The future is now! Or at least it seemed to be back in 1983 when Herbie teamed up with Bill Laswell to record this classic album of computer-driven keyboard grooves! Whatever you might think of the music, the record was a genius move for Herbie – who was kind of flopping around in a number of different styles on previous albums, most of which we like, but none of which seemed to earn him the same cred as his albums in the 70s. Well this one not only earned him plenty of cred, but also a lot of cash, and continued assurance to Columbia that their contract with Herbie was well-placed – and it certainly cast Bill Laswell into the spotlight as well, given that his efforts really provided the core of the album. Tracks include "Rockit", "Earth Beat", "Future Shock", "Autodrive", and "Rough". LP, Vinyl record album

Herbie's still in electro-grooving mode here – not groundbreaking as earlier records, but still handled by Bill Laswell, and with a tackhead groove pretty firmly in place. The tracks are a bit more complicated than before, with vocals by Sugarfoot, and bass by Bootsy Collins. Titles include "Vibe Alive", "Perfect Machine", "Chemical Residue", "Beat Wise", and "Maiden Voyage/P Bop". LP, Vinyl record album

Noisy Sonny from the 80s – very much in a "jazz meets black rock" mode – and featuring a group that includes Melvin Gibbs on bass, plus double drums from Abe Speller and Pheeroan Aklaff! Bill Laswell produced, and plays a bit of guest 6 string bass on the set – and titles include "My Song", "Dick Dogs", "Fourteen", "Past Adventures Of Zydeco Honeycup", and "JD Schaa". LP, Vinyl record album

Ulmer on Blue Note – who'd a thunk it? And oddly, although the album's on one of the most jazz-based labels at the time, it's also one of Ulmer's most rock-oriented – with strong lead vocals on nearly every track, and an overall style that's as bluesy as it is experimentally jazzy. Ulmer's clearly emerged as a star in his own right (or own mind) by the time of the album – and there's less of the shared group dynamic of the harmelodic years, and more of a style that's set up to support his lead presence. Players include Bill Laswell, Ronald Shannon Jackson, and Nicky Skopelitis – and titles include "I Belong In The USA", "Lady Blue", "After Dark", "Black Sheep", and "Show Me Your Love America". LP, Vinyl record album

Pretty great work from Toure Kunda – one of the best of the New Africa acts to record for Celluloid during the 80s! The album's got a bit of electro modernism in the mix, thanks to production by Bill Laswell – and guest keyboards by Bernie Worrell. The overall sound is very tight, and very catchy – with a few tunes that really predate the Afro pop/world music style by a number of years. Tracks include the leadoff monster "Toure Kunda", plus "Fode", "Natalia", "M'Barring", "Babacady", "Nidiaye", and "Duunya" LP, Vinyl record album

Brian Eno leaves the Airports, and moves On Land – but still keeps things pretty much in the spare sound of the Ambient series! The lineup here features a few more extra musicians – including Michael Beinhorn on synth, Jon Hassell on trumpet, Axel Gros and Michael Brook on guitars, and Bill Laswell on bass – but all players are used sparingly, and the overall sound hardly acknowledges their presence. Daniel Lanois helped in the recording of some of the material – an early moment in his famous partnership with Eno – and the tracks were recorded over the space of 4 years – with occasional glimmers of the British countryside through the hazy atmospherics of Eno's landscape. Titles include "Lizard Point", "Tal Coat", "Shadow", "A Clearing", "Unfamiliar Wind", "Lantern Marsh", and "The Lost Day". LP, Vinyl record album

Nona Hendryx at the height of her 80s glory – looking mighty fierce in a fencing costume on the cover! As with her previous set, this one's done with heavy help from Material – who bring in a beat heavy sound that's kind of a mainstream variation on the underground New York groove they'd had a few years before. Francois K helps a bit on the mixing, and you can definitely hear some of his playful touches – the sorts of sounds that helped a record like this build a bridge between the clubs and the streets, from Danceteria to the mainstream! Musicians include Bernie Worrell on keyboards and Bill Laswell on bass and tapes – and titles include "To The Bone", "Electricity", "I Sweat", "Soft Targets", "I Want You", "Ghost Love", and "The Life". LP, Vinyl record album

Nona Hendryx at the height of her 80s glory – looking mighty fierce in a fencing costume on the cover! As with her previous set, this one's done with heavy help from Material – who bring in a beat heavy sound that's kind of a mainstream variation on the underground New York groove they'd had a few years before. Francois K helps a bit on the mixing, and you can definitely hear some of his playful touches – the sorts of sounds that helped a record like this build a bridge between the clubs and the streets, from Danceteria to the mainstream! Musicians include Bernie Worrell on keyboards and Bill Laswell on bass and tapes – and titles include "To The Bone", "Electricity", "I Sweat", "Soft Targets", "I Want You", "Ghost Love", and "The Life". LP, Vinyl record album

A classic set of 80s work from drummer Ronald Shannon Jackson – issued on Ornette Coleman's label! The group here is a lineup of the Decoding Society that features twin guitars from Cary Denigris and Masujaa Hugh Riley, plus soprano and tenor from a young Zane Massey, bass from John Moody, and soprano, alto, and flute from Eric Person – all produced by Bill Laswell too! LP, Vinyl record album

A smoking-hot batch of 80s soul from Nona Hendryx – and a record that really helped reinvent her sound for a whole new generation! Nona's wisely teamed here with Bill Laswell and Material – with whom she'd worked on previous projects under their name – and Laswell's street-sensitive presence really helps give the record an edge that underscores Nona's credibility in just the right way! A few years later, and most of these touches might sound cloying – yet here, they're handled perfectly – a great way of creating lean grooves with plenty of New York influences – with more than enough energy to catapult Hendryx out to a global mainstream. Material bring in a surprising amount of great help for the set – a range of artists from Kashif to Laurie Anderson to Bernie Worrell, Valerie Simpson, Nile Rodgers, Sly Dunbar, and Tina Weymouth! Titles include "B Boys", "Design For Living", "Transformation", "Keep It Confidential", "Living On The Border", "Run For Cover", "Dummy UP", and "Steady Action". LP, Vinyl record album

One of the bigger efforts from Material – featuring the core trio of Bill Laswell, Martin Bisi, and Michael Beinhorn – plus guest work by Nona Hendryx, Nile Rodgers, Whitney Houston, Archie Shepp, Oliver Lake, and Fred Frith. The mix of jazz and soul talents comes together more nicely than you might think, thanks to Laswell's talents for crossing cultures – and although a few numbers here sound quite dated, overall the album's worth digging out at least for a document of a unique moment. Titles include "Take A Chance", "Memories", "Don't Lose Control", "Let Me Have It All", "Time Out", "Come Down", and "I'm The One'. LP, Vinyl record album

A stripped-down rootsy session – similar to some of the sparer Afro-Cuban traditionalist sides that were coming out of New York in the early 80s. Ponce put the set together, and other players include Paquito D'Rivera, Jose Trapaga, Joe De Jesus, Nelson Rodriguez, and Bill Laswell. Most tracks feature spare conga and percussion jams – and titles include "Basta De Cuentos", "Invacion De 80", "Cojelo Suave", "Africa Contemporanea", and "Solo Para Ti". LP, Vinyl record album

A set recorded during that tremendous late 80s/early 90s point when guitarist Sonny Sharrock was really hitting on all creative burners – and one that also features the legendary Pharoah Sanders on tenor, who gives the record a slightly different vibe than some of Sharrock's other records from the time! Make no mistake, Sonny is very strongly in the lead – and he also produced the record with Bill Laswell, whose efforts are definitely felt here – but there's also more of a jazz core to the whole thing, with long tracks that have a very live, spontaneous vibe – as Sharrock fuzzes out his guitar, but is matched with soulful energy from Sanders on tenor – and given some great pulsating rhythms from Charnett Moffett on acoustic bass and Elvin Jones on drums. These three players really offset some of Sonny's more self-indulgent tendencies – and titles include "Little Rock", "Promises Kept", "Who Does She Hope To Be", "As We Used To Sing", and "Many Mansions". LP, Vinyl record album

We love Sly & Robbie – really we do. And while they were responsible for many of the toughest rhythms ever laid to wax, they did cut their share of material that hits nice and hard, but may not be as sublime as their finest and fattest. While on paper this Bill Laswell produced session that finds the Rhythm Twins meeting up with an all star cast including Rammellzee, Bernie Worrell, Henry Threadgill and D. St. among others, it somehow manages to result in a sum that's that's less than the combination of all the dope parts. But you could do a lot worse, and we're guessing if you heard any of these 6 tracks in a different context, you might well consider it the heat: "Fire", "Boops (Here to Go)", "Let's Rock", "Yes We Can Can", "Rhythm Killer" and "Bank Job". LP, Vinyl record album