Album: Perfect Machine

Introduction
Perfect Machine is the 32nd album by the popular American jazz pianist Herbie Hancock, which was released in 1988 by Columbia Records. The album is a groundbreaking partnership in between Hancock and renowned record manufacturer, composer, and visual artist Bill Laswell. Perfect Machine showcases Hancock's innovative and speculative technique to jazz and electronic music while also including elements of funk, hip hop, and world music. With its distinct noise and use of innovation, Perfect Machine stays a significant operate in the history of jazz fusion and electronic music.

Background and Production
In the mid-1980s, Herbie Hancock was currently an established jazz musician with a strong reputation for innovation, having explore various styles like fusion, jazz-funk, and electronic music. Bill Laswell, on the other hand, was understood for his innovative production methods and his ability to combine diverse music genres and musicians from around the world.

The partnership between Hancock and Laswell started when they started collaborating on Hancock's 1983 album Future Shock, which featured the innovative electronic track "Rockit". The success of Future Shock resulted in another partnership between the two on Perfect Machine, intending to press the borders of electronic music and jazz fusion even further.

Structure and Musical Style
Perfect Machine includes 6 tracks, each showing Hancock's flexibility and proficiency of various musical categories. The album opens with the energetic "Perfect Machine", which prepares for the experimental journey of the album with its funky basslines, electronic beats, and innovative usage of tasting innovation. The second track "Obsession" looks into the world of electro-pop, with catchy hooks, rich synths, and Hancock's signature keyboard improvisations.

"Vibe Alive", the third track, is a nod to Hancock's earlier electro-funk design and features rapper GrandMixer DXT, who includes an element of early hip-hop to the album. This track showcases the seamless combination of hip-hop into jazz and funk, a cutting-edge instructions at the time.

"The Prisoner", which is a reimagined variation of a track from his earlier Blue Note album Prisoner, adds a reflective note to the album, with its heavenly tunes played over soft synths and atmospheric soundscapes. This moody piece showcases Hancock's capability to rework his own structures to adjust to a brand-new musical landscape.

"Goodbye to Love" is a ballad that includes aspects of R&B and features the emotional vocals of L. Shankar and Bernard Fowler. Finally, "Go For It", the closing track, brings the album to an energetic ending with its vibrant blend of funk and world music, including Hancock's virtuosic piano improvisations and effective percussive aspects.

Reception and Legacy
Regardless of being among Hancock's lesser-known albums, Perfect Machine received favorable evaluations at the time of its release for its advanced production, innovative soundscapes, and incorporation of different musical categories. While it may not be thought about as prominent as some of his other works like Headhunters or Future Shock, Perfect Machine stays an intriguing peek into Herbie Hancock's innovative mindset and showcases his continued determination to push the borders of jazz and electronic music throughout his profession.

In conclusion, Perfect Machine is an important listening experience for fans of Herbie Hancock and Bill Laswell, along with those interested in the history and development of electronic music and jazz fusion. Although often overlooked within the context of Hancock's remarkable profession, Perfect Machine's ingenious technique to mixing genres and incorporating innovation continues to resonate with jazz and electronic music enthusiasts more than three decades later.