Freefonix

Lore & Background

Freefonix follows the story of three young musicians—BB, Freezbone, and Mostart—who form the freewave band Freefonix. They discover the power of the Thirteenth Note, a mystical musical energy that can bend space, time, and minds when the perfect sound is created. Their rivals, Mantyz, possess a corrupt version of this power, leading to explosive Soundclashes between the two bands. The series also features antagonists Vox, a renegade Sonic Lord trapped in the Void of Silencia, and Mya De Zya, the head of ComaCo, a record label that produces manufactured 'prepsi' musical acts.

Reader's Guide

Freefonix was the largest commission by the BBC for an animation, with a budget exceeding £10 million. The series featured performances from notable musicians including Jamelia, Justin Hawkins, and Joseph Fiennes, as well as saxophonist and former cricketer Alastair Cook. The scripts were written in Los Angeles and Toronto, with story editing by Jeffrey Alan Schechter, Baz Hawkins, and Will Schifrin. A soundtrack album, marketed as the band's debut studio album, was released on 26 January 2009, featuring songs from the series. The show's significance lies in its ambitious production scale and its integration of real musical talent into an animated children's series, though it did not generate enough interest for a planned second album.

Did You Know?

• Freefonix was co-produced by Cinnamon Entertainment, Toonz Animation-Trivandrum, and Method Films for CBBC, in association with Isle of Man Film.
• The series features performances from singer Jamelia, Justin Hawkins of The Darkness, actor Joseph Fiennes, and violinist Haylie Ecker.
• The budget for Freefonix was more than £10 million ($15 million).
• A soundtrack album was released on 26 January 2009, marketed as the self-titled debut studio album of Freefonix.

The World of Los Bosmos and the Thirteenth Note

The series is set in the fictional city of Los Bosmos, where the central conflict revolves around a mystical musical energy source called the Thirteenth Note. This force, when the perfect sound is created, can bend space, time, and minds. The protagonist band Freefonix wields this power to defend their home city against the antagonist band Mantyz, who possess a corrupt version of the same energy. When the two bands clash, the result is an explosive Soundclash, a battle in which all the energies of the Thirteenth Note are released. Beyond the musical rivalry, the city faces threats from Vox, a renegade Sonic Lord trapped in the Void of Silencia, and Mya De Zya, the vain head of ComaCo, a corporation that produces manufactured prepsi musical acts. Mya seeks to free Vox in exchange for untold riches and power, making the conflict as much about corporate greed as mystical warfare.

Production Scale and International Collaboration

Freefonix represented a landmark investment in British animation, with a budget exceeding ten million pounds, approximately fifteen million dollars, making it the largest commission the BBC had ever made for an animated series. The show was created by Magnus Fiennes, Alex Tate, and Simeon Warburton, and co-produced by Cinnamon Entertainment, Toonz Animation-Trivandrum, and Method Films for CBBC, in association with Isle of Man Film. Production was a genuinely international effort: scripts were written in both Los Angeles and Toronto, with story editing handled by Jeffrey Alan Schechter, Baz Hawkins, and Will Schifrin. The series was directed by Jerome France and Pierre Alan Chartier, and produced by Richelle Wilder and Chris Rice. The voice cast blended established talent with musical performers, including singer Jamelia, Justin Hawkins of The Darkness, saxophonist and former cricketer Alastair Cook, actor Joseph Fiennes, brother of creator Magnus, and musician Haylie Ecker.

The Bands and Their Rivalry

The narrative centers on two rival musical groups whose conflict drives every episode. Freefonix, the freewave protagonists, consist of BB, a fifteen-year-old lead singer who was formerly part of the manufactured prepsi group BCD; Freezbone Freez, a sixteen-year-old guitarist and rapper with a hippy sensibility whose guitar is named Misty; and Mostart Mo, the thirteen-year-old beatmaker and DJ whose SoundShaper device serves as his mixer. Mo struggles with confidence as the youngest member and harbors a crush on Lady Lux. Opposing them, Mantyz wields a corrupted version of the Thirteenth Note. Their lineup includes Kurtz, a seventeen-year-old self-absorbed guitarist whose guitar is called Axe; Lady Lux, his sixteen-year-old half-sister and the band's strategic mastermind; and Hitt, a clueless but physically imposing drummer. The tension between these two groups, free expression versus manufactured pop, forms the emotional core of the series.

Broadcast, Soundtrack, and Cultural Footprint

Freefonix premiered on BBC One on 4 January 2008, with its first thirteen episodes airing weekly through 28 March 2008. The remaining episodes shifted to CBBC, broadcasting from 18 December 2008 to 22 January 2009. The series' musical dimension extended beyond the screen: a soundtrack album, marketed as the self-titled debut studio album of Freefonix, was released on 26 January 2009, featuring songs performed during the episodes. The project drew on some of the world's top record-producing talents to craft new tracks. A second album was reportedly in production, contingent on sufficient audience interest. The show maintained a digital presence through a dedicated YouTube channel, a MySpace page, and listings on BBC Online and IMDb. Its production ties to Isle of Man Film and the involvement of real musicians like Jamelia and Justin Hawkins gave it a distinctive cross-pollination between children's television and the broader music industry.