808 All Day

While I was out running errands the other day I made time to pick up a couple 808 All Day tees. I'm a big supporter of local business and really like the design work they've been putting out. So I stopped by their store front over in the Queen Ka'ahumanu Shopping Center. For those who don't know 808 is Hawaii's area code. But, there's also another side to this shirt for beat junkies, DJ's, and music lovers like myself. Back in 1980 the music company Roland introduced a piece of equipment called the Roland TR-808 Rhythm Composer (rhythm composer is a fancy way of saying drum machine), or the "808" for short. The 808 was known for its unique sound bank, and many dance/hiphop music producers use it because the bass drum sound produces extremely low frequencies. Other notable sounds in the kit include the handclap, snare, and cowbell. I love how this idiom sort of connects me back home to Boston and music. As I wrap up this post I'm thinking I should provide an example of what the 808 sounds like so that for those of you who aren't familiar can understand (make sure you have some good speakers to listen on). Just below I've posted a pic what the Roland TR-808 looks like.

So before playing the video below I'm warning you that the vocal snippets in this song are not appropriate for children. However, that being said I think that the song itself is a good example that showcases the sounds of the TR-808. I'm also using this as an opportunity to showcase the work of a friend who is great producer and DJ. The tune is by Addison Groove (a.ka. Tony Williams) a friend of mine from Bristol, UK. I've know Tony since 2007 when he first came to DJ for us in Boston under his other moniker Head Hunter. He's a great guy so its a pleasure to use his work as an example especially because I know he owns an actual 808. You can hear the classic kick, clap, snare, hats, and more in his tune "Bad Things" embedded below. The tune was released by a small independent label called 50weapons on his Transistor Rhythm EP.       (FINAL WARNING; EXPLICIT LYRICS)