Dance music history is littered with successful partnerships. Infamously named after a Brighton pub close to the studio, The Freemasons (AKA Russell Small and James Wiltshire) have within the last 18 months shot to the top of the pile of UK house producers with a vocal encrusted bullet...
Russell possibly needs little introduction. As one half of Phats & Small, he'd sold over 2.5 million singles worldwide and DJ'd for 15 years.. James had worked in just about every major recording studio in London for a myriad of producers and artists. Their first single - The Jackie Moore Sampling "Love On My Mind" immediately demonstrated just how powerful this pairing was going to be - Hooky enough to walk off the dancefloor and into the charts, this track still gets pulled out of club (and Radio) DJ's bags on a weekly basis over a year after its release...
Standard procedure for dance artists is to disappear after one single or follow up with a lame sound-a-like .. Not so with the Freemasons, Last February's Uk top 20 Hit "Watchin" proved their chart stamina and 2007 saw them take the crown of the UK's most successful Dance act when their Third single "Rain Down Love" featuring Siedah Garrett yet again made the leap from a (third) clean sweep of all the club charts and into the UK's top 20.. The Fall of 2006 also saw their work recognized in the US at the highest level, but more on this in a moment.
Ever since they started, The Freemasons have turned down more remixes than they have taken on. This selective approach to this side of their work has always paid off, gaining them appreciation from DJs, Producers and Industry in both Europe and the USA - If you want names dropped, we're talking , Beyoncé Faith Evans, Jamiroquai, Fatboy Slim, Angie Stone, Luther Vandross, Jamiroquai, Blaze Feat. Barbara Tucker etc.
The last 18 months have seen their work hit No.1 repeatedly in every UK industry chart - Across the pond, things were in motion too. A remix of RCA-Breakthough artist Heather Headley steadily climbed the Billboard Dance charts until it sat at the top (described as "Beautiful" by many US DJ's). This, their first remix direct commissioned directly from America made a lot of people sit up and take notice, and attracted the attention of R+B's first lady - Miss Beyoncé Knowles . As her then new album "B'Day" was nearing completion, the Freemasons were asked to remix the lead single - "Deja Vu" . This remix had stratospheric results for all concerned - The radio edit ended up replacing the original mix on UK's national radio: Radio1. Club response went through the roof as DJ’s and clubbers raved about it. This amazing success did not go unnoticed by the American music industry and late 2006, The Freemasons were nominated for a Grammy : "Best Remix (Non Classical) Beyoncé - Déja Vu (Freemasons Club Mix)."
This relationship has continued to bear more fruit. A second remix "Ring The Alarm" gained huge club respect and ended up in edited form as an additional track on her recent European hit "Irreplaceable" . It also seems slightly ironic that a very tight remix deadline on a top secret record featuring Beyoncé and another huge international female star will be keeping them away from the Grammy ceremonies.
Calls for an album were being heard from all corners and finally in Jan. 2007 "Shakedown" was released. The Freemasons describe it as "18-months of our life minus the weekends" . Collecting up all three hit singles, all of their finest remix work and a huge selection of new material, Shakedown has proved to be everything their fans were asking for - Just check the reviews on itunes or comments on their myspace site to see how universally loved this album has quickly become. As many fans have now pointed out - Shakedown Also provides huge choice for potential new singles to continue the success, although typically the guys themselves are tight-lipped about what's next. Maybe they know something we don't!!
Turning Studio success into a packed dancefloor seemed the logical step.. The Freemasons DJ'd together for the time last summer and in parallel to their studio work fused traditional methods with The latest technology. They have since gone on to raise hands on dancefloors across the UK, Europe and across the world. A number one compilation down-under in Jan 2006 has secured them a high profile tour and Antipodean New years eve gig, and In March this year , The Freemasons will headline the closing Party at Sydney's Mardi Gras . A quick glance down their gig schedule will make you realise just how many Airmiles these two will notch up this year.
So will they be able sustain this run of success?... Having just seen and heard the beginnings of their new material for 2007, I can only saw this: "You ain't seen nothing yet..."

Remixes
Artist Title
Faith Evans Mesmerised
Blaze Most Precious Love
Jamiroquai Don't Give Hate a Chance
Fat Boy Slim Right Here, Right Now
Herd & Fritz Just Can't Get Enough
Angie Stone I Wasn't Kidding
Fishbowl Movin' Too Fast
Black Fras Movin' Into Light
Studio B C'mon Get It On
Trick vs Freemasons Zap Me Lovely
Disco Freaks Take Me Too The Sun
Loleatta Holloway Love Sensation
Dirty Old Ann Turn Me On
Beyonce Deja Vu
Own Releases
Artist Title
Freemasons ft. Amanda Wilson Love On My Mind
Freemasons ft. Amanda Wilson Watchin'
Freemasons ft. Amanda Wilson Rain Down Love (release date: 01-01-07)
Freemasons Shakedown album (release date: 01-01-07)

Originally Posted by Mr Admin Shame i'm not over for that BTW how about our URL on your posters?