Radio LBB: All Rise to the 808

In 1980 Roland Corporation innocently launched their 'TR-808 Rhythm Composer' drum machine into the world.

A relative commercial failure on release, selling only 12,000 units, it unexpectedly went on to become one of the key building blocks of contemporary music. 

Unlike the LinnDrum before it, the ‘808' didn’t use actual drum samples, but computer generated emulations of drum sounds giving it an unexpected futuristic, raw and sexy quality that has been utilised by artists from Marvin Gaye, on 1982’s ’Sexual Healing’, to LCD Soundsystem on this year’s ‘Oh Baby’.

Wake the Town has selected some tracks crafted by artists who have fallen for its never fading allure…