Forever | ||||
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File:Forever (Mystery Skulls album).jpg | ||||
Studio album by | ||||
Released | October 27, 2014 | |||
Recorded | 2013–14 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 41:06 | |||
Label | Warner Bros. Records | |||
Producer |
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Mystery Skulls chronology | ||||
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Singles from Forever | ||||
Forever is the debut studio album by American DJ Luis Dubuc for his musical project Mystery Skulls. Produced by Dubuc, Cory Kilduff and John LaMonica, it was released on October 27, 2014, through Warner Bros. Records as the project's major label debut.
The project was formed in 2011 by Luis Dubuc after his previous project, The Secret Handshake, was dissolved. [9] Dubuc initially announced the project on August 8, 2011 via the Mystery Skull's official Tumblr account, where they posted a video of the song Amazing. [10] He later followed this post with a 5-song EP on December 30, 2011. [11] Since then Mystery Skulls has performed in multiple college towns, signed with Warner Bros. Records, and has collaborated with multiple artists such as Brandy Norwood and Nile Rodgers. [12] [13]
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
Allmusic | [14] |
Critical reaction to Forever was mixed to positive. In an extremely positive review of the album, Matt Collar of Allmusic said: The debut full-length album from Los Angeles' Mystery Skulls, 2014's Forever, showcases the group's infectious, '80s-influenced disco, R&B, and dance-oriented soul. Primarily centered around the talents of lead singer, songwriter, and musical mastermind Luis Dubuc, Mystery Skulls make pulsing, laser-toned R&B that touches upon vintage '70s and '80s club music as much as it does contemporary R&B, techno, and EDM. In that sense, cuts like "The Future," "Fantasy," and "Forever" fit just as nicely alongside cuts by Daft Punk and Grum as they do tracks from such similarly inclined artists as Sam Sparro and Justin Timberlake. What helps set Mystery Skulls apart from the rest of the electro-R&B pack is Dubuc's lithe vocal abilities. Blessed with soulful phrasing, a burnished middle vocal range, and a knack for ascending into a lusty falsetto croon, Dubuc comes across as less the pulsating center of a robotic hive mind, à la Daft Punk, and more like an improbable cross between Fall Out Boy's Patrick Stump and '90s R&B prodigal son D'Angelo. It also doesn't hurt the album, or Dubuc's cred for that matter, that he's joined here on "Magic" and "Number 1" by both Chic guitar legend Nile Rodgers and '90s soul diva Brandy. Musically, while most of the songs on Forever are set to deep programmed grooves and heavy synth basslines, Dubuc nonetheless strikes an even balance between his use of synthesizer (his main instrument), real piano, drums, and orchestral strings. Ultimately, it's this sophisticated balance that helps Forever sound both organic and computerized, warmly familiar, and utterly fresh. [15] [ excessive quote ]
The album debuted on Billboard 200 at No. 141, and No. 3 on the Dance/Electronic Albums chart, selling 3,000 units in its first week. [16]
No. | Title | Length |
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1. | "Forever" | 3:19 |
2. | "The Future" | 3:43 |
3. | "Paralyzed" | 3:08 |
4. | "Hellbent (feat. Snowblood)" | 2:53 |
5. | "Fantasy" | 3:13 |
6. | "Ghost" | 4:19 |
7. | "Magic" (featuring Brandy & Nile Rodgers) | 4:28 |
8. | "Number 1" (featuring Brandy & Nile Rodgers) | 3:43 |
9. | "When I'm with You" | 3:52 |
10. | "Body High" | 3:20 |
11. | "Every Note" | 5:08 |
Total length: | 41:06 |
Chart | Peak position |
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US Billboard 200 [17] | 141 |
US Top Electronic Albums [18] | 3 |
US Top Heatseekers [19] | 2 |
Nile Gregory Rodgers Jr. is an American record producer, musician, and composer. The co-founder of Chic, he has written, produced, and performed on records that have sold more than 500 million albums and 75 million singles worldwide. He is a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Songwriters Hall of Fame inductee, and the recipient of six Grammy Awards, including the Grammy Lifetime Achievement/Special Merit Award. Known for his chucking guitar style, in 2014 Rolling Stone wrote that "the full scope of Nile Rodgers' career is still hard to fathom".
Daft Punk were a French electronic music duo formed in 1993 in Paris by Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo. They achieved popularity in the late 1990s as part of the French house movement, combining elements of house music with funk, disco, rock and pop. They garnered acclaim and commercial success and are regarded as one of the most influential acts in dance music.
"Angel" is a song by American singer Madonna from her second studio album Like a Virgin (1984). It was released on April 10, 1985 by Sire Records as the album's third single. Written by Madonna and Steve Bray, it was one of the first songs developed for the project and, according to Madonna, was inspired by a girl who is saved by an angel, and she falls in love with him. "Angel" was released as a 12-inch single with "Into the Groove" in some countries and charted likewise. Despite its relative success, "Angel" was one of the few Madonna singles from that time that did not have an official music video, because although it was planned, it was canceled due to the artist's busy schedule. Instead, a promotional clip comprising segments of her previous videos was released in the United Kingdom.
Chic, currently called Nile Rodgers & Chic, is an American band that was formed in 1972 by guitarist Nile Rodgers and bassist Bernard Edwards. It recorded many commercially successful disco songs, including "Dance, Dance, Dance " (1977), "Everybody Dance" (1977), "Le Freak" (1978), "I Want Your Love" (1978), "Good Times" (1979), and "My Forbidden Lover" (1979). The group regarded themselves as a rock band for the disco movement "that made good on hippie peace, love and freedom". In 2017, Chic was nominated for induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for the eleventh time.
American group Chic released a number of albums in the period 1977 to 1983. After 1983's Believer the group did not record a studio album until 1992's Chic-Ism. The band has since continued to tour and release live and compilation albums. The group's first studio album in 26 years, titled It's About Time was released in September 2018. Nile Rodgers and Bernard Edwards produced for a series of artists in the years 1978 to 1982. They sometimes produced under the name 'The Chic Organization'.
Luis Alberto Dubuc Jr. is an American DJ, musician, singer-songwriter, record producer and former drummer from Dallas, Texas. He was a member of The Secret Handshake and Of Legends. He is currently the man behind Mystery Skulls.
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"Get Lucky" is a song written and performed by French electronic music duo Daft Punk featuring American musicians Pharrell Williams and Nile Rodgers. Daft Punk released the song as the lead single from their fourth and final studio album, Random Access Memories, on 19 April 2013. Before its release as a single, "Get Lucky" was featured in television advertisements broadcast during Saturday Night Live, after which Rodgers and Williams announced their involvement in the track. "Get Lucky" is a house-inspired disco, funk, and pop track with lyrics that, according to Williams, are about the good fortune of connecting with someone, as well as sexual chemistry. "Get Lucky" has since received acclaim from critics, with a number of them praising Williams's vocals and Rodgers's guitar licks.
"Lose Yourself to Dance" is a song by French electronic music duo Daft Punk featuring vocals from American musician Pharrell Williams. Like their previous collaboration with fellow American musician Nile Rodgers, "Get Lucky", the song was written by Daft Punk, Williams, and Rodgers, for Daft Punk's fourth studio album Random Access Memories (2013).
"Give Life Back to Music" is a song written and recorded by French electronic music duo Daft Punk for their fourth studio album, Random Access Memories. It is the opening track on the album. The song features lyrics performed by Daft Punk using vocoders. "Give Life Back to Music" also includes guitar work by Nile Rodgers and Paul Jackson, Jr., drums by John "J.R." Robinson and keyboards by Chilly Gonzales. The song was distributed to radio stations on 31 January 2014 as the album's fifth overall single and the final single from the album in 2014. Prior to this, it charted in France, Sweden, Switzerland, the United States and the United Kingdom.
"Giorgio by Moroder" is a song written and recorded by French electronic music duo Daft Punk for their fourth studio album, Random Access Memories (2013). It is the third track on the album. The song features a monologue by Italian musician Giorgio Moroder, who speaks about his early life and musical career. "Giorgio by Moroder" charted in France and Sweden due to downloads of the album.
Daydream Forever is the third studio album by American indietronica musician Kamtin Mohager's project The Chain Gang of 1974. Released on February 4, 2014, by Warner Bros. Records, it is the major label debut of The Chain Gang of 1974, whose previous records were released under indie label Modern Art Records. The album is a follow-up to the project's 2013 single "Miko", which features as the fifth track on the album, and successful promotional single "Sleepwalking", which also features on the album, as the third track.
"The Other Boys" is a song performed by Australian twin sisters Nervo featuring Kylie Minogue, Jake Shears and Nile Rodgers. It's included on their debut studio album, Collateral. The remix single was released on 23 October 2015.
It's About Time is the ninth studio album by the American band Chic released on September 28, 2018 through Virgin EMI Records. It was written and conducted by Chic guitarist Nile Rodgers. It’s About Time is the first album to be released in over two decades for the group, and is the first Chic album to not feature founding member Bernard Edwards who died in 1996. Originally scheduled for a 2015 release, heralded by the single "I'll Be There", the album concept kept changing and the release delayed for three years, partly due to the deaths of Prince and David Bowie. Eventually released on Virgin EMI Records in September 2018, the album cover is a homage to the group’s 1977 self titled debut album Chic. The lead single, "Till the World Falls", featuring Mura Masa, Cosha and Vic Mensa, was released on June 22, 2018.
"Magic" is a song by American musician Luis Dubuc, recorded for the debut studio album Forever (2014) of his electronica project Mystery Skulls. It was written by Esjay Jones, Dubuc, and Mike Elizondo, and produced by Dubuc and Cory Kilduff, featuring additional contribution from musician Nile Rodgers and R&B singer Brandy. "Magic" is a disco track with violins and a progressive thrust, with Rodgers on guitar and a vocal in which Dubuc sings alongside Brandy. The song was released as the album's fourth and final single.
"Ghost" is a song written, recorded, produced and performed by American DJ and musician Luis Dubuc for his solo project Mystery Skulls. The track was released by Warner Bros. Records as the lead single off the project's debut album Forever described as an electro retro funk track, written, produced and performed by Dubuc, is about him wanting to "disappear completely and start over" after he didn't let anyone know about him moving from Dallas to Los Angeles, as reflected in the song's chorus. The official music video for the track, directed by Josh Thomas, was released in February 2014 by Vice Media's electronic music channel Thump. However, a second, animated music video for the song, which garnered over two million views in less than a month, helped put the track in the top 20 of the American Billboard Dance/Electronic Songs chart. The song was also very well received from music critics.
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