The boys are back in town with a huge new artist album. World exclusive
Interview : Dan Prince
Freemasons a.k.a. Russell Small and James Wiltshire are firmly established as one of the most successful dance music acts the UK has ever produced. In a 10 year career, their trademark, uplifting, disco house sound, has so far delivered 6 top 20 hits. Their reputation as the best remixers in the business is backed up by a stunning list of artists remixed, including Beyonce, Whitney Houston, Kelly Rowland, Kylie, Jamiroquai and George Michael, and more recently, the likes of John Newman, London Grammar and Katy Perry. Their mix of Beyonce ‘Déjà vu’ saw them nominated for a Grammy, underlining their global popularity. Freemasons are now back with ‘Shakedown 3’, a huge triple album full of massive new tracks guaranteed to set dancefloors alight. This highly anticipated, brand new album features 2 DJ-mixed discs of new Freemasons productions and new versions of their biggest hits, with the 3rd disc packed full of individual edits of all the new tracks. DMCWORLD jump in head first…
Russell, James welcome back to DMCWORLD…where on planet dance are you today?
“Hi Dan…in Brighton getting ready to leave for Turkey.”
A hugely exciting summer for you due to the release of your new artist album… Freemasons Shakedown 3…a huge triple album full of massive new tracks, new versions of your biggest hits, new edits and bonus tracks. WOW. You must be over the moon with the response from around the world…iTunes Dance Top 10’s in Norway, Australia, New Zealand, Denmark, Sweden, Poland and Russia plus Top 20’s in the US, Spain and France…plus the UK to come. Worth the 3 years hard graft or what???!
“Worth every moment for sure and great to finally get that huge amount of work we’ve be threatening to release out there! We really weren’t expecting such an international result but this has shown us just how far we’ve travelled over the last few years. People don’t have far to go to hear mixes for free these days so we are truly grateful for every single person who wanted to support us. After such a long time it really does mean the world.”
Let’s kick off with CD1 – Poolside and the new tracks. Talk us through ‘Walk The Mile’, ‘Intoxicated’, ‘True Love Survivor’ and your new 2014 version of ‘Rain Down Love’…
“Guitar-led, funk track ‘Walk The Mile’ is sung by a little known Anglo-American blues artist called Randy Chapsaw. He’s a nightmare though – wanted in 3 southern states for aggravated menaces and possession of an offensive weapon so we can never tour him… ‘Intoxicated’ is a chop up vocal house bumper (the smoother side of a banger) with enough cheek to make Norman Wisdom blush. ‘True Love Survivor’ is a total fave of ours by local artist HANAH and has the kind of chorus that makes you want to drive round in a convertible. We had to go back to ‘Rain Down Love’ and give it the house treatment once more – it’s just crying out for it.”
CD2 is classic Freemasons, one big fucking smash after another…what are your personal highlights of this hands in the air fest you’ve delivered?
“Probably Track 1 – Andrea Martin really is a legendary song writer and the moment we heard Nothing To Lose we got lost in the song. It’s big ol’ production and musically the most complicated on the album but we’ve had people asking after it for ages. I can’t believe we got away with so many chord moves and production changes in 1 track – it just seems to be a song that stays with you lyrically and is full of those life references that anyone can relate to… that is her genius. It was great to be able to get so many of our remixes on their too – we both have a big soft spot for Amanda Wilson’s retro piano track ‘Let It B Me’ and ‘The Bottle’ too.”
Is this the best Freemasons have ever sounded?
“Definitely sonically as well as musically. We started working with a Genius Stem mixing team at Wired Masters in London and it changed everything for this album. We came from a generation that were brought up on hardware equipment and had to relearn parts of our trade and I’m not afraid to say it was a long way back but worth the journey!”
We love how you have taken a step into the unknown with some of the new sounds…what was the idea with the new territories you have explored?
“It was a conscious move to walk on either side of the music path we normally take and it was great fun as after many years studio collecting we were able to utilise everything. When you go from the Gorecki 3AM remix to ‘Bring it back’ via the London Grammar mix, it’s hard to think this is all the same artist so it worked like a treat and made every studio day more interesting.”
Dance music has changed beyond all recognition in recent years due to the States finally cottoning on. What effect on your new music did this have?
“As you can hear on CD2 we’ve cherry picked some of the bigger sounds we feel comfortable with (but we’ve never inhaled) and that’s definitely a reference to what’s happened in America, we’ve got a great fan base out there… We really wanted to get our Billboard No1 remix of Depeche Mode – Heaven on SDIII but we just couldn’t get the licence…”
October 2nd sees your annual Club Classics event with Carl Cox at Concorde 2 in Brighton, throw 10 tunes at us that will definitely in line to be played…
Inner City – Pennies from Heaven (Kevins Tunnel Mix)
Ten City – That’s The Way Love Is
Raze – Break for Love
Mariah Carey – Dream Lover (Morales Mix)
Chez Damier – Can You Feel It (MK Dub)
Little Louie – Ride On The Rhythm (Kenlou Dub)
Chris Cuevas – Hip Hop (MAW Dub)
Funky Green Dogs – Reach For Me
Alison Limerick – Where Love Lives
Josh Wink- Higher State of Consciousness
“The average Friday night dance radio show 3 years ago sounded like a lorry reversing over a bag full of ferrets”. Discuss…
“Dubstep reached the accolade of pure noise for boys ten times quicker than any other historical genre and devolved into complete nonsense despite some excellent producers. For every great record there were suddenly hundreds of awful ones, even Skream admitted he was constantly playing records he didn’t even like. At the same time, the EDM explosion meant everyone was trying to make the same record… Now we have a fantastic across the board mix of music and no-one feels ashamed to admit they’ve always liked a variety of genres and it’s totally open to experimentation. We had to go to one note nonsense to come back and re-discover that it was called dance MUSIC for a reason.”
The Forbes DJ Rich List. Opinion…
“Let’s hope they’ve all got good accountants as with a cash rich industry like this I’m guessing there’s a lot of mattress stuffing going on and a lot of tax officials rolling their sleeves up and calling some managers these next few years.”
There are a new breed of UK house producers currently ripping it up. Who really impress you?
“Gorgon City – what brilliant production and sonics riding that line between accessible and credible is the hardest path to forge in modern music and they do it with style and very, very (very) phat bass. And even though he’s really electronica, I cannot stop listening to the Caribou album.”
Did the new crop of house producers hitting the top of the charts in any way make this album more important to you. Was there any puffing out your chests at all?
“We are really happy that suddenly we could start making house again thanks to the new breed so to be honest we probably should get either the beers or the Miaow Miaow in for them.”
The last great gig you went to?
“There’s a fucking enormous Wurlizter type organ underneath the Dome (Brighton’s favourite live venue) which our manager got us in to see it before the purple rinses turned up to hear the recital. It’s got 4 keyboards on the fucker and Stops for thinks like xylophone, snare drum roll, tambourine, pan pipes etc. When I asked where the samples were coming from, the player tutted and explained there was an entire ensemble of air powered instruments hidden behind the walls of the stage edges and I was hearing actual shit getting hit by hammers and stick – not only that, they were all installed in about 1930 and they still worked! He then whacked his foot on the swell pedal and the vents side of stage swung right open and played the loudest chord I’ve ever witnessed in that building – he couldn’t have been far off the brown note / lost chord of the ancients. Technically not a gig but it was the most remarkable event in a gig venue for many years for me and nothing has had my jaw on the floor like it, not even a man jumping about gently in a papier-mâché rodent head.”
Tune of Summer 2014…
“‘Hideaway’ – it just seems to be playing every time there’s a street party / house party / people drinking. It may not be the coolest choice but everyone I know knows every single word! For the Late Mash-up – ‘Walking with Elephants’.”
It’s that time of year again, the annual DJ Top100. I interviewed Arthur Baker this week, he remarked…“there are too many DJs and genres for a realistic competition, it needs to split”. What are your thoughts on that – do you actually give a shit?
“When I go to the DJ mag website and see DJs have taken out banner adverts on 2/3rds of the site, or hear that they’ve organised three teams in India to spike voting or running ridiculously expensive social media campaigns to raise position, you realise how important it has become for bookings, promoters and punters. It now has huge commercial power and it shows one thing – Trance is not dead, it just changed its name to EDM and it’s jolly well become the biggest club sound across the planet. One thing though: Dear Voters – when was the last time you went to a Daft Punk DJ gig FFS? Also, more than half the chart are two thirds of the way to a free bus pass (or over) age wise. What are we going to do with the ageing DJ population in the coming years? It’s a serious issue!”
It’s your birthday – the 3 DJs you invite to play…
“Carl Cox (house set) for the music, Artwork for the party and general misbehaviour, and Norman Jay for the Sunday after knees-up.”
5 big new records in your box this weekend…
“Can’t get any more in with all the new Freemasons material stuffed in there – the lid won’t shut!”
Your remix career is stunning. 6 top 20 hits to date for superstars such as Whitney Houston, George Michael and Beyonce. We interviewed Amtrac in the States earlier today whose take on remixing is to simply take the vocal and star all over again. What is your route to success…?
“Do what you feel is right – it’s that simple and has afforded us a 10 year career. What you may not know is that one of us learnt how to remix at DMC 20 years ago and somewhere in the Dat storage cupboard are the Jimmy Gomez mixes. That was my learning curve so when We started remixing, I had a skill set I’d develop over a long time so handling vocals was easy. I’ll go by stealing from someone’s quote – success is 10% inspiration, 90% perspiration.”
Paris Hilton earning two hundred grand a gig at Amnesia in Ibiza. Thoughts?
“Who the fuck woke up in Ibiza and decided to go and see her DJ / press play? Are there that many – really?? In that case, it’s only a season or two before there’s a Kardashian playing and then it’s really screwed.”
The finest vocalist you have had the pleasure of working with…
“Too many to mention but when you’ve heard a Beyonce Vocal by itself with no effects (and no tuning) you realise why that woman is where she is. It’s often thought that no one sings the way they did back in the day with three takes, no edits and no Melodyne, but she really is one of the best recording talents the world’s ever produced.”
A recent quote from a certain superstar DJ…“I believe true DJing is actually an art, but it’s a dying art, as everyone is pushing the sync button…it’s a real shame when you see a ‘DJ’ plug his laptop in and call this DJing. Music will always evolve but sometimes not in the best way.” What are your thoughts on that?
“Well who cares if you use a chisel or an angle grinder or a laser to make sculpture – tools will always develop and technology will always get better. It’s the end result that counts and for DJ’s it’s the set they play not how they play that’s surely important. What I personally can’t stand are reports of the guys in the DJ top 30 charging hundreds of thousands having four track mixes all pre-made for them – that really is bollocks. Get your fingers out and do what you’re paid to do you over-privileged bunch of lazy arsed plonkers. I’m actually with Deamu5 when he said that he doesn’t consider putting two records in time with each other is such a great feat. If Hilton can almost do it without getting a minion to help her out then let’s face it, it’s a very long way from rocket science. But building a set so you get every emotion possible running through your crowd over a 2,3,4,5, or 7 hour set – now that’s an art form and if you can do that you are a true virtuoso and the wheels of steel are your instrument. We need to clone the likes of Coxy and preserve them for future generations or string up a couple of chancers above the palm trees at Pacha as a warning to those taking the proverbial piss.”
What is each other’s most annoying habit?
“We kill and eat interviewers when we get asked personal questions…”
Some of the stand out gigs of 2014…
“Marquee Sydney, Fire Island NYC, the Week Sao Paulo.”
And finally…what’s next for you guys studio wise? You putting the CLOSED sign up for a while or are more musical treats swinging our way?
“32 tracks!?! That’s not normal. A damn good rest and a good holiday.”
Thank you lads. If ever you are on the white isle, beers are on me. Dan x
“We know where you live sunshine – Russell likes shandy in the sun so could you get some lemonade in?”
***
Freemasons Shakedown 3 is out now
Amazon http://smarturl.it/FM017-Amazon
iTunes http://smarturl.it/FM017UK
Tracklisting:
Freemasons Shakedown 3 CD1 – Poolside
1.Pegasus ft Bailey Tzuke – The Fall
2.Pegasus ft Emma Rohan – In The Blue
3.Pegasus ft Levana Wolf – Gorecki (Freemasons 3am Mix)
4.Freemasons – La Serenissima (Theme From Venice In Peril)
5.Freemasons ft Randy Chapsaw – Walk The Mile
6.Pegasus – Into My Arms
7.Freemasons – Intoxicated
8. London Grammar – Nightcall (Freemasons Pegasus Club mix)
9.Freemasons ft Hanna – True Love Survivor
10.Freemasons ft Joel Edwards – U Drive Me Crazy
11.Freemasons ft Siedah Garrett – Rain Down Love 2014
12.Freemasons ft Emma Rohan – Sea Of Fire
13.Pegasus ft Judie Tzuke – Paradise
14.Pegasus ft Katherine Ellis – Cold Light Of Day
Freemasons Shakedown 3 CD2 – Night
1.Freemasons ft Andrea Martin – Nothing to Lose
2.Freemasons ft Joel Edwards – U Drive Me Crazy (Version Francais)
3.Freemasons ft Wynter Gordon – Believer 2014
4 Hurts – Wonderful Life (Freemasons Extended mix)
5,Whitney Houston – Million Dollar Bill (Freemasons Club Mix)
6.John Newman – Cheating (Freemasons Club Mix)
7.Freemasons – The Bottle
8 Freemasons – Discopolis
9.Freemasons ft Joel Edwards – Dirty Organ
10.Freemasons ft Katherine Ellis – Tears
11.Freemasons – Bring It Back
12.Freemasons ft Amanda Wilson – Let it B Me
13.Freemasons – Real Life
14. Freemasons ft Bailey Tzuke – Uninvited
Freemasons Shakedown 3 CD 3 Unmixed
1. Freemasons ft HANA – True Love Survivor
2. Freemasons ft Andrea Martin – Nothing To Lose
3. Pegasus ft Emma Rohan – In The Blue
4. Freemasons ft Wynter Gordon – Believer 2014
5. Freemasons – Bring It Back
6. Pegasus ft Judie Tzuke – I Feel Paradise
7. Freemasons ft Randy Chapsaw – Walk The Mile
8. Pegasus ft Katherine Ellis – Cold Light Of Day
9. Freemasons – The Bottle
10. Freemasons ft Amanda Wilson – Let It B Me
11. Freemasons ft Joel Edwards – U Drive Me Crazy
12. Freemasons ft Katherine Ellis – Tears
13. Pegasus ft Bailey Tzuke – The Fall
14. Freemasons – Intoxicated
15. Freemasons ft Emma Rohan – Sea Of Fire
16. Freemasons – Real Life
17. Pegasus ft Levana Wolf – Gorecki
18. Freemasons Vs Rubylux – World Goes Quiet
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