PEOPLE/STORIES Andy Bell: Taking an Electronic Ride with GLOK Legendary British musician Andy Bell creates immersive electronic worlds in his new project, GLOK. Read about the role Roland gear plays. by Ari Rosenschein 8 mins read PEOPLE/STORIES David Rosenthal: Always in a New York State of Mind For David Rosenthal, Billy Joel’s keyboardist and Musical Director, NYC is home. Learn how he helped arrange an all-star tribute to the city. by Ari Rosenschein 11 mins read PEOPLE/STORIES Egyptian Lover and the Art of Staying Gold Egyptian Lover—born Gregory Broussard—began his love affair with the Roland TR-808 as a teenager. It has been his muse ever since. by Kyle Eustice 10 mins read FEATURES See All » A History of Roland Samplers Roland was a key part of the sampling movement—redefining what music could be. Take a guided tour of Roland samplers from past to present by Adam Douglas 18 mins read Listening Guide: Sounds of the JD-800 The JD-800 is front and center in this sampling of tracks by legendary artists. Explore these classics and fall in love with the '90s again. by Peter Kirn 10 mins read Listening Guide: Prince in the ’90s At the top of the 1990s, Prince was eager for new sounds. The JD-800 was the go-to synth on a lengthy run of albums by the prolific artist. by Gino Sorcinelli 11 mins read David Rosenthal: Always in a New York State of Mind For David Rosenthal, Billy Joel’s keyboardist and Musical Director, NYC is home. Learn how he helped arrange an all-star tribute to the city. by Ari Rosenschein 11 mins read DEEP DIVES Live Music in the Coronavirus Era With the world hit by a pandemic, live events were postponed or canceled. In the Coronavirus Era, virtual concerts have taken their place. by Kirsten Spruch 12 mins read The Tech House Story It’s been a long journey for the tech house genre. We trace its history and development from the earliest days to the present. by Harold Heath 18 mins read Retracing the Roland Sound in Hip-Hop For the past 40 years Roland drum machines, samplers, sequencers, and synths have played an integral role in shaping the sound of hip-hop. by Gino Sorcinelli 19 mins read Roland and BOSS Lifetime Achievement Awards History The Roland and BOSS Lifetime Achievement Awards honor artists while providing a timeline of how these musicians and instruments shaped music. by Gino Sorcinelli 22 mins read Let the Algorithm Take Control? Take a deep dive into the way streaming recommendations work—and how online algorithms shape our musical listening habits. by Jessi Brown 17 mins read SOUND BEHIND THE SONG Sound Behind the Song: “Drunk in Love” by Beyoncé by Jake Uitti 5 mins read The Roland TR-808, used on Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s alluring 2013 hit, “Drunk In Love,” is an essential bed upon which to create a masterpiece. Sound Behind the Song: “Jam On It” by Newcleus by Ari Rosenschein 5 mins read “Jam On It” by Newcleus is a true hip-hop classic. The track is dense with groove, creative production, and lyrical panache. Sound Behind the Song: “606” by 808 State by Jason Heffler 4 mins read 808 State’s ode to the Roland TR-606 has stood the test of time as one of the quirkiest yet most trailblazing tunes in their discography. Sound Behind the Song: “My Girls” by Animal Collective by Benjamin Heywood 3 mins read With a JUNO-60 and an army of Roland samplers, Animal Collective created an unforgettable melodic kaleidoscope: “My Girls." MEET NOGA EREZ SPOTLIGHT Sound Behind the Song: “1010” by Boys Noize German DJ/producer Alex Ridha is best known as Boys Noize. His stomping 2010 tech-house track “1010” was built around a modified TR-707. by Evan Shamoon 5 mins read OUR CONTRIBUTORS See All » Evan Shamoon Evan's work has appeared in a host of print and online publications, including Rolling Stone, Wired, The Fader, and Tenderly. Francis Preve Francis Preve is one of the synthesizer industry’s most prolific sound designers. He has years of experience in audio production, synthesizer architectures and applications, UI/UX design, journalism, public speaking, and college-level instruction. Find out more at francispreve.com. Greg Philips Greg Phillips is the editor of Australia’s longest-running musician magazine, Australian Musician. Greg has also worked as a freelance music writer for publications such as Guitar and Bass and Bass Player . SIRMA Born and raised in Istanbul, Turkey, and now living in Brooklyn, NY, SIRMA is a singer, songwriter, and producer who blends Alternative Pop with Electronica. She is the creator of the Modern Pop Vocal Production course on Soundfly and has a degree from Berklee College of Music. Find out more at sirmamusic.com. TECH AND TREND A Musician’s Guide to TikTok Success Anyone has the chance to go viral on TikTok. All it takes is attention-grabbing content, strategic hashtags, and some luck. by SIRMA 9 mins read 2020 and Counting: A Summer Indie Playlist 2020 certainly hasn’t been a typical summer, but at least the world has had one reliable constant: good indie music. Here's a playlist to prove it. by Kirsten Spruch 8 mins read 5G and the Cloud Move Gaming Online The video game industry is moving ever closer to cloud storage, digital distribution, and other online possibilities. by Jordan Blum 7 mins read K-pop: The Inner Workings of a Global Phenomenon K-pop groups increasingly claim the spotlight on the world stage. Industry insiders give us insights into what makes the style so popular. by SIRMA 10 mins read ECHO: Christopher Kah’s 3D Audio Experience Electronic music producer Christopher Kah highlights Roland instruments in ECHO, his new immersive 3D audio performances. by SIRMA 8 mins read Inspiring stories and knowledge to help spark your creativity. SEARCH CORPORATE LINKS Privacy Policy Terms Of Use WANT ARTICLES IN YOUR INBOX? * indicates required field. Full Name Email* Subscribe EXPLORE ROLAND ENGINEERING