Then listen to this, plus my Roland
March 10, 2025 5:25 PM Subscribe
The Roland TR-808 had a larger impact on commercial music than any other branded musical instrument except perhaps the Fender Stratocaster. So someone made a documentary about it.
There's an in-browser emulator if you want to drop a def beat. (previously)
There's an in-browser emulator if you want to drop a def beat. (previously)
It's crazy to think of it as a "branded musical instrument" at this point--it is, obviously, but it has become more "a musical instrument"--like a violin or a harp. It's just there, it's everywhere, it's one of the backbones of modern music. I look forward to watching this video! (I skipped to the end to see if I could find hyperpop, alas.)
posted by mittens at 5:59 PM on March 10 [1 favorite]
posted by mittens at 5:59 PM on March 10 [1 favorite]
Roland has a 50th anniversary tribute to their line of instruments (TR-808, TB-303, TR-707, and more) at Roland50.studio.
posted by JoeZydeco at 6:22 PM on March 10 [7 favorites]
posted by JoeZydeco at 6:22 PM on March 10 [7 favorites]
i saw the documentary at the seattle international film festival way back in the day. it’s really great.
(spoiler alert) my favorite detail was that they use faulty (and thus inexpensive) transistors to create some of the signature sounds. this made it difficult for later machines to emulate the 808.
posted by bruceo at 7:51 PM on March 10 [6 favorites]
(spoiler alert) my favorite detail was that they use faulty (and thus inexpensive) transistors to create some of the signature sounds. this made it difficult for later machines to emulate the 808.
posted by bruceo at 7:51 PM on March 10 [6 favorites]
Nah - Blue Monday's drum machine was an Oberheim DMX
posted by awfurby at 11:24 PM on March 10 [2 favorites]
posted by awfurby at 11:24 PM on March 10 [2 favorites]
Well I mean a Stradivarius is "branded" too!
Loves me a good drum machine. Loves me some Roland.
posted by tiny frying pan at 4:38 AM on March 11 [1 favorite]
Loves me a good drum machine. Loves me some Roland.
posted by tiny frying pan at 4:38 AM on March 11 [1 favorite]
...No mistakin', we make our breaks, if you don't like our 808s
Then leave us alone, cause we don't need your policies..
posted by Thorzdad at 5:11 AM on March 11
Then leave us alone, cause we don't need your policies..
posted by Thorzdad at 5:11 AM on March 11
Ok, this is a 909, but watch Jeff Mills play a drum machine.
posted by Headfullofair at 5:28 AM on March 11 [1 favorite]
posted by Headfullofair at 5:28 AM on March 11 [1 favorite]
A quick nod towards my favourite album title of all time: 101+303+808=Now Form A Band.
posted by Hogshead at 2:45 PM on March 11
posted by Hogshead at 2:45 PM on March 11
watch Jeff Mills play a drum machine.
I saw him doing this sort of thing in a small room in a club in Dublin, decades ago, with his set-up on a cheap table that you could just walk by. There were much bigger rooms close-by with bigger-name acts, and they were packed. His was not. He was giving it his all to a room with only a few dozen people staying put. It was sublime. I've never seen anything like it before or since, that close-up to someone doing something that seemed like he was conjuring magical explosions from a tiny box.
posted by meehawl at 8:32 AM on March 12
I saw him doing this sort of thing in a small room in a club in Dublin, decades ago, with his set-up on a cheap table that you could just walk by. There were much bigger rooms close-by with bigger-name acts, and they were packed. His was not. He was giving it his all to a room with only a few dozen people staying put. It was sublime. I've never seen anything like it before or since, that close-up to someone doing something that seemed like he was conjuring magical explosions from a tiny box.
posted by meehawl at 8:32 AM on March 12
I came here to see if anybody would reference Ron Mael of Sparks and his longtime conversion of his Roland to a Ronald. (He appears to be using a Yamaha in more recent videos). This fan video from a concert is focused on Ron doing his fan favorite dance, but you can clearly see that he's modified the Roland nametag to say Ronald.
posted by jkosmicki at 1:07 PM on March 13
posted by jkosmicki at 1:07 PM on March 13
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I can still recall the impact of ex:el when it was released. I swear they singlehandedly legitimized electronic music as its own thing with that one album.
posted by los pantalones del muerte at 5:37 PM on March 10 [3 favorites]