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
Solange
Sophie Ellis-Bextor
Katherine Ellis
URL = [http://www.myspace.com/freemasons Official MySpace]
Current_members = James Wiltshire
Russell Small

Freemasons are a Dance/House/Electronica production team from Brighton, 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 Billboard Hot Dance Music/Club Play track "This Time Baby" and Tina 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 their United States label home, New York City based Ultra Records.

They were also the remixers on Faith Evans 2005 #1 Hot Dance Music/Club Play and #4 Hot Dance Airplay hit "Mesmerized".

The Freemason's follow-up, "Watchin'" was released in the United States in 2006 with Amanda Wilson as their lead vocalist for the track. "Watchin'" peaked at #1 on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play and within the Top 20 of the Hot Dance Airplay chart.The third original single from the Freemasons, "Rain Down Love" reached the Top 20 of the Hot Dance Airplay chart. It also hit the Top 10 on some Rhythmic format radio stations. Their fourth single (released digitally), "Nothing But a Heartache" featuring vocals from Sylvia 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 with Shakira), and "Green Light", transforming her traditional R&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" on Kylie 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 and a 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 singer Katherine 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 on July 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, released 29 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" (featuring Abigail Bailey) - Herd & Fitz
* "Zap Me Lovely (The Nokia Song)" - Trick
* "Lovin' You More" (featuring Steve Smith) - Steve Mac vs. Mosquito
* "I See Girls" - Studio B
* "C'mon, Get It On" - Studio B
* "Movin' Into Light" - Black Fras
* "Suntan" (featuring Tia) - 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" (featuring Barbara 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" - Xavier

2007

* "Take Me 2 the Sun" - Disco Freaks
* "Beautiful Liar" - Beyoncé & Shakira
* "Green Light" - Beyoncé
* "Sexual Healing" (featuring Marvin 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]