Future 2 Future

Hancock collaborated with Bill Laswell, who Hancock had previously worked with on Future Shock (noted for the song "Rockit"). Unlike previous productions, Future2Future is more electronica. Hancock plays conservatively, holding to chords and sweeps. The more intricate sounds on each track are in the drum beats (whether played on a kit or electronically generated) and the use of turntables.

Besides Grandmixer DXT, who played an eminent role in the aforementioned productions, who is heard here on "The Essence" that features Chaka Khan on vocals (and was lifted as single), the providers 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 companions Wayne Shorter and Jack DeJohnette, as well as double bassist Charnett Moffett. There is also a drum track of the late Tony Williams on a composition that carries his name in reverence, accompanied by a static bass line by Bill Laswell, the soprano saxophone of Wayne Shorter and spoken poetry by Dana Bryant. Laswell brought in Ethiopian singer (and his wife) Gigi. Another song features jazz singer Imani Uzuri. The last track "Vitual Hornets" refers to an 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).

• AllMusic gave a positive 3/5 review, stating that while the album fails to live up to expectations, it is "an enjoyable exercise in watching one of the greats in jazz music redefine himself with the times once again." [2]
• Grove Dictionary of Music gave 3/5.[3]
• JazzTimes gave no numeric rating, stating that the album lacks focus and the performances are uninspired. The best tracks are the last four instrumentals ("Ionosphere", "Kebero Part II", "Alphabeta", "Virtual Hornets").[4]

">" indicates a segue directly into the next track.

1. "Kebero Part I" (Herbie Hancock, Bill Laswell, Carl Craig, Gigi) - > 3:10
2. "Wisdom" (Hancock) - > 0:33
3. "The Essence" (Hancock, Laswell, Chaka Khan) - > 4:54
4. "This Is Rob Swift" (Hancock, Rob Swift, Laswell, Jack DeJohnette) - 6:55
5. "Black Gravity" (Gerald Gibson, Hancock, Laswell) - 5:29
6. "Tony Williams" (Hancock, Tony Williams, Laswell, Dana Bryant) - 6:09
7. "Be Still" (Hancock, Laswell, Imani Uzuri) - 5:12
8. "Ionosphere" (Hancock, Laswell, Karsh Kale) - > 3:59
9. "Kebero Part II" (Hancock, Laswell, Craig, Gigi) - 4:47
10. "Alphabeta" (Hancock, Laswell) - 5:29
11. "Virtual Hornets" (Hancock, Laswell) - 8:51

Future 2 Future Live DVD

1. "Wisdom" - 5:45
2. "Kebero" - 9:59
3. "This Is DJ Disk" (a.k.a. "This Is Rob Swift") - 10:10
4. "Dolphin Dance" (Hancock) - 21:30
5. "Virtual Hornets" - 14:37
6. "The Essence" - 6:55
7. "Butterfly" (Hancock, Bennie Maupin) - 6:02
8. "Tony Williams" - 5:30
9. "Rockit" (Laswell, Hancock, Michael Beinhorn) - 5:04
10. "Chameleon" (Hancock) - 17:41

• Herbie Hancock – keyboards
• Charnett Moffett – double bass (3, 7, 11)
• Bill Laswell – bass guitar (4, 6)
• Jack DeJohnette – drums (4, 7, 10, 11)
• Karsh Kale – drums (3, 8), program beats (8)
• Tony Williams – drums (6)
• Wayne Shorter – tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone (6, 7, 11)

Guest musicians

• Carl Craig – programming, beats (1, 9)
• Grandmaster DXT – turntables (3)
• Rob Swift – turntables, programming (4)
• A Guy Called Gerald – programming, beats (5)
• Gigi – vocals (1, 9)
• Elenni Davis-Knight – spoken vocals (2)
• Chaka Khan – vocals (3)
• Dana Bryant – vocals, words (6)
• Imani Uzuri – vocals (7)

Concert tour lineup (resp. DVD)

• Herbie Hancock – keyboards
• Darrell Diaz – keyboards, vocals
• DJ Disk – turntables
• Wallace Roney – trumpet
• Matthew Garrison – double bass, bass guitar
• Terri Lyne Carrington – drums, vocals