mind". It was released in the States on theirUnited States label home,New York City basedUltra Records .They were also the remixers on
Faith Evans 2005 #1Hot Dance Music/Club Play and #4Hot Dance Airplay hit "Mesmerized".The Freemason's follow-up, "Watchin'" was released in the
United States in 2006 withAmanda Wilson as their lead vocalist for the track. "Watchin'" peaked at #1 on theHot Dance Music/Club Play and within the Top 20 of theHot Dance Airplay chart.The third original single from the Freemasons, "Rain Down Love" reached the Top 20 of theHot Dance Airplay chart. It also hit the Top 10 on someRhythmic format radio stations. Their fourth single (released digitally), "Nothing But a Heartache" featuring vocals fromSylvia Mason-James was released in June 2007. Although it got great play by DJ's, it failed to chart as well as its predecessors.The Freemasons have also been praised for their remix of
Beyoncé Knowles ' original song, "Déjà Vu" in 2006 (for which they were nominated for a Grammy). It is reported that Beyoncé was so impressed with the remix that she requested that they also remix all singles released from her album, "B'Day ". The Freemasons followed this up with further remixes of "Ring the Alarm ", "Beautiful Liar " (duet withShakira ), and "Green Light", transforming her traditionalR&B tracks into funky house tunes, attracting a new base of house music-fans. Freemasons' remixes of Beyoncé's songs are now among the most eagerly anticipated in clubland. They also co-produced "The One" onKylie Minogue 's album, "X" with Richard Stannard.On
29 October 2007 , the Freemasons released "Unmixed ", an album containing unmixed versions of most of their mixes to date. [cite web | url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/release/qg54/ | title=Dance Review - Freemasons, Unmixed | author=Louis Pattison | publisher=BBC | date=2007-11-02 | accessdate=2008-01-21 ] As a bonus, there is a data track containing samples anda cappella versions of "Unmixed". [ cite web | url=http://www.ilikemusic.com/dance/Freemasons_UNMIXED-4248 | title=Freemasons UNMIXED | publisher=I Like Music | accessdate=2008-01-21 ]In 2007, The Freemasons worked with
Kelly Rowland , to produce the very successful remix of her single 'Work', for the non-American markets.The follow up to Uninvited, When You Touch Me, was released in the UK on
30 June ,2008 . The song features singerKatherine Ellis and has already been added to various radio stations. The video premiered in late May 2008. The song entered the UK Singles Chart in June 2008 and reached its peak of #23 onJuly 6 .Beyonce's sister,
Solange Knowles has used the duo's production skills to recreate her new single "I Decided" for its European release due for summer 2008.Discography
Albums
*2007 Shakedown, released
22 January 2007 (Loaded Records )
*2007 Unmixed, released29 October 2007 (Loaded Records )ingles
† Refers to singles also featured on the "Shakedown" album.
Remixes
2005
* "Mesmerized" -
Faith Evans
* "I Just Can't Get Enough" (featuringAbigail Bailey ) -Herd & Fitz
* "Zap Me Lovely (TheNokia Song)" - Trick
* "Lovin' You More" (featuringSteve Smith ) - Steve Mac vs. Mosquito
* "I See Girls" -Studio B
* "C'mon, Get It On" -Studio B
* "Movin' Into Light" -Black Fras
* "Suntan" (featuringTia ) -The Beach
* "I Wasn't Kidding" -Angie Stone 2006
* "Déjà Vu" -
Beyoncé
* "Ring the Alarm " -Beyoncé
* "Right Here, Right Now" -Fatboy Slim
* "Love Sensation" -Loleatta Holloway
* "Shine" -Luther Vandross
* "Most Precious Love" (featuringBarbara Tucker ) - Blaze
* "Moving too Fast" -Supafly , Inc.
* "Turn Me On" -Dirty Old Ann
* "In My Mind" -Heather Headley
* "(Don't) Give Hate a Chance" -Jamiroquai
* "Give Me the Night" - Xavier2007
* "Take Me 2 the Sun" -
Disco Freaks
* "Beautiful Liar " -Beyoncé &Shakira
* "Green Light" -Beyoncé
* "Sexual Healing" (featuringMarvin Gaye ) - Rockefeller vs. Alibi
* "Work" -Kelly Rowland 2008
* "Disco's Revenge" (featuring
Amanda Wilson ) - Gusto
* "The One " -Kylie Minogue (Remix released as a digital only single throughout Europe with limited promotion) UK#36
* "I Decided " -Solange Knowles
* "Disco Lies" -Moby
* "Love is the Answer" - Funk Fanatics
* "Pjanoo" -Eric Prydz Producer Credits
*2007 "The One" -
Kylie Minogue (Freemasons, R. Stannard)
*2008 "I Decided, Pt. 2" - Solange (Freemasons, The Neptunes)
*2008 "Heartbreak, Make Me a Dancer" -Sophie Ellis-Bextor (Freemasons, R. Stannard)References
External links
*MySpace|freemasons|Freemasons
*Discogs artist | artist = Freemasons | name = Freemasons
* [http://www.musicomh.com/interviews/freemasons_0805.htm Interview at musicOMH]
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