Track listing: Home, You Shakin' Mama, Roll Off Me, Weight Up, Your Love Fuels Me Up, Move, Look At Me, Deep Down In Your Soul, Come With Me, Glow Up Queen, Boss Bae, Better Man, Are You Ready, Playing With My Heart, Can You Hear Me, Moving On
...and now for something completely different from Barcelona-based composer/producer, Daniele Carmosino. Pairing with Swedish vocalist Lisa Widmark, their project Freedust enters the Summer of '26 with a new 16-track album entitled Voyager. Dropping on June 14, Voyager comes at you from a world of Funk, Soul, and Hip-Hop. It bumps, sways, and grooves with a Classic R&B vibe melded with modern energy a la Black Pumas (shout out to my fellow Austinites Eric Burton & Adrian Quesada!)
I hear some Sharon Jones, add a dash of backbeats in the vein of Fatboy Slim, and that good time mood that begs you to kick back and let the good times roll. Widmark's vocals shine through on "Your Love Fuels Me Up," a track with some heavy Studio 54 / Donna Summer attitude. Get your roller skates out and fire up that disco ball!
Pre-save Voyager now on Apple Music and Spotify!
In addition to Widmark, Voyager puts the spotlight on several powerhouse singers. Saphie Wells is a Netherlands-based Peruvian jazz and folk artist. Fellow Barcelonan Rebecca Houlihan is an Irish powerhouse. And Mabreezee brings his soul & rap background to the mix. And as a singer's cherry on top, Carmosino enlisted the talents of a Nigerian gospel choir to level-up several of the album's tracks.
With each track, I'm transported back to the winter of 1993 when Us3 dropped its album Hand On The Torch. That record blew me away! Us3 put out a brilliant combination of Hip-Hop production that spotlighted jazz greats including Herbie Hancock, Art Blakey, and Thelonious Monk. Voyager gives off a similar energy. Set against a sea of cutting edge digital production, you hear the raw authenticity of the 1969 Sun Records release "You Shakin' Things Up" by Robert Parker in the Freedust track "You Shakin' Mama." Similarly "Are You Ready" features a sample of Clarence Murray's 1969 single "Let's Get On With It," released on the SSS International imprint. The combo of brand new blended with sounds recorded over a half-century ago is pure sonic gold.
Freedust doesn't solely rely on this recipe of new-with-some-old. "Boss Bae" brings a Black Eyed Peas / Fergie attitude tinged with a smoky jazz club after midnight. Then turning that vibe upside down, "Come With Me" serves up an optimistic Reggae-infused track with the aforementioned Saphie Wells' innocent-yet-bold delivery completely selling the cheery sing-song chorus.
A trio of impressive guests close out the album. "Playing With My Heart (Feat. Ni'elle)" sets her sultry voice against an upbeat James Brown-sy funk backdrop. Then penultimately, "Can You Hear Me" delivers a bold, soulful ballad featuring the millions-streamed vocalist, Cheshy--her performance an absolute powerhouse. Bringing Voyager to a close is the Nina Simone-y "Sinnerman"-tempo'd mover entitled "Moving On," in which singer/songwriter/producer Dorothy K. puts on display her impressive vocal versatility.
Voyager takes you on a journey through 60s era Soul, on into 70s nightclub fare, and brings it all together with modern, crystal clear production and sonic stylings. From the balladesque "Home" to a Reggaeton-flavored "Weight Up" and the Classic Soul "Deep Down In Your Soul," Voyager brings it all home. Pre-save the album now and join the 50K followers on Freedust's Spotify profile so you'll be ready to take this journey when Voyager drops on June 15.