Sophie Ellis-Bextor feat. Freemasons – “Bittersweet”

Sophie Ellis-Bextor is back after a three-year break, a time period she spent focused on motherhood instead of pop tunes. We don’t know how we ever managed to groove at a club without the “Murder on the Dancefloor” songstress crooning to the beat, so we’re thankful that the English pop star is planning to drop her fourth dance album this Autumn (which was delayed from its original Spring release date).

Sophie wet our appetite for her forthcoming release by debuting the title track,”Bittersweet,” on U.K.’s Gaydar Radio. We’ve snatched it up for your listening pleasure, so jump below for a taste.

“Bittersweet” was written by electro group Freemasons, who are also featured on the track. The British duo previously penned hit tracks for Beyoncé, Kelly Roland, Kylie Minogue, and Sophie for “Heartbreak (Make Me a Dancer)”.We’re not one-hundred percent certain if this soon-to-be-a-rave-fave is the main track or its Freemasons remix, but this is a perfect dance tune nonetheless.

Sophie recently told the Brisbane Times, “Pop is fickle. You are only as good as your latest song. I really don’t think the public cares if you are away for 18 months or two years, but that extra six months in the studio might make all the difference to your album.” Personally, we’re impressed so far, and we hope the rest of Ellis-Bextor’s album sounds as sweet.

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“You remember Sophie Ellis-Bextor? You know! Come on, the 23-week chart-topping brunette beauty behind “Murder on the Dancefloor?” Well the disco-light lovin’ diva is back — and this time, she can really … shake it down.Sophie’s new single “Bittersweet” premiered last night on UK radio and it blew my man knickers off. It’s the first single from her fourth studio album, co-written by the Freemasons (writer/producers responsible for some of Whitney Houston, Beyonce, Shakira and Kelly Rowland’s hits) and Hannah Robinson (writer of hit-bangers from Christina Aguilera, The Saturdays and Sugababes). Yeah, you don’t even have to press play to know it’s already going be amazing.Sophie tweeted about the song saying it is “about when you can’t resist something that you know is bad for you. A guilty pleasure. Like watching celebrity ‘Big Brother.’” Hold the hamburger phone miss thang! You like lady pop music, “Big Brother” and you Twitter… is that you in a fancy weave Jarett? Well if it is, nice moves, the song is brilliant and I have high hopes the whole album will be just as good. Word all over the computer box is that Sophie is also working on new tracks with Calvin Harris, Groove Armada and the Sneaker Pimps. Damn-it, now I’m gonna need to go to the dentist.”

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Luke Solomon & Derrick Carter’s Classic on DJMag’s most influencial labels list.

“A translantic venture between Derrick Carter and Luke Solomon (Freaks), the label lived up to its name by releasing must-have records from across the house spectrum including Isolee’s ‘Beau Mot Plage’ and DJ Sneak’s ‘You can’t Hide From Your Bud’. Their promise to shut down after 100 releases added to the mystique.”

DJMag March2010

“These tenacious musical miscreants are back and firing on all cylinders, if ‘Right Now’ is anything to go by. Luke Solomon and Justin harris may have been under the radar for a minute, but they’ve been hard at work, and this team up with the distinctive voice behind classics like ‘Tears’ and ‘Bring Down The Walls’ puts them firmly on the house music front line. A typically rich, emotive timbre from Owens, a vintage Chicago bassline, and bustling precussion conjure a feeling of spiritual connection and celbration as well as bittersweet melancholy, tears on the dancefloor, that transient capturing of a moment in time that only the best house records are capable of evoking”

DJMag March 2010

1. Lucio Aquilina – Out Run (Hideout)
2. Terry Francis & Klunk – Relax – Tigerskin Unconscious mix (Wiggle)
3. Camea & Tim Xavier – Beaded Sweat (Clink)
4. Simon Baker – We Are One (Viva)
5. Nathan Coles & David Coker – Mirrors (Wiggle)
6. Abe Duque & Blake Baxter – What Happened? – DJ Glen Remix (Process Recordings)
7. Alex Caytas & Alex Patz – Recycling (Rawthentic Music)
8. Acumen – Middle (Upon You Records)
9. Estroe – High Maintenance – Audiofly Remix (Connaisseur Recordings)
10. Sychophant Slags – Keep Off – Wighomy Brothers Remix (Poker Flat Recordings)

It was the best of times, it was the freakiest of times. Since 1996, Freaks—the London duo of Luke Solomon and Justin Harris—have been turning dancefloors upside down with their unique sense of boompty. It’s hard to imagine the house music of the late ‘90s and early ‘00s without Freaks tunes like ‘Turning Orange’ or ‘Washing Machine’, which managed to combine elements of jacking Chicago house, minimal German techno and an unhinged, quintessentially British sense of humor.

Freaks spent a decade kicking merrily around the underground, releasing dozens of singles and three albums, most of it for their own Music For Freaks imprint. Then, in 2007, a funny thing happened on their way to the disco: ‘The Creeps’, a record that they had originally released in 2003, finally wormed its way into the U.K. pop charts, going all the way to #9. Pretty cool—unless you happen to be Freaks, for whom the idea of pop stardom is about as appealing as an extended bout of stomach flu.

Reeling from the exposure, Freaks went dark; Solomon focused his efforts on solo material, including a string of singles and an album for Radio Slave’s REKIDS label, and a cracking collaboration with Jonny Rock, ‘It’s In The Rhythm’, for Playhouse.

Now, at long last, the duo has emerged from its underground burrow with an irreverent new single for Crosstown Rebels, ‘UMakeNoSense’, and another new record, ‘Right Now’, for Rebirth, featuring vocals from the legendary Chicago house musician Robert Owens. To top it all off, they’ve pulled together a selection of hits, obscurities and exclusives, ‘Best of Times’, for their own Music for Freaks label. We caught up with Solomon by phone to ask what brought them back, and to find out if the world is finally ready for Freaks….. to read full article please click here

“She’s an internationally renowned DJ who has spun at the world’s top clubs, worked alongside electronic music legends and won numerous awards. But while she could easily rest on her laurels, Misstress Barbara (born Barbara Bonfiglio) is embarking on a whole new adventure with the release of I’M NO HUMAN, her first album as a songwriter. “I’ve always been drawn to anything that’s different…I like challenges,” she says. It’s this spirit that drew her to Air Cadets and led her to become a Ducati motorcycle rider. This adventurousness also convinced her to trade her drums for turntables and a mixer after watching underground DJs. For this album, Misstress Barbara drew on her background in electronic music, infusing it with a new sensibility. Starting the songwriting process on piano and guitar inspired her to experiment with chord changes and overlay her beats with lush melodies. The album also finds her singing for the first time, reflecting on themes of uncertainty and love. With the release of I’M NO HUMAN, Misstress Barbara is making some new additions to her already impressive list of accomplishments. Pilot, producer, DJ – and now captivating songwriter and musician.”

Check out more info here…