Freedust - Groove Chronicles (Album)
After making music together for 20 years, and releasing five singles from this album earlier this year, Italian composer and producer Daniele Carmosino and Swedish singer Lisa Widmark now present Groove Chronicles: the sound of Freedust reaching maturity. They have perfected their style while raising their game, offering fans the lively mix of jazz, funk, and hip-hop filled with soul and sunshine they are known for, with extra layers of grit and sophistication compared to previous releases, making for a truly satisfying listen from start to finish.
The album starts with On The Move, which feels like a declaration of their intent. It features the classic Freedust high-energy jazz-funk with UK bass culture influence. The rolling, finger-tapping bassline smoothly transitions into uplifting harmonies and funky horns, which is joyful and represents their sound well.
Do Your Thing, Nobody’s Gonna Stop Me, and Swing A Little Bit (featuring the beautiful voice of Peruvian singer Saphie Wells) build on these themes with feel-good lyrics, catchy melodies, and a deep love for both jazz and breakbeats, making them feel authentic to fans of either genre.
While you can see a consistent style among these tracks, they are just one of the many skillfully blended textures, which is where this album really excels.
There’s the bubbling, swampy electronic funk of the single Electric; the stirring soulful track What We’ve Lost featuring Angolan singer and rapper Mabreezee, with beautiful strings that remind one of Morricone’s spaghetti westerns and ‘Rome’ by Danger Mouse/Daniele Luppi; guest vocalist Bardo taking over the beat in the hip-hop track Did You Hear The News; the dubby, Jungle Brothers-style hip-house of When You Gonna Groove that features a beautiful 70’s funk sample; and the 90s pop-latin-funk catchy tune Take It Easy.
The album ends with the eclectic You Got To Believe It (featuring Irish soul singer BEX) and Nobody’s Gonna Stop Me, both featuring some very Mexican samples.
In the culinary world, they say ‘what grows together, goes together’—this is what that sounds like. Groove Chronicles is perfectly named and takes listeners on a journey through different vibes. Fans of Sault, AIM, Daptone, LTJ Bukem, The Roots, ESG, Rome, and similar artists—your summer album has arrived.