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Kanye West’s Beloved Drum Machine Maker Returns to Stock Market
Bloomberg 12/16/2020 Kurt Schussler and Ayaka Maki
(Bloomberg) While electronic hardware typically lingers in the shadows of the pop music world, Roland Corp.’s TR-808 Rhythm Composer has achieved enduring, household-name status.
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The drum machine flopped commercially after its early 1980s release but has altered the musical landscape for decades with its booming bass. It’s gone from being name-checked by the Beastie Boys to having its sound used by modern artists like Billie Eilish. Kanye West even paid homage with his groundbreaking album “808s & Heartbreak.”
The man behind the 808 was Roland founder Ikutaro Kakehashi, a Japanese engineer who developed a string of highly praised musical instruments. Kakehashi built Roland into a success, until the magic began to fade and the company retreated from the stock market in the wake of the financial crisis.