Future Shock is the 35th studio album by jazz icon Herbie Hancock. Released in 1983 through Columbia Records, the album marks a shift to a much more electronic sound influenced by the nascent Hip-Hop and electro scenes. It was one of the best-selling albums of his career, especially thanks to the international hit "Rockit", which popularized scratching and was a Trope Codifier for the electro genre.
Tracklist
Side One
- "Rockit" (5:28)
- "Future Shock" (8:05)
- "TFS" (5:47)
Side Two
- "Earth Beat" (5:13)
- "Autodrive" (6:27)
- "Rough" (6:58)
The CD reissue adds a megamix of "Rockit".
Future shockin' tropes:
- Answer Cut: "Rough":Woohoohoo, I want the beat and I know you want too!Who said that?
- Cover Version: "Future Shock", a Curtis Mayfield cover.
- Crapsack World: "Future Shock":We've got to stop all menFrom messing the landWhen what we understandThis is our last and only chance
- Epic Rocking: The title track, which is over 8:05 minutes long.
- The Future Will Be Better: Subverted with "Future Shock", which warns for the future if the government isn't stopped from messing the land.
- Instrumentals: All tracks are instrumental, save for "Rough" and "Future Shock".
- Minimalistic Cover Art: Computer graphics seen from space with the moon (or Earth?) on the background.
- New Sound Album: Back in 1983 this was the first album by a jazz artist to feature hiphop and electro influences. The scratching sounds by Grand Mixer D.S.T. on turntables were also innovative.
- One-Word Title: "Rockit", "TFS", "Rough"
- Only Known by Initials: "TFS".
- Record Producer: Bill Laswell.
- Shout-Out:
- The album title is a nod to Curtis Mayfield's song "Future Shock", as well as the book Future Shock by Alvin Toffler.
- Future Shock has a shout-out to both Superfly and What's Going On by Marvin Gaye.
- Surreal Music Video: "Rockit" and "Autodrive".
- Trope Codifier: "Rockit" was the very first pop hit to include rhythmic record scratching on turntables and introduce it to future generations of DJs.
- Voice Changeling: A lowered voice can be heard in "Rough".