Chris Norris reports on how the Roland TR-808 Rhythm Controller, an unsuccessful drum machine, became the key musical instrument of a generation.
The 808 sound was also crowd-sourced, with artists building on one another’s modifications of the device. One of the first major innovations came about in 1984, by the producer Strafe, who, in the film, describes fine-tuning the 808’s low frequencies and further widening its bass kick drum to create the sound of an underground nuke test, heard on his 1984 hit “Set It Off.” The song’s original mix, by the disco producer Walter Gibbons, lacked Strafe’s low-end contribution because, according to Strafe, the born-again Gibbons felt “that bass was an instrument of the Devil.” He was probably right.
Can anyone vouch for the Roland Aira TR-8, which supposedly recreates both the 808 and the 909?
