Australian producer duo Flight Facilities return to their beloved fan base, delivering a new single immersed in a feeling of West-Coast cool imparted by collaborator Channel Tres. Released on Future Classic and Glassnote Records, ‘Lights Up’ marks the band’s first release of 2021 with a direct flight to Channel Tres’ own Compton California.

‘Lights Up’ is the first track to be released in over a year from the live-electronic selectors, who have been working together for over a decade, creating timeless, genre-defying classics drenched in a sense of nostalgia. 'Lights Up' is a continuation of this philosophy, aided by Channel Tres' propensity for crossing genres and drawing inspiration from eras like 90s Detroit house and West-Coast hip-hop. The result is a track that belongs to these moments in time as much as it represents what’s next for the global dance sound, a confluence of feeling and style.

Flight Facilities sat down with Wordplay Magazine to answer our infamous 10 Questions:

1. So tell me, how did it all begin? What sparked your love for music?

It depends how far back you want to go. There’s obvious stages of loving music. Whether it’s connecting with someone as a child, or finding our love for music collection, performance or production. For both of us, it was being immersed in the Sydney nightlife, at a time where the musical ideas and culture became a way of life that crossed over into the casual consumer. It’s never been the same since, but the memories of it are still just as inspiring and intoxicating.

2. Who are some artists that influence you and that you want to work with in the future?

Daft Punk has always been a huge beacon for us. They’ve crossed over to so many different audiences, and earned a huge amount of respect through consistency in their live shows and albums. We feel similarly about The Chemical Brothers. In terms of working with other artists, we’d love to collaborate with those we’ve referenced in the past. People like Jay Kay of Jamiroquai, Erlend Oye, or Toro y Moi.

3. What are some of the problems you have faced making and releasing the music during the coronavirus pandemic?

A lot of the problems revolved around second guessing the timing. It didn’t seem right to release music during the middle of the pandemic for so many reasons. One was that it felt like throwing out a piece of hard work, because there was no way to go out and perform it. Another was that it potentially made the music feel like a part of such a negative era. There wasn’t a whole lot to celebrate last year, and we definitely deliberated over whether our music would potentially remind people of an unhappy time. Ultimately we don’t think there was a right or wrong answer, but we’re glad we waited a little longer to be a part of things becoming more positive. One of the more tangible problems we faced was not being able to work in the same place for a while. We live in different cities, so getting studio time together became quite complicated.

4. How would you describe your sound?

We’ve always had difficulty answering this. A guy we used to share a studio space with referred it once as ‘white soul’ which gave us a good laugh. We’ve always tried to avoid being too genre specific, but we’re continuously aiming to make things that sound timeless and or nostalgic. Whether or not we achieve that isn’t for us to say.

5. What's your proudest moment to date so far as an artist?

We could pick out certain shows like our performance with the Melbourne and Sydney Symphony Orchestras, but still existing and producing is probably what we’re most proud of. The music industry is such a difficult industry to persist within. You have to manage personal, business and creative relationships over an extensive period, while also trying to remain culturally and sonically relevant. For the most part, we’re just happy to still be receiving support, while enjoying what we’re doing, in a world that can make you irrelevant overnight.

6. Do you have any advice for our readers who may be trying to play the mad game of music?

Make the music you like. Trying to tailor it to an audience that you think will like it, will usually result in contrived or dishonest results. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t consider your audience. It just means that your personal musical desires should supersede the perception of their opinion. Other than that, the game and industry changes so much, so regularly, that there’s no blueprint for success anymore. What worked for us once, wouldn’t work for others in future. Maybe additional advice is to be hyper aware of the technology, social avenues, and having a close eye on the cultural landscape. Absorb or embrace those kinds of changes. Otherwise run the risk of being left at the last stop.

7. Are there any artists on your radar at the moment that we should check out?

We were saying Channel Tres for so long, so it’s a great feeling to have a song with him. But someone I’ve recently found and love is Noname. Feeling very late to the game on that one. Additionally, a friend of ours who we love to work with when we’re in LA is Aaron Childs. He’s as nice as he is talented. A pleasure to listen to, and be around.

8. What albums are on heavy rotation on your Spotify playlist currently?

The Avalanches - We Will Always Love You
And also a year later, I’ve gone back to Tame Impala - The Slow Rush.
It’s nice to hear that full album again without the head noise and panic of the pandemic. Gives it a new context

9. What do you like to do when you're not making music?

Jimmy is enjoying dad life, having had a baby boy a year ago. He keeps himself occupied with building projects and the occasional surf. I (Hugo) like to make artworks. Most of them digitally at the moment, though more painting is the eventual plan. Having those other outlets makes the music production more enjoyable when we get around to it.

10. Name Three things you can't live without when in the studio?

For what we’ve most recently worked on - the ARP 2600, the AMS delay and reverb, and the Oberheim Two-Voice.