808 is a number you might not be familiar with, but if you do something with music chances are that you know what it references, namely the Roland TR-808 drum machine which was released in 1980. It might be an old machine, but the sounds it produces are still used today. When I made music myself I mainly did so on my PC, but I did have a digital version of this machine (in the form of Rebirth, which now is available as an app on your iPad) which I sometimes used. The 808 is a legendary machine that has left its influence and this documentary takes the viewer along on a musical journey to make that clear.
At the start of the seventies Ikutaro Kakehashi started Roland because he was interested in making digital instruments. Although the TR-808 wasn’t the first product the company made, it is the one which put them on the map. The intended use for the 808 was to make demos with it in the studio, but it didn’t take long before various music producers used the unique sounds that it generated in their songs. Afrika Bambaataa first heard the unique soundscapes when listening to songs by the Japanese group Yellow Magic Orchestra and decided to use it for his song “Planet Rock”. 808 interviews a lot of producers who talk about this drum machine and what its sounds have meant to not only them, but the music industry. Phil Collins, Pharell Williams, Lil’ John, Afrika Bambaataa, Fatboy Slim, Goldie, David Guetta, Beastie Boys and Rick Rubin are just a few examples of the people who appear. It quickly becomes clear how influential the 808 has been (and still is). Kakehashi and the machine itself get less attention, which some might think is a shame, but this is still a documentary which every music lover, whether you love house, hip hop or rock, can enjoy and take something from.
