The first artist on this list that I’ve actually seen perform live, Herbie Hancock first came into my field of musical view from his crossover hit Rockit in my hip hop-obsessed early teens.
In my twenties, occasionally getting the chance to DJ chill out rooms at the hard house nights that friends ran in Camden, I got to explore a broader range of music and Hancock’s 1973 funk-inspired album Headhunters became a real favourite. The synth bass that starts off the first track Chameleon is the epitome of funky. The percussion of Watermelon Man. Sly gets dirtier and jazzier. Vein Melter spaces out.
You can see the #51for50 project to date here: https://mmitii.mattballantine.com/category/projects/51-for-50/
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