REVIEW : Shakedown 2

It has to be said – Russell Small and his partner in crime James Wiltshire of Brighton dance duo Freemasons have set an entirely new and virtually unassailable benchmark for remixers around the world.
Since they burst onto the scene four years ago with their debut single ‘Love On My Mind’, the Freemasons have set about changing the face of dance music one remix at a time.
Their debut long played ‘Shakedown’ was one of the finest collections of remixes we’d ever wrapped our listening gear around, even after licensing issues forced the removal of the boys’ rather sublime remix of Luther Vandross’s ‘Shine’.
Two years on and umpteen remixes later and the boys are back with the imaginatively titled ‘Shakedown 2’, once again jam-packed with hands-in-the-air pop/dance goodness.
Disc one opens with the remix of Beyonce sister Solange’s single ‘Sandcastle Disco’ which then melds seamlessly into the truly incredible Freemasons remix of Jamiroquai’s ‘Don’t Give Hate A Chance’. No such seamless transition into the next track, featuring ‘son of a preacher man’ Peyton on vocals, but ‘Love Is The Answer’ is still entirely danceable. The beats hush into nothingness before the piano riff from the Alanis Morissette cover ‘Uninvited’ is eerily introduced.
The mix into Axwell/Bob Sinclar’s ‘What A Wonderful World’ works well, same too for it’s blend into the brilliant ‘Disco Lies’ by Moby.
The Freemasons then take on the Outsiders who in turn take on Robyn with their cover of ‘Keep This Fire Burning’ – it’s another fine Freemasons moment.
Further down the tracklist, James & Russell turn their attention to the recent Eric Prydz club banger ‘Pjanoo’, shading it with the acapella of previous hit ‘Watchin’.
They do similar business, melding Calvin Harris’s ‘Colours’ with Ultra Nate’s ‘Free’ before closing the disc with self-hits ‘When You Touch Me’ and a new version of ‘Love On My Mind’.
Disc two is the more pop of the two, featuring the likes of Kylie, Sophie Ellis-Bextor, Beyonce, Kelly Rowland and an exclusive remix of the Eurythmics’ ‘Here Comes The Rain Again’.
Their remix of Beyonce’s ‘Ring The Alarm’ (never released in Australia) is worth the price of admission alone – truly one of the most incredible remixes/club anthems of the past ten years.
From one Destiny’s Child member to the next with the re-‘work’ of ‘Work’, complete with mid-remix tempo slide to remind you why the world fell in love with the radio version. Their remix of New Order’s ‘Blue Monday’ feels a bit ‘plonked’, but all is forgiven as the familiar sounds of Kylie’s ‘The One’ slowly make their way to the fore. It’s a glorious club anthem.
Deadmau5’s ‘Ghosts & Stuff’ works well as a bridge to the Lisa Stansfield classic ‘People Hold On’, ‘Disco’s Revenge’ sounds as fresh as ever and the album exclusive remix of the Eurythmics’ ‘Here Comes The Rain Again’ that follows showcases the Freemasons at their very best.
The brilliant Eurythmics experience sours only slightly when the Red Carpet/Kings Of Tomorrow mash-up marches in without warning – or mix, it would appear. The same goes for the mix into ‘Heartbreak (Make Me A Dancer)’.
But there’s no denying the song, under the classy pop guidance of Sophie Ellis Bextor, is one of the club anthems of 2009.
But the piece de resistance is the final track. Whoever it was that decided to mash up the Freemasons’ ‘Rain Down Love’ with Marvin Gaye’s ‘Heard It Through The Grapevine’ should be made to sit on the top of the pop throne for all eternity. Quite simply put, it’s genius.
‘Shakedown 2’ picks up where ‘Shakedown’ left off – giving us a wonderful postcard of all the dancey pop goodness Russell and James have bestowed upon us over the past couple of years. The Freemasons are quite literally at the top of their game – and long may they reign.