Herbie Hancock – Sound System (1984/2013) [Official Digital Download 24bit/96kHz]

Produced by Bill Laswell, Sound System follows where Herbie Hancock’s Future Shock left off. This experimental masterpiece bursts with even louder techno-pop brilliance. Hancock is joined by acclaimed musicians including Foday Musa Suso, Nicky Skopelitis, Wayne Shorter, Webster Lewis and more. It reached the Top Ten on Billboard’s Top Jazz Albums and includes the thrilling hit “Hardrock.” The album also won the GRAMMY® for Best R&B Instrumental Performance.

In the grand tradition of sequels, Sound-System picks up from where Future Shock left off — if anything, even louder and more bleakly industrial than before (indeed, “Hardrock” is “Rockit” with a heavier rock edge). Yet Hancock’s experiments with techno-pop were leading him in the general direction of Africa, explicitly so with the addition of the Gambian multi-instrumentalist Foday Musa Suso on half of the tracks. “Junku,” written for the 1984 Olympic Games with Suso’s electrified kora in the lead, is the transition track that stands halfway between “Rockit” and Hancock’s mid-’80s Afro-jazz fusions. Also, “Karabali” features an old cohort, the squealing Wayne Shorter on soprano sax. Despite succumbing a bit to the overwhelming demand for more “Rockits,” Hancock’s electric music still retained its adventurous edge. –Richard S. Ginell

Tracklist:

01. Herbie Hancock – Hardrock (06:09)
02. Herbie Hancock – Metal Beat (04:55)
03. Herbie Hancock – Karabali (05:16)
04. Herbie Hancock – Junku (05:31)
05. Herbie Hancock – People Are Changing (06:04)
06. Herbie Hancock – Sound System (05:55)
07. Herbie Hancock – Metal Beat (06:45)