808s and heartbreak review rolling stone

And perhaps most important of all, the 808 cost a lot less than more “real”-sounding drum machines that used the then-new technology of sampling. The programming interface was simple and encouraged creativity. More importantly, it was the first drum machine that allowed users to program a complete song from start to finish, with unique fills and breaks. Only about 12,000 were built before Roland discontinued the line.īut for artists trying to create a fresh sound, the weirdness of the 808 was itself appealing.

(Its very model name alludes to this-“TR” stands for “Transistor Rhythm.”) That lack of sonic authenticity probably has something to do with why it wasn’t a commercial success during its original run. The machine’s sounds were created using analog synthesis, and in some senses it would be more accurate to call the 808 a drum synthesizer rather than a drum machine. You can hear its distinctive beats in the work of everyone from Marvin Gaye and Talking Heads to Beyoncé and Kanye West (who titled one of his albums 808s and Heartbreak in tribute to the machine).Ĭonsidering how widespread the 808’s impact has been, it’s interesting to note that this beatbox doesn’t sound anything like a live drum kit its cymbals are staticky, and its snare and bass drums are oddly hollow. More hit songs have been recorded with a TR-808 than with any other drum machine. In 1982, rapper Afrika Bambaataa used it to generate the futuristic rhythm of his hugely influential single “Planet Rock,” setting in motion a wave that has yet to break. Although it was originally intended as a basic tool for songwriters, the 808 was soon adopted by the producers of a rising new style: hip-hop. The Roland corporation of Japan only manufactured its TR-808 Rhythm Composer drum machine for three years, from 1980 to 1983, but that short time was long enough to alter the course of music.

808s and heartbreak review rolling stone