Flight Facilities have been chipping away at FOREVER for at least five of the seven years since their debut, Down to Earth. A triumph of house, disco, and pop melodies, the 2014 release was an instant classic, elevating Sydney duo Jimmy Lyell and Hugo Gruzman to international fame. It’s no surprise it took time to release a follow-up, considering the pressure to live up to their own hype and expand on a sound they’d so quickly become known for—not to mention a relentless touring schedule and then, of course, a global pandemic.
FOREVER is a collab-heavy celebration of not just electronic music, but the many forms it can take. Each song (some of which were conceptualized as far back as 2013) pays homage to, and revels in, a different style, like a stand-alone reference to an era and a particular sound. In many ways, the diversity of FOREVER—the melodies, energy, and production of each song seem intentionally separate from one another—gives it a feel that’s more akin to a playlist than an album designed to be played from start to end.
Lyell and Gruzman worked closely with Jagwar Ma’s Jono Ma on the entire record, and many tracks feature vocalists such as BROODS, BRUX, and Your Smith. Opener “Lights Up” starts with a voice message from rapper Channel Tres. “Y’all should've called me to work on the album earlier,” he says over a distant thud that eventually morphs into a high-energy rave beat. “We could've been making something great.” Elsewhere, “Heavy” feels soft and almost wistful, a nod to the pair’s own earliest singles, like 2010’s “Crave You.” “Move,” featuring DRAMA, is a loving tribute to ’80s Chicago house, while “Pain,” featuring Jordy Felix, is sensual and mysterious. On “If Only I Could,” the duo once again teams up with singer-songwriter Emma Louise, concluding the album with earthy synths and a joyful melody that builds over six layered minutes.