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In the 1980s, Roland instrument sounds were transformed from a rhythm section staple into an all-inclusive music style known as "Techno." Having achieved local success in Detroit, Michigan with the impressive sale of 15,000 copies of Cybotron's Alleys of Your Mind, Juan Atkins and Rick Davis proved that electronic music had an American audience, and soon after received a deal with Fantasy Records. Cybotron's Clear introduced the groove-driven elements of what is now considered classic techno. In the cycle of music, it seems fitting that (2005 MTV VMA Winner) Missy Elliott's Lose Control, is fabricated on the 808 groove and synth textures in a sample loop of Cybotron's Clear. |
The early works of Atkins' Cybotron and Model 500 show distinct influence from the innovators of electronic music, Kraftwerk, and contemporaries like Afrika Bambaataa, but with groove-oriented elements prompted by the technology of Roland instruments. While considered minimal in terms of production, tracks like No UFOs are densely-woven works that clearly demonstrate how the 909 and 808 can evoke futuristic primal rhythms.
"The Godfather of Techno" Atkins, with friends Derrick May and Kevin Saunderson, are often credited as the originators of the "Detroit Techno" sound that defined electronic genres to follow. Not to be confused with what later generations have termed "Techno," production techniques using TR-808 and TR-909 drum machines were especially exemplified by works like Derrick May's The Dance. |
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| A new variation of Roland-based electronic music, "Acid," originated in the late 1980's. The music featured a dance beat with hypnotic repetitive musical riffs, and elastic synthesizer textures created by adjusting the control knobs on the 303. Considered a commercial failure, the TB-303 found a new life in the Chicago House scene, where it became the trademark sound of Acid. In the liner notes of Acid - Can You Jack, musicologist Tim Lawrence credits the trio of Herbert R. Jackson Jr, Earl "Spanky" Smith Jr, and Nathanial P. Jones (a.k.a. DJ Pierre) - collectively known as Phuture - with the first release of 303 knob-tweaking on Acid Tracks.
 Produced by Marshall Jefferson, Acid Tracks was released in 1987 on Trax Records, a year after Move Your Body - The House Music Anthem, found success in the Chicago House Music scene. Jefferson's participation not only ensured the song would be pressed, but that it would get played.
The sound of Acid would be transformed when it reached the UK, and in the early 1990s Acid and Techno merged into a new variety of "Acid Techno" found in the early works of Aphex Twin, which later spawned into the sound of "Intelligent Dance Music." The influence of Acid in the UK also heralded a new era of electronic music that would catapult the TB-303 to legendary status. |
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Turning Plastic into Gold |
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The years leading up to the introduction of ReBirth exhibited a marked increase in the commercial popularity of electronic music. While media venues such as MTV and broadcast radio continued to promote Rock and R&B as the mainstream in North America, electronic music thrived throughout Europe and in the underground American club and rave scenes. Synthesizers and drum machines played a significant role in genres ranging from New Age, Electro, Industrial, Hip-Hop, Eurodisco, Hi NRG and New Wave to pop and the dozens of iterations of House and Techno.
Although use of the 808 in R&B and Hip-hop music progressed throughout the 80s and 90s, it was the New York club scene that sparked the return of the 909 and launched the era of dance music. Producer/DJ's, including Kenny Gonzales, Little Louis Vega, Robert Clivilles, David Cole, and David Morales in the New York House scene cultivated the use of the 909 in their own works and remixes. This style of using the 909 and jacked 'Marshall Jefferson-like' piano riffs on Madonna's Vogue shaped what the American audience deemed dance music. Leading to period where House and New Jack inspired pop acts like C+C Music Factory, Snap!, Black Box, and Technotronic gained popularity. Suddenly the 909 was back in demand.
 British electronic-based acts moved beyond the obscurity of underground with the heavy rotation of their songs and videos in mainstream media. Songs like Daft Punk's Revolution 909, Fatboy Slim's Everybody Needs a 303, and 808 State's Pacific wrote the legacy of Roland right into their music, while remnants of Acid Tracks found their way into popular tunes like Massive Attack's Protection, The Prodigy's Smack My Bitch Up, and the Chemical Brothers' Chemical Beats.
Influenced by their American predecessors, these British acts gave rise to a new era of the 303, thus fueling an interest in vintage Roland instruments. What had been considered obsolete only a few years earlier, the 303 was now highly coveted. Even Roland capitalized on the trend with  products sampling these devices, but analog purists settled for nothing less than the originals. In 1989, a used TB-303 could be obtained for $50, but by the mid-90s, the market value was ten times that. By the turn of the century, prices reached as high as $1200.
When the Chemical Brothers's Block Rockin' Beats won the Grammy for Best Rock Instrumental, it seemed like a musical coup d'état had occurred against the old rock regime. With these elements in place, the world was indeed receptive to a new revolution in music technology. 1997 appeared to be the year of the 303, and this set the stage for ReBirth RB-338. |
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