In 1982 Afrika Bambaataa and the Soulsonic Force, transitioned from live DJ culture to production and recording of the group’s work for use on albums. With the release of his single and album Planet Rock, “Bambaataa broke the boundaries of existing hip-hop conventions through his use of programmed beats”(Dixon). His inspiration for using this technique with the Roland TR-808 was “based on his love of German electronica pioneers Kraftwerk, and Trans-Europe Express in particular”(Dixon. These German artists heavily focused on synthetic sounds and the use of drum machines, and Bambaataa sought to compound these two elements together through the unique sound of the Roland TR-808. “Planet Rock” sparked an unprecedented use of the 808, as it was the main instrument used in creating the drum beat. “Planet Rock marked the first use of a drum machine, [a Roland 808], and complete with space and video game sound effects, it sounded like no other record around, eclipsing even the mighty Grandmaster Flash”(Dixon). It also sampled “I like it” by BT Express, Rick James, Kraftwerk, and Babe Ruth (Baker et. al). As a result of combining these influences, “Planet Rock” topped charts worldwide as Afrika Bambaataa “led New York’s leading rappers, dancers, artists, and DJs on the first hip-hop tour outside the United States”(Chang 62). Planet Rock was the “result of a perfect fusion of people, from diverse racial, social, and musical backgrounds, a melting pot of musical genres, attitudes, mentality. And beneath it all, a visionary use of a drum machine, the 808″(Baker et al.) This fusion of diverse influences allowed “Planet Rock” to stand out as an unprecedented piece during its time. Another reason for the popularity of “Planet Rock” was the connection of the 808’s inorganic timbre and distinct drum beat that had become popular within the New Wave genre in the 1980s. “Planet Rock” was best described as, “like Kraftwerk, but it’s urban, it’s funky, it’s cool”(Baker et al). By mixing hip-hop with elements of synthesized funk Bambaataa was able to create a new sound which bridged the gap between genres. Bambaataa’s cutting-edge work left him as “the only one to have this real futuristic, synthesized sound. It hurt [other rappers] because it tipped everything into a different dimension”(Perkins 12). Bambaataa’s new electro-funk revolution gave birth to many new genres like g-funk that continue to draw from “Planet Rock” and the TR-Roland 808’s influence.

Use the link below to see the beat pattern used to create “Planet Rock”

http://808.pixll.de/anzeigen.php?m=15