Future 2 Future (2001)

 Future 2 Future is the thirty-eighth album by Herbie Hancock. Hancock reunited with producer Bill Laswell (who worked on the early 1980s albums Future Shock, Sound-System and Perfect Machine). The two tried to repeat the success of the three previous albums that combine jazz with electronic music. 

 

Hancock reunited with producer/bassist Bill Laswell, who had co-produced Future Shock (noted for the song "Rockit"). Unlike their previous productions, Future 2 Future is more electronica oriented. Hancock plays conservatively, holding to chords and sweeps. The more intricate sounds on each track are the beats (whether played on a drum kit or electronically generated) and the use of turntables.

Besides Grandmixer DXT, who played an eminent role in the aforementioned 1980s productions, heard here on "The Essence" (that also features Chaka Khan on vocals and was lifted as single), the artists from the electronica club scene are Detroit techno pioneer Carl Craig, A Guy Called Gerald, a jungle and drum and bass protagonist, and another turntabelist, Rob Swift. On the 'jazz side' there are contributions by long-time collaborators saxophonist Wayne Shorter and drummer Jack DeJohnette, as well as bassist Charnett Moffett. There is also a drum track by the late Tony Williams on a composition that carries his name in tribute, accompanied by a static bass guitar line by Laswell, soprano saxophone from Wayne Shorter and spoken poetry by Dana Bryant. Laswell brought in Ethiopian singer (and his wife) Gigi for some tracks. Another song features jazz singer Imani Uzuri. The last track ("Virtual Hornets") refers to a composition from the last album of Hancock's ‘Mwandishi’ band, Sextant, where Hancock recreates the original sound of the initial buzzing ARP synthesizer motif.

After releasing the album Hancock formed a band (with Terri Lyne Carrington, Wallace Roney a.o.) that took the tracks on tour, and a film of the tour's stop at the Knitting Factory in Hollywood was made and released on DVD as Future 2 Future Live. The concert video features also live versions of his best known songs "Dolphin Dance", "Butterfly", "Rockit" and "Chameleon."

For the coupled out song "The Essence", a driving drum and bass track that features Chaka Khan on vocals, several remixes were produced by DJ Krush, LTJ Bukem, and Joe Claussell. They were released on different 12" EPs combined with the original version and sometimes adding "This Is Rob Swift."

Future 2 Future and the EP output are the only productions Hancock released on Transparent Music, a label he created in the late 1990s with Chuck Mitchell (one time president of Verve Records) and David Passick (Hancock's manager).