The firm celebrated the TR-808’s forty fifth anniversary with world events, limited-edition sneakers and a brand new animated sequence that includes Hip-Hop legends.

Roland kicked off its forty fifth anniversary celebration of the legendary TR-808 Rhythm Composer on Friday (August 8) with a worldwide rollout of occasions, unique product launches and a tribute sequence spotlighting the machine’s huge affect on Hip-Hop, techno and lure music.

The firm unveiled a limited-edition sneaker collaboration with New Balance, hosted worldwide events and debuted “The Rhythm Creators,” an eight-part animated sequence that includes Egyptian Lover, Prince Paul, Fatboy Slim and Jazzie B of Soul II Soul. The sequence, narrated by the artists themselves, dives into their private tales with the TR-808 and its successor, the TR-909, with animation by Detroit-based artist Vaughn Taormina.

The first episode dropped Friday with Egyptian Lover, and new installments will proceed by way of September.

Roland and New Balance additionally relaunched the Tiago Lemos NM808 x Roland sneaker, a nod to the 808’s deep roots in music, skateboarding and streetwear. The $114.99 kicks went on sale Friday at 9 a.m. EDT on the New Balance web site.

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To honor the sneaker drop, Roland and New Balance threw an invite-only mixer in Atlanta at SESSIONS, the studio helmed by producer Tricky Stewart. The occasion featured performances by Sonny Digital, Mix Master David and an look from Don Cannon, host of the “BackTrack” podcast. Attendees additionally bought hands-on demos of Roland gear and a primary have a look at the sneakers.

In Tokyo, Roland partnered with streetwear label XLARGE for a Harajuku takeover, that includes dwell units from REMO-CON, Yebisu303 and Ken Plus Ichiro. The XLARGE x 808 capsule assortment—graphic tees, hoodies and equipment—was obtainable in-store, alongside a uncommon show of the unique TR-808 drum machine.

Meanwhile, Roland Store London hosted its personal celebration with a dwell DJ set by Complexion and in-store entry to the XLARGE x 808 gear, which was additionally made obtainable on-line.

Roland additionally dropped a brand new sound pack for Roland Cloud customers that includes Arabian Prince, a pioneer of the Los Angeles Hip-Hop scene identified for “Panic Zone” and “Situation Hot.” The TR-808 Arabian Prince pack offers producers entry to his signature patterns and sequences by way of a Roland Cloud Pro or Ultimate membership or a Lifetime Key.

As a part of the anniversary, Roland is providing its TR-808 Software Rhythm Composer for $49 by way of September 9, giving producers a digital option to faucet into the machine’s traditional sound.

More info on 808 Day occasions and merchandise is obtainable on the Roland website. 

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