Since its launch, in 1980, the roland TR-808 drum machine has gone from fad to icon, appearing in everything from early hip-hop and Prince hits to Kanye West songs and EDM tracks. 808, a new documentary premiering at South by Southwest on March 13, pays homage to the machine through such enthusiasts as Rick Rubin, Questlove and Beastie Boys. The film, which is narrated by former BBC radio host Zane Lowe, has an accompanying soundtrack on Big Beat/Atlantic Records.
The 808 was manufactured for just three years, but not before it found its way into the hands of pioneering producers like Arthur Baker, who served as an executive producer on the doc.
“I was at the BRIT Awards last week,” he says, “and Taylor Swift, Kanye West, Madonna –– each one [incorporated] 808 drums. As Questlove says, the 808 is the rock guitar of hip-hop.”