Before there was mainstream hip-hop, R&B, house music, techno, and electro, there was a drum machine that became the inspiration for music around the world: The Roland TR-808.
Most artists of today have never actually seen or used one, as the device has been discontinued since 1984, but it was the fundamental tool of beats back in the day and helped music evolve into what it is now.
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The machine was affordable enough that inner city youth could get their hands on it and use their creativity to create unique sound and beats that no one ever heard before.
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In the video above we get to hear some of the legends in the game D-Nice, (DJ, producer, emcee) Arthur Baker (producer of Afrika Bambaataa and the Soul Sonic Force’s Planet Rock), and Juan Atkins (producer of Detroit Techno) talk about the importance of the iconic drum machine and how it influenced the sound for many of the great artists today.
Take a look!
