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The Legendary TR-08 Drum Machine Is Back (Kinda) At An Affordable Price

The TR-08 is an obsessively detailed and faithful replica of the legendary TR-808 — easily the most famous and influential drum machine ever made. After creating a monumental shift in the sound of music, the “808” has continued to shape and define entire genres. Beloved by musicians and producers the world over, it’s one of the most revered and sought-after electronic musical instruments of all time. The TR-08 brings the look, sound, and feel of the original 808—with stunning accuracy—to the Roland Boutique format. It blends attention to detail and respect for legacy with modern convenience and reliability.

The TR-808 arrived in 1980 to an unsuspecting and somewhat bewildered public. To many at the time, its purely analog sound and range of tweakable parameters didn’t exactly deliver “traditional” drum sounds. It wasn’t until adventurous musicians and producers got their hands on the TR-808 and started tweaking those knobs that the world would fully realize the sonic impact it would leave on music forever. For the next three decades, the sizzling hi-hats and snappy snare, the robotic, clicky rim shot, the unmistakable cowbell, and yes, that booming bass drum, would be heard on many thousands of tracks. Worldwide hits, underground classic, and entire genres were spawned. Its influence is so deep that it’s been name-dropped in famous tracks, had albums dedicated to it and bands named after it, and even been the subject of a feature-length documentary film.

Time has not diminished the TR-808’s influence. New genres continue to make use of the 808, with some utilizing it as the main instrument and defining sound of the style. Sure, you can use samples of a TR-808, but there’s nothing quite like the real thing. The 808’s user interface with its buttons, knobs, and switches, and the odd quirks of how the sounds interact with each other—they’re all vitally important to conjuring up that real 808 mojo. And you know it when you hear it.

The new TR-08 adds some thoughtful and modern touches to the classic formula. The sequencer has 16 sub-steps per step, so you can create detailed snare fills and intricate, rolling hi-hats. It also has a track-selectable trigger out for working with other instruments like the TB-03, SH-01A, or modular gear. An unobtrusive LED display provides finer control of tempo and shuffle. You can step-program or tap in your parts in real-time without stopping to change modes. Everything sends and receives MIDI control messages and it even supports audio and MIDI over USB.

Original TR-808s are big and heavy, and their rarity makes them extremely expensive and sought-after on the used market. Because of this, many have resorted to 808 sample packs or hardware knockoffs. But there’s something about the colors and controls and, of course, the sound of a genuine TR-808 that brings home the sound of so many classic tracks. The TR-08 accurately recreates the ingredients that make an 808 so special. The interface, while miniaturized, is 100% authentic. The sound is vibrant and alive thanks to our proprietary Analog Circuit Behavior (ACB) technology. We use ACB to carefully recreate all the details and quirks of the original hardware by modeling each analog circuit, right down to the component level.

Not only does the TR-08 look and sound the part, but it also has some modern features and conveniences. With all this beat-making power, it would be a shame to keep it shackled to the studio. After all, inspiration can strike anywhere, and drum machines are fun to play live. The TR-08 is literally small enough to take just about anywhere. It’s ruggedly built with sturdy knobs, buttons, and switches. It has several tilt options for easy viewing in various live and studio scenarios. It can be a low-latency, portable audio interface. It has a built-in speaker, and even runs on batteries for when the beat absolutely must go on. With all this power and flexibility, you may be most surprised by the TR-08’s affordable price, which puts the legendary 808 vibe within reach of just about anyone who’s ever dreamed of owning the iconic original.

Jack White Is Releasing A New Single, And You Have To Buy A Detroit Tigers Ticket To Get It

Calling all lovers of vinyl records! Purchase this package and get a ticket to see the Tigers battle the Minnesota Twins on September 24 plus an exclusive Third Man Records 7″ vinyl record.

One side of the record is the song “Strike Out” by “The Brushoffs” – a group featuring Third Man Records artists Brendan Benson, Ben Blackwell, Dominic Davis and Olivia Jean. On the other side, Third Man Records founder Jack White interviews 1984 World Series Champion Kirk Gibson. This record is pressed in the Tigers colors (blue and orange) specifically for this ticket package and will not be available anywhere else. The photos on the record sleeve were shot by Detroit Tigers pitcher, Daniel Norris.

A portion of the proceeds benefit the Kirk Gibson Foundation and The Detroit Tigers Foundation.

You can listen to a snippet of the song here and get tickets to ol’ ball game here.

 

The Spirit of John Benefit Concert Supporting Alzheimer Society of Toronto’s Music Project

The Spirit of John, now in its third year, is an incredible night of music and revelry that celebrates John Mann, his music, and the powerful effect melody can have on memory.

Join Spirit of the West with host Dave Bidini for an incredible night of music with performances by Danny MichelAndy Maize & Josh Finlayson (Skydiggers)Tom WilsonMartin Tielli (Rheostatics)Kevin Kane (Grapes of Wrath), Danny Greaves (Watchmen), and many more.

Doors open at 7PM and performances start at 8PM on September 13, 2017 at the Mod Club Theatre, 722 College Street in Toronto, Ontario.

Since 2015, John has used the power of song to raise awareness about music therapy for people living with dementia. Now that his own young-onset Alzheimer’s has progressed it’s our turn to play the music with a set list of songs custom made by John’s friends and family to help unlock his memories.

All proceeds from the concert support the Alzheimer Society of Toronto’s Music Project, which provides personalized playlists and iPods for people living with dementia in Toronto. Concert-goers will be participating in the second annual Fund-A-Need, which aims to raise enough money to supply music to 400 people living with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, so get ready to donate!

You can buy tickets here.

Heritage Toronto Honours The Concord Tavern

Part of the blues, country, and rock n’ roll scene, the Concord Tavern is where Ronnie Hawkins and The Hawks got their start. They played high-energy rockabilly during the club’s twist dance parties. Hawkins’ backing band later became The Band, one of North America’s most influential groups.

Situated at Bloor and Concord (a Long and McQuade music store is now on the site), the plaque honouring the site will be revealed August 12 at 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM at 925 Bloor Street West, Toronto.

Shania Twain To Perform At Grey Cup Halftime Show

With just over three months to go until the 105th Grey Cup presented by Shaw kicks off in Ottawa, the CFL announced today that the top-selling female country artist of all time, Shania Twain, will headline the Freedom Mobile Grey Cup Halftime Show on November 26th at TD Place in Ottawa. Canada’s largest annual sporting event will be broadcast live on TSN, RDS, ESPN2, BT Sport and on TSN Radio and Sirius XM radio beginning at 6 p.m. ET.

Twain’s Grey Cup performance celebrates her triumphant return and will follow the highly-anticipated release of her fifth full-length studio album, NOW, out September 29th. Solely written and co-produced by Twain, NOW marks her first album release since 2002’s UP!, the same year she first performed at the Grey Cup Halftime Show (Edmonton, 2002).

“It’s an absolute honour to return to the Grey Cup stage in the nation’s capital during Canada’s 150th birthday,” said Twain. “I’m thrilled to be coming home and being a part of the country’s biggest annual party.”

“Shania is a massive Canadian icon and a global superstar, so we are so excited that she will help us cap off such a significant year for our country at the 105th Grey Cup in Ottawa,” added Randy Ambrosie, CFL Commissioner. “This promises to be a fantastic event and a special performance for our fans and viewers across Canada and all around the world. I can’t wait to get the party started at my first Grey Cup as Commissioner.”

 

Shania is a five-time Grammy Award-winner and the reigning Queen of Country Pop. With more than 90 million albums sold worldwide and U.S. sales topping 34.5 million, Shania remains the top-selling female country artist of all time. Shania’s albums include her Platinum-selling 1993 debut, SHANIA TWAIN; the Grammy  Award-winning, Double Diamond-selling 1995 release, THE WOMAN IN ME; COME ON OVER, the best-selling studio album in Soundscan history by a female artist in any genre and the best-selling country album of all time with over 40 million units sold worldwide; and UP!, Shania’s third consecutive Diamond-selling album release.

Recognizing her indelible impact and achievements in music, Shania is the first and only female artist to receive CMT’s Artist of a Lifetime Award and the Country Music Hall of Fame recently opened the Shania Twain: Rock This Country exhibit. Shania was also honored with the Icon Award at Billboard’s Women in Music ceremony. Shania’s hits include “Any Man of Mine,” “That Don’t Impress Me Much,” “You’re Still the One,” and “Man! I Feel Like A Woman!”.

“Shania Twain is a Canadian legend and a musical star who will light up the Freedom Mobile Grey Cup Halftime Show,” said Chethan Lakshman, VP, External Affairs, Shaw Communications. “We are pleased to work with our partners at the CFL to bring Canadians and our customers exceptional experiences, and we can’t wait for Shania to bring the house down in Ottawa on November 26th.”

The 105th Grey Cup presented by Shaw will be played Sunday, November 26, 2017 in Ottawa at TD Place. This year’s championship will be the first played in Ottawa since 2004 and the first in TD Place Stadium, which was rebuilt for the successful debut of the Ottawa REDBLACKS IN 2014.

Less than 1,500 Grey Cup tickets are still available in a variety of sections and price points.

Google Celebrates 44th Anniversary Of The Birth Of Hip Hop

On August 11, 1973, an 18-year-old, Jamaican-American DJ who went by the name of Kool Herc threw a back-to-school jam at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue in the Bronx, New York. During his set, he decided to do something different. Instead of playing the songs in full, he played only their instrumental sections, or “breaks” – sections where he noticed the crowd went wild. During these “breaks” his friend Coke La Rock hyped up the crowd with a microphone. And with that, Hip Hop was born.

Today, Google celebrates the 44th anniversary of that very moment with a first-of-its-kind Doodle featuring a custom logo graphic by famed graffiti artist Cey Adams, interactive turntables on which users can mix samples from legendary tracks, and a serving of Hip Hop history – with an emphasis on its founding pioneers. What’s more, the whole experience is narrated by Hip Hop icon Fab 5 Freddy, former host of “Yo! MTV Raps.”

To dig deeper into the significance of this moment and culture from a personal perspective, Google invited the project’s executive consultant and partner, YouTube’s Global Head of Music Lyor Cohen (and former head of Def Jam Records), to share his thoughts:

“Yes, yes y’all! And it don’t stop!” Today we acknowledge and celebrate a cultural revolution that’s spanned 44 years and counting. It all started in the NYC Bronx, more commonly known as the Boogie Down Bronx. Following the fallout from the construction of the Cross Bronx Expressway in 1972 that demolished a lot of the neighborhood, times were particularly tough. The youth needed an outlet –  a unifying sound, a beat, a voice to call their own. The Bronx DJ’s and MC’s rose to the task and the city loved them for it.

Hip Hop was accessible. A kid with little means and hard work could transform their turntable into a powerful instrument of expression (also illustrating hip hop’s technical innovation). Starting with folks like DJ Kool Herc, DJ Hollywood, and Grandmaster Flash, the grassroots movement created a new culture of music, art, and dance available to the 5 boroughs of the city and beyond.

Hip Hop was also rebellion against several norms of the time, including the overwhelming popularity of disco, which many in the community felt had unjustly overshadowed the recent groundbreaking works of James Brown and other soul impresarios from the 60’s. Specifically, they felt that the relatable storytelling and emotional truths shared in soul and blues had been lost in the pop-centric sounds of Disco. So Hip Hop recaptured that connection, beginning with the pioneers who brought back the evocative BOOM! BAP! rhythms of James Brown’s drummer, Clyde Stubblefield.

It should be noted that early Hip Hop stood against the violence and drug culture that pervaded the time. My dear friend & first client Kurtis Blow once said “On one side of the street, big buildings would be burning down…while kids on the other side would be putting up graffiti messages like, ‘Up with Hope. Down with Dope,’ ‘I Will Survive’ and ‘Lord, Show Me the Way!’”. The messages of resilience unified a community of people and were the backdrop of hip hop’s beginnings.

I won’t pretend I was present when Hip Hop began. I first engaged with Hip Hop music about ten years after its birth, when the culture was still a kid. I’d graduated from college and was working at a bank in Los Angeles. A year later, bored as hell, I quit. On a whim, I rented an abandoned hall and started booking shows. My policy was to provide a stage for the music that promoters were ignoring: punk-rock, reggae, and rap. It turned out to be a winning strategy. One of my very first shows included RUN DMC, and they absolutely KILLED IT. Following the success of those shows, I left LA for NYC and started working for Russell Simmons, who appointed me road manager for RUN DMC just as they were embarking on a European tour. It was December of 1984 and they found nothing but love on both sides of the English Channel. A month later, RUN DMC, along with Kurtis Blow, the Fat Boys, and Whodini, started touring massive arenas across the U.S.. To the rock establishment and corporate music business, hip hop was little more than a fad. But with acts selling out shows around the globe night after night, it was obvious that something bigger was brewing…

Hip Hop was disruptive. Ultimately, to me, it shows that people in any situation have the ability to create something powerful and meaningful. The progression of this culture and sound – from Kool Herc spinning James Brown breaks at a block party to Jay-Z, Kanye West, and Drake being some of the biggest forces in music 44 years later – is something that few people at that first party could have anticipated.

Hip Hop has done exactly what its founders set out to do, whether wittingly or unwittingly. It placed an accessible culture, relatable to any marginalized group in the world, at the forefront of music. In that spirit, here’s to BILLIONS of people getting a brief reminder that “Yes, yes y’all! And it WON’T stop!”


Early explorations & a behind-the-scenes look at the Doodle

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Early motion study & prototypes of the turntables

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Early animation explorations

 

Early logo design sketch by Cey Adams

 

Character concepts for Fab 5 Freddy

 

Early intro storyboard

 

Doodle team in front of 1520 Sedgwick Ave in the Bronx (From L to R: Perla, Kevin, Pedro, David)

 

With Cey Adams in his NYC studio (From L to R: Perla, Ryan, Cey, Pedro)

 

In the recording studio with Fab 5 Freddy (From L to R: Perla, Fab, Kevin, Ryan, Pedro)

 

   

Doodle team doing some serious Hip Hop research in NYC (Pedro & David soaking in the art of NYC, Perla brushing up on her breakdancing skills, & the team getting a hip hop history lesson from Sal Abbatiello & fam)

David Tennant Is Glad To See A Female Dr. Who

‘Broadchurch’ star David Tennant reacts to the recent casting of Jodie Whitaker in his former role of Dr. Who. He loves it.

By the way, watch Broadchurch. Holy.

ole Label Group’s Imprint Anthem Legacy To Release Definitive Max Webster Vinyl and CD Box Sets

ole Label Group announced today, September 29, 2017 will see the release of the definitive 8-disc vinyl and CD box sets, for Canadian hard rock icons Max Webster. The Party (ole Label Group / Anthem Legacy / Universal Music Canada), will feature newly re-mastered albums, exclusive unreleased studio and live songs, the long-out-of print Kim Mitchell self-titled EP and a comprehensive booklet packed with rare photos and memorabilia.

“I’ve been trying since the day I was first hired at Anthem Records over 12 years ago to re release the Max Webster catalogue and the Kim Mitchell EP. Finally seeing this happen is a thrill,” said Andy Curran, Senior Consultant – A&R, ole Label Group.”There is no other band like them, I’m a massive fan and Kim has been a huge influence on me and so many Canadian musicians…it’s about time!”

“The re-mastered records beautifully present more musical detail for your ears to chew on, as well we unearthed and mixed never heard before songs. You’ll hear different musical approaches/arrangements as we worked it out in the studio and live,” said Kim Mitchell. “We’ve included the warm sound of quality vinyl in the package. I kept thinking ‘where has some of this been for all these years’, we carefully picked moments for the box set where the band proved it was definitely  strapped to a foreign rock ‘n’ roll.”

The complete Max Webster vinyl box set includes a thirty-two page booklet, filled with rare photos, quotes and memorabilia, a vintage Max Webster poster, a Universal Juveniles fan club ID card and an introductory foreword by Q107’s John Derringer. The vinyl and CD box sets include the newly re-mastered albums Max Webster, High Class in Borrowed Shoes, Mutiny Up My Sleeve, A Million Vacations, Live Magnetic Air, Universal Juveniles, Kim Mitchell EP and special edition The Bootleg which features unreleased studio and live tracks remixed by Terry Brown and Greg Wells.

Formed in 1973, Max Webster soon became one of the most original and popular rock bands in Canada. Their first three albums, Max Webster (1976), High Class in Borrowed Shoes (1977) and Mutiny Up My Sleeve (1978) achieved gold status in Canada. Their platinum selling album A Million Vacations (1979) saw the first single “Let Go The Line” reach No. 41 on the Canadian charts and the follow up “A Million Vacations” hit No. 80 in Canada. The album’s third and final single “Paradise Skies” reached No. 21 in Canada and No. 43 on the UK Singles chart. The band appeared on “Top of the Pops” in 1979 and headlined two New Year’s Eve shows at Toronto’s Maple Leaf Gardens. Max Webster were also close friends of fellow Canadian rock icons Rush. In a 1979 interview, Rush bassist and vocalist Geddy Lee, commented that he enjoyed their music and both bands frequently toured together in Canada, the USA and the U.K. during the 1970s. The band went on to be twice nominated for JUNO Awards for ‘Group of the Year’ in 1980 and 1981 respectively.

Listen to The Bootleg 4 Song Unreleased Teaser below

Samsung and Live Nation Team-Up to Stream Coldplay Live in Virtual Reality

Samsung Electronics America, Inc. and Live Nation will broadcast Coldplay’s “A Head Full of Dreams Tour” live in virtual reality from Chicago’s Soldier Field for the first time ever. Fans around the world will be transported to the best seats in the house to experience the band’s electrifying performance from a totally new and immersive perspective. The live broadcast will be available on Samsung Gear VR powered by Oculus through the Samsung VR service on August 17, starting at 8:30 pm CT.

From the pyrotechnics, to the laser lights and the phenomenal setlist, Gear VR users in more than 50 countries will be able to experience the magic of Coldplay’s performance at no additional cost. To tune-in, consumers will need a Gear VR headset with a compatible Samsung smartphone, and navigate to the Samsung VR service. A concert replay will also be available on Samsung VR for a limited time.

Coldplay’s “A Head Full Of Dreams Tour,” produced by Live Nation, is the No. 5 highest grossing tour of all time, according to ticket sales data reported to Billboard Boxscore. Launching in March of 2016, 5 million tickets have been sold around the world for the “A Head Full of Dreams Tour.”

Paste Music & Daytrotter Join Forces

Paste Magazine is excited to announce a new era of amazing original music content and distribution for our readers and listeners around the world. Beginning Aug. 17, Paste Music and their sister publication, Daytrotter, will be joining forces to deliver the best music journalism to more people thanks to a unified social-media presence and a daily newsletter brimming with live performances and coverage from both Daytrotter and Paste Music. Every day on the new Paste Music & Daytrotter social platform, followers and subscribers will find an unbeatable menu of music news, reviews, features, interviews, live-streaming audio/video content from our recording studios, plus free access to the world’s largest archive of live recorded music, all in one place.

All of Daytrotter’s live streaming content—including more than 31,000 unique recordings by more than 7,000 artists going back a decade—will be available for free on pastemagazine.com/daytrotter and via Paste Music. For Daytrotter listeners who enjoy the benefits of a membership, the legacy version will continue to exist at daytrotter.com, with exclusive access to high-quality mp3 downloads, playlists and favorites. Paste Music and Daytrotter will continue to record original live performances every day from both Daytrotter’s Horseshack Studio in Davenport, Iowa, and Paste Studios in New York.

Paste Music is thrilled to join forces with Daytrotter—both at PasteMagazine.com/music and PasteMagazine.com/Daytrotter, as well as on social media and in your inbox—to continue bringing you daily helpings of news, reviews and features, from investigative stories on the recording industry to profiles of both emerging and established artists, daily album and song reviews, fun lists and rankings, live-streaming concerts, and deep-dives into our unrivaled archive of live-music recordings, with hundreds of thousands of video and audio files available for free. (Ever seen R.E.M. cover the Velvet Underground? Or original footage of The Who recording in 1966? Or Miles Davis perform “Bitches Brew”? You can find them all there!)

Follow them on our socials Paste Music & Daytrotter Facebook page, Paste Music on Twitter, Paste Magazine on Twitter, Paste Magazine on Instagram, Daytrotter on Twitter, and Daytrotter on Instagram!