Roland TR-808 Drum machine, Foto by Eriq
The TR-808 is widely seen as the symbol and milestone for a change in music production and music reception [1]:
at its launch in 1981 it had an affordable price, and it had a concept for programming beats, which “allowed [..] the 808 to perform extremely complex rhythms that a live drummer could perhaps not accurately play, thus creating one use for the TR-808 in live performance.” [1].
This finally led to “an influential presence in today’s popscape” [2], with all the cultural and devotional habits that come with such status.
Apart from uncountable hardware and software replicas there exist a wide range of devotional objects. I picked a list of them representing the cult of the TR-808:
MR-808: The Drum Robot Installation MR 808 by Moritz Simon geist. The 3,3×1.7m² installation emulates the sounds of the 808 – with robots playing the drums!
Photo: Jürgen Lösel
TR-808 USB-Stick 39,90$
Posters stating the programs for famous 808 tracks by Rob Ricketts
MR-808: A TR-808 replica robot sound installation by Moritz Simon geist.
Questionable T-Shirts layout by UndergroundhipHop.com
Legostyle 808 by subclub
3D-Modell of the TR-808 at Google 3D Warehouse
The 08.08.2008
Musicthing annonced the 808-Day
The next 808-Celebrating day might be the 08.08.2808, but who knows what gadget will rise to be the cultural icon in the next 800 years. Foto by BullDog1
[1] Jillian Reddy: “From Kitsch to Kanye: The Meteoric Rise of the TR-808”
[2] Richards, Chris. “What’s an 808?” Slate. 2 Dec. 2008.
