Bisexual because he doesn’t mind who he plays with!
Roland CR-78 CompuRhythm. The classic analogue beatbox
Roland are well known by hip-hop and dance musicians for their 808 kick drum and 909 snare sounds. However these machines and sounds have been around since 1980.
Quick History Lesson
Interestingly, before these machines there was a Roland box of tricks with some very different sonic sounds.
The Roland CR-78 CompuRhythm is an analog Rhythm Machine, not a drum machine, and was the first to use a microprocessor. It has 34 built in preset rhythm patterns and 14 very electronic yet analog drum tones. More information on the CR-78 here.
Although it came before the classic 808 and 909 sounds, the CR-78 has been used in all forms of HipHop, R&B and electronica, including: Underworld, Fatboy Slim, BT, 808 State.
However, more obvious acts would include: Phil Collins, Peter Gabriel, Hall & Oates, Ultravox, Jimmy Edgar, Genesis and Überzone, Blondie, Brian Ferry, Men Without Hats, John Foxx, OMD, Gary Numan and many others.
Genesis
Genesis were one of the very first people to buy the CR-78. Mike Rutherford visited the Roland factory when the band was on tour in Japan in ’78 and bought 3 units there. At one time Genesis owned seven! Each member had one for home and a few more for the tour bus(es). Phil Collins didn’t want his unit at first (as it was kind of an insult to him as a drummer) but he fiddled around with it when working on Face Value (which he started in ’79).
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