The Grammy Award-winning producer behind scores of massive hits traces his signature sound to his Roland beginnings.
The prolific percussionist shares how an insatiable curiosity for rhythm fueled his journey from Helsinki to Hollywood.
20 mins read
Meet the man on the throne for the Josh Homme supergroup and learn how he uses V-Drums with traditional percussion to create sonic landscapes.
Roland has unveiled a new headquarters in Japan that unites R&D and administration staff under one roof in an inspiring workspace.
FEATURES
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Explore the enduring influence of the R-8 Human Rhythm Composer on a host of musical styles in Mexico, a land of deep tradition.
6 mins read
The outfit's latest rekindles its bond with the Metropole Orkest, as Bill Laurance’s harmonic style enters new orchestral and jazz frontiers.
An intimate quest for connection, the latest release from TEED is a shimmering, memory-soaked blend of tender synths and emotional clarity.
For these Edmonton synth provocateurs, punk is more than a genre. Find out how the term grounds them in decades of DIY efforts.
DEEP DIVES
It’s been a long journey for the tech house genre. We trace its history and development from the earliest days to the present.
The TR-606 endures for its crisp, punchy sound, as well as trigger capabilities and extensive mods. Find out why it remains a classic.
In celebration of the 40th anniversary of the TR-808 and 808 Day, Tadao Kikumoto graciously offered his time for this exclusive conversation.
Founded by A. G. Cook, PC Music is a label that spawned an entire genre, garnering widespread notoriety in the process.
With the world hit by a pandemic, live events were postponed or canceled. In the Coronavirus Era, virtual concerts have taken their place.
SOUND BEHIND THE SONG
At the heart of Tangerine Dream’s hypnotic “White Eagle” lies a secret—one kept between the band and a pair of JUPITER-8s.
Leftfield came from the same primordial soup as the greatest British dance acts. Explore this iconic track and the TB-303's role in it.
Detroit’s enigmatic duo Drexciya submerged themselves in Afrofuturist myth. "Rublicks Cube" is a transcendent TR-606 classic.
Here's how the artist's omnipresent '90s hit "Praise You" harnessed the Roland TB-303 to become a radio and dancefloor sensation.
SPOTLIGHT
Here's how the 1984 Queen single flipped the script on their musical direction, ushering in a new wave of success for the group.
8 mins read
Our Contributors
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An MI veteran, Clint was one of the founders of Emagic North America and worked at both Apple and Line 6. A passionate music fan, he heads The New Music Collective.
When Daniel isn't giving tutorials or leading workshops, you can find him spinning at venues around Southern California.
Gino Sorcinelli is the writer, creator, and editor of Micro-Chop, a Substack newsletter that dissects beatmaking, DJing, music production, rapping, and sampling. His articles have appeared on Ableton, HipHopDX, Okayplayer, Passion of the Weiss, Red Bull Music Academy, and Reverb.
Lyle Crilly works with Roland's Global Artist Relations team and lives in Toronto, Ontario with his wife and new puppy. He enjoys a good shot of caffeine in the morning, yurting, and Cumbia.
TECH AND TREND
Artist/designer/musician Yuri Suzuki talks about his love of Roland gear, creating 808303.studio, and musical life during quarantine.
The intersection of music and technology has always been a space for happy accidents. In that pioneering spirit, we bring you this short list of musical innovations.
If music has no boundaries, why does its genesis usually occur within four walls? Biomusic is rooted in non-human sounds.
Anyone has the chance to go viral on TikTok. All it takes is attention-grabbing content, strategic hashtags, and some luck.
When I launched my first crowdfunding campaign, I had only seven Spotify followers. The project raised over $26,000 for my project.