Wikidata: Roland TR-808

Roland TR-808

Drum machine · Japan

The Roland TR-808 Rhythm Composer is a programmable analog drum machine that Roland produced from 1980 to 1983. Its sounds are generated by analog circuitry rather than samples, giving it a distinctive booming kick, snappy snare, and sizzling cymbals and hi-hats. Commercially unsuccessful at launch, it became one of the most influential instruments in popular music, defining the low end of hip-hop, electro, and dance records and remaining a sought-after sound decades later.