808 the documentary

TR-808 808 roland documentary

I watched this documentary randomly on amazon Prime and I recommend it!

808 is an inspirational documentary about the Roland TR 808 drum machine. Released in 1980, the defective transistors used were hard to source, and the 808 was considered a commercial failure, selling less than 12,000 units. However, its use in a number of seminal ’80s recordings gave it a lifelong after Roland stopped its production.

“It's the tale of the birth of electronic music, and how one small machine changed the musical landscape forever... by accident. It's the story of a sound that has been embraced by the world's top producers and performers and has been name-checked on a whole host of hit records. Associated with numerous musical styles crossing both time and genre, its defining sounds are as relevant now as they ever has been. It defined hip hop and modern dance culture and it's sound continues to deliver dancefloor smashing beats today.”