Herbie Hancock - Sunlight (1978)

Previously on OPIUM HUM:
Herbie Hancock - Sextant (1973)
Herbie Hancock - Thrust (1974)
Herbie Hancock - Secrets (1976)

Vocoder, synth, and levels of smoothness previously thought to be humanly impossible.

Track listing:
1. I Thought It Was You
2. Come Running to Me
3. Sunlight
4. No Means Yes
5. Good Question

You don't have to be afraid anymore

You should also listen to:

Ronnie Laws -
Pressure Sensitive (1975)

Dave Valentin -
Land of the Third Eye (1980)

Herbie Hancock - Secrets (1976)

Previously on OPIUM HUM:
Herbie Hancock - Sextant (1973)

Lay down your worries, and get funky with Herbie Hancock. Airtight grooves, plenty of synth and Rhodes, wah-wah guitar, a bit of vocals/vocoder, generally laid-back, playful, pleasantly stoned vibes -- Secrets is just about as chill as can be considered humanly possible.

Track listing:
1. Doin' It
2. People Music
3. Cantaloupe Island
4. Spider
5. Gentle Thoughts
6. Swamp Rat
7. Sansho Shima

Dolphin dance

You should also listen to:

Eddie Henderson -
Mahal (1978)

Kimiko Kasai -
Butterfly (1979)

Kimiko Kasai - Butterfly (1979)

Positively sublime, pop-oriented soul-jazz from Japanese jazz singer Kimiko Kasai. In case you need more convincing: Butterfly is, seemingly, a full-on collaboration between Kasai and Herbie Hancock, and features the great Bennie Maupin on sax. Run, don't walk.

Track listing:
1. Thought It Was You
2. Tell Me a Bedtime Story
3. Head in the Clouds
4. Maiden Voyage
5. Harvest Time
6. Sunlight
7. Butterfly
8. As

This love in my heart

You might also enjoy:

Cortex - Troupeau Bleu (1975)

Eddie Henderson - Mahal (1978)

Bennie Maupin - The Jewel in the Lotus (1974)

Beautiful, highly abstract jazz fusion led by multi-instrumentalist Bennie Maupin. Much of the album has a fragmented, nervous energy that nonetheless maintains some semblance of tranquility, perfectly matching my presently unsuccessful attempts to decompress.

Track listing:
1. Ensenada
2. Mappo
3. Excursion
4. Past + Present = Future
5. The Jewel in the Lotus
6. Winds of Change
7. Song for Tracie Dixon Summers
8. Past Is Past

Weird door

Herbie Hancock - Thrust (1974)

Previously on OPIUM HUM:
Herbie Hancock - Sextant (1973)

Thrust is Herbie Hancock at his funkiest, and in a discography chock full of winners, it might just be my personal favorite. Also, one of my all-time favorite album covers.

Track listing:
1. Palm Grease
2. Actual Proof
3. Butterfly
4. Spank-A-Lee

You'll know when you get here

Herbie Hancock - Sextant (1973)

One of Hancock's most challenging sets. Heavy on synthesizers. Atmospheric, dissonant, heady, and a lil' funky.

Track listing:
1. Rain Dance
2. Hidden Shadows
3. Hornets

Palm grease