"These books are great. They are packed with fascinating material, interesting commentary and inspiring ideas. Kim has a great ability to bring together artists and engineers to inform on the story of the gear. This sheds new light on these fabulous instruments."
- Review by Robin at Gearnews.com
60+
Feature articles covering 50 years of music tech history
90+
Interviews and stories with artists and engineers
100+
Hundreds of instruments with detailed insights
400
Colorful pages printed on high-quality certified-ecofriendly paper
Hardcover format
(9.8" x 9.8" / 25 x 25 cm)
50 YEARS OF ROLAND HISTORY
Fifty years of favorites, fashions, frontiers – and the occasional flop
Roland gear has helped define genres and build trends from rock to hip-hop to gospel to world music.
In six detailed chapters, you’ll revisit old favorites and meet incredible gear that you didn’t know existed – whether you’re a beatmaker, a guitar hero, or a student of classical piano.
Insights
Few music companies have had Roland’s sheer technological impact. INSPIRE THE MUSIC details the creation of new instruments doing undreamed-of things: rhythm boxes that played what you told them to, guitars that could make any sound imaginable, grand pianos that didn’t need strings, drum kits you could carry in one hand... seen from within the music world in which they were born, and within the musical universe they helped create.
Instruments
Roland’s music machines have inspired stories, legends, and outright myths. Through research and interviews with Roland’s designers, we’ll tell the amazing true stories behind gear like the JUPITER-8 and other iconic synthesizers, the Space Echo and its role in the roots of Jamaican dub culture, the Octapad’s conquest of Indian music, the Loop Stations’ reinvention of composition and performance, the inspiration and promise of MIDI, how sampling married synthesis, beatboxes and stompboxes and grooveboxes – including the genre-defining TR-808, TR-909, TB-303 – and much more!
Download a
Sneak-Peek
Enjoy a short PDF-version of 'INSPIRE THE MUSIC' for free!
(You will receive it on Email)
The Team Behind
INSPIRE THE MUSIC
INSPIRE THE MUSIC was created by Kim Bjørn with Roland’s full cooperation and assistance. It features contributions from industry experts like Peter Kirn, Alex Ball, Adam Douglas, Collin Russell, Daniel Orkin, Scott Harper, Mike Metlay, Gordon Reid, and others.
This is the comprehensive story of Roland’s 50 years of history, passion, creativity, and the machines that drive them. This is INSPIRE THE MUSIC.
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