Freemasons

Freemasons is an English house music duo comprised of producers Russell Small and James Wiltshire, originating from Brighton, East Sussex. Russell Small previously gained success as one half of the house production duo Phats & Small, while James Wiltshire also worked with Phats & Small under the alias ‘Jimmy Gomez’. The duo adopted the name ‘Freemasons’ after a Brighton pub they frequented, and the establishment’s landlord promised them free drinks for life if their track reached number one.

In 2005, the duo achieved international recognition with “Love on My Mind,” a track that transformed Jackie Moore’s 1979 hit “This Time Baby” and Tina Turner’s “When the Heartache Is Over” into a nightclub success, reaching number 11 in the UK charts. This was followed by “Watchin'” in 2006, which topped the Hot Dance Club Play chart in the US, and “Rain Down Love.” Their remixing work also gained prominence, notably with Beyoncé’s “Déjà Vu” in 2006, which earned them a Grammy Award nomination. They continued to remix tracks for artists such as Kelly Rowland and Kylie Minogue, and co-produced Minogue’s song “The One.” Their success extended to headlining major festivals, including Mardi Gras twice, and a ‘Summer of Pride’ tour across the UK and USA in 2010.

Freemasons released several albums, including ‘Shakedown’ (2007), ‘Unmixed’ (2007), ‘Shakedown 2’ (2009), and ‘Shakedown 3’ (2014), all of which achieved notable chart positions. Their single “Uninvited” reached number 8 in the UK and earned silver certification. Collaborations continued with artists like Sophie Ellis-Bextor on “Heartbreak (Make Me a Dancer)” in 2009. After a period of focusing on individual projects, Russell Small later teamed up with Dino Psaras (DNO P) to release new music, while James Wiltshire established F9 Audio.