Back in 1980 Japanese electronics manufacturer Roland released one of the most important musical instruments ever, the TR-808. Although it only led a limited life, the 808 became world renowned, its signature low end bass and unique sounds redefining the musical landscape. From hip hop to acid house, trap to pop, it drove a multitude of musical genres and inspired countless musicians to create seminal records that have defined modern hip hop and electronic music.Even if you don't already know the 808 by name, you will know its sound. It's a timeless icon that has touched almost every genre of music imaginable with a sound that is as relevant today as it ever was.Featuring interviews with Afrika Bambaataa, Questlove, Beastie Boys, Pharrell Williams, David Guetta, Phil Collins, Richie Hawtin and many more, 808 is the inspirational story of how the 808's ground-shaking beats changed the musical world.
The inspiring story of the Roland TR808, from the creation of Planet Rock which established it as a dynamic modern instrument, to how it defined hip hop and modern dance culture, through to its continued use today.
What do you think about 808 movies? Ask the moviesrankings.com community a question about 808!
Please wait! 808 movie comments loading...
Free International Money Transfer 💸Enjoy high maximum transfers into more than 20 currencies while saving up to 90% over local banks! The cheap, fast way to send money abroad. Free transfer up to 500 USD!Score: 5/5
Definitely a must to watchThis documentary was really good and a must watch. Great history on the 808 and even Roland as a company itself..Score: 5/5
Good documentary but...I can't believe that a pioneer and a true legend like John Robie is not in this documentary. He is the driving force behind many of the most successful songs from the early 80's electro boom created by the Roland TR-808. John Robie was Arthur Baker's musician and right hand when they used to work together in the studio. He produced and co-produced many hits along with Arthur Baker who is one of the producers of this documentary. Really sad that he wasn't included in this movie because he's part of the Roland TR-808 history..Score: 3/5
808 the sound I grew up with...It was great to see my friends Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis in this documentaries. 808 brought me back years and I loved it. Now I have a little knowledge about the history of the 808 and it explains why I like using it in my 30 second spots for my iBook promos for Design for the Home Run King. This documentary will go on my creative list and when I want to gift a creative person something, 808 will be it. Thanks for making it and telling a great story. Going now to download the songs and make a playlist - YEAH!.Score: 4/5
Who made this????I think this film completely forgets about SO MANY artists that actually shaped mondern electronic music. Tiga? really? Horse Sh*t!!!!!.Score: 1/5
Great Documentary on the History of the 808If you want to see how the 808 changed music, watch this. Growing up in the 80's, this movie brought back a lot of memories with the music and video that they show. I'm really glad they got into Freestyle and Miami Bass since that is the music that really got me back in the day. I really liked the part with Planet Patrol playing in a parking lot in front of a chain link fence. Reminds me of the concerts I went to as a teenager. Highly recommend this..Score: 5/5
Fell asleepI'm a drummer and the historical aspect of this was interesting, but 1.5 hours of this stuff is just too much. Plus, whoever did the lighting for the shots did a terrible job. Wouldn't recommend this unless you're die hard music nerd. Otherwise, at about 30 minutes in you'll check the timeline to see that you still have an hour to go..Score: 3/5
808 Documentary is a both hit & miss...Being a bonafide Native New Yorker, I was given a first hand experience of the emerging rap scene. Back then, rap music (not called hip hop back then) utilized both live bands, and electronics, sometimes a mixture of both--but regardless, the technology of the early 80's was strongly making it's presence known all over the musical landscape. We all first heard the TR-808 on the seminal "Planet Rock" produced by Arthur Baker & John Robie--we knew it was referencing Kraftwerk and we embraced this, while realizing that this was a new overall sound and vibe. Baker, co-produced this documentary, which is very appropriate given he might be the first producer to actually use an 808 on a commercially released recording. For this reason, his partner John Robie's absence is quite disturbing. Could he not get Robie for any particular reason? Robie was the sole instrumentalist on all Baker/Robie productions, and all of them featured the 808 quite prominently, and being very creatively processed during mixdown. Another glaring ommission is West Coast electro pioneer Egypian Lover. I am guessing he had other plans or was on tour, because there is no reason to not have him in this documentary. And while we are on the subject of California, where is Twilight 22?? "Siberian nights" & "Electric Kingdom" both 1984) are two of the best electro tracks ever in my opinion. On the plus side, we do get Man Parrish discussing his masterpiece "Hip hop be bop" (1982), and we are treated to Rick Rubin's first record with TLA Rock-- "It's Yours" (1983), Strafe's club killer "Set it off" (1984), which ironically has Ben Cenac's 808 on it, on loan at the time) as well as one of the first "top 40" uses of an 808 with Marvin Gaye's "Sexual Healing" (1982) (btw, the ENTIRE album features the 808 for it's drum tracks..a rarity, even back then). In addition to these classics, we get a lovely reference to Baker/Robie's use of the IDENTICAL rhythm track from "Planet Rock", utilized for another blockbuster soul/electro hybrid "Play at your own Risk" by Planet Patrol. After this, we move further into the timeline and learn about producers like Goldie & Felix Da Housecat (who, in almost Kanye West fashion claims to have created the "hottest 808 track in the last 12 years"--yeah right.) At this point in the documentary, my interest started to wane. I would have much preferred to see John Robie, Egyptian Lover, and/or Ben "Cozmo D" Cenac, the founding member and driving force behind NEWCLEUS, who made two incredible albums in 1984 & 1985, the first of which utilized the 808 to great effect. (even though Ben admits he was not, and still not, that fond of the 808 sound in general). I may be in the minority here, but to focus on artists who utilize SAMPLES of the 808 rather than the machine itself, sort of defeats the purpose for me. Maybe I am a bit purest in this regard, but if an artist has not utilized the actual machine in a production, I don't need to hear about them in a documentary such as this. The last 10 minutes of the documentary make up for the previous 45 minutes of acid and techno however, as we get to meet Mr. Kakehashi, the founder of ROLAND!! We learn that the 808 was ultimately discontinued due to a faulty resistor that was no longer available! Great stuff indeed. All in all, a solid documentary on perhaps the most genre defining instrument created in the last 40 years--it has literally changed the musical landscape and continues to..Score: 3/5
No Rock?I think this documentary missed the big portion. It was used for a lot of Rock bands, yet no mention of them. Just Rap and Hip Hop.....Disapointing..Score: 3/5
Super InspirationalI bought this after a client at the studio told me about it and while watching it we couldn't help but to start tinkering with the Roland TR-808 we have. Great documentary, highly recommended this to anybody in the music business.Score: 5/5
Where is the Soundtrack?This is an absolute beast of a documentary. Where is the soundtrack though?.Score: 5/5
Payoneer 💰Payoneer is an online payment platform that lets you transfer money from any corner of the world! A best and must have payment service for every blogger, traveler, freelancer, affiliate marketer, consultant, virtual assistant, business person, online sellers, and receivers. Earn $25 for free by joining Payoneer. Sign Up Now!Score: 5/5
I don't normally write reviews but...As a DJ from the 80's, I figured I'd get a bit of nostalgia and a warm fuzzy feeling for the machine and its place in the history of music. I was not disappointed! The tracks played and talked about during the doc were spot on point. If I was being picky, there were only three sore spots for me. The first two were minor: the overall narration by Zane (clinical, lacking passion and cadence) when compared to something like the narration on Hip Hop Evolution by Shad (which I thought was brilliant) and some small slips in video production (like some pretty awful fades and cuts as well as some questionable interview audio at points). The third thing left me scratching my head: there was no mention of the record Al-Naafyish (The Soul) by Jerry Calliste Jr. which, to me, was one of the most influential bits of club music of the early 80's and really showed the power of the 808. Overall though, it's a great primer for the uninitiated, a great reminder for the new ones in the business of where to show the love and a great trip down memory lane for those that lived it. The reason Roland had to stop producing the TR-808 that's revealed at the end by the founder of the company is a great way to end it. Thoroughly enjoyed it..Score: 5/5
Good StuffEnjoyed this a music and technology doc..Score: 4/5
Performanece Lab 🎯Performance Lab ® CORE Formulas support all aspects of human performance, across all walks of life. Boosts work performance and productivity with nootropics for focus, multitasking under stress, creative problem-solving and more. Buy Now!Score: 5/5
Coursera 💡Start your future on coursera today! Build skills with courses, certificates, and degrees online from world-class universities and companies. Join for Free!Score: 5/5
