Planet Rock and Other Tales of the 808 / You Know

I was going to save this for this week’s PCR but it can stand on its own. UK production company You Know and Arthur Baker bring you, Planet Rock and Other Tales of the 808, a documentary on how the Roland TR-808 changed the musical world starting from its most seminal record Planet Rock. This hip hop, dance and electronic music documentary is coming in 2013.

–@teemunny

“The day we recorded Planet Rock, I went home that night and told my wife, ‘We’ve made musical history tonight’” – Arthur Baker

In 2012, Planet Rock, the seminal record by Arthur Baker, Afrika Bambaataa and the Soul Sonic Force, celebrates its 30th anniversary. Using the then new Roland TR808, Arthur Baker created a sound that influenced everyone from Rick Rubin and the Beastie Boys to modern day super- stars like Kanye West, Armand Van Helden and David Guetta. Even Madonna and Justin Timberlake, have both used Planet Rock in their live shows in recent years, while ‘the 808’ has been namechecked in song by everyone from Beyonce to Britney Spears, which shows the longevity and cultural iconography that its sound holds.

Arthur Baker went on to work with everyone from New Order to Pet Shop Boys, and Rick Rubin borrowed Baker’s 808 to create iconic records with Run DMC, LL Cool J and the first Hip Hop album to top the Billboard chart, Beastie Boys ‘Licensed to Ill’. 30 years on, Planet Rock and the Roland TR808 are more influential than ever.

“Last time I saw Arthur Baker, I said to him ‘What the fuck!? Where’s your 808, man? Bring it back’. Because he was the master, you know. I told him ‘Everybody is copying your sound now man!’” – David Guetta (voted No 1 in DJ mag’s Top 100 DJs of 2011)

Planet Rock & other tales of the 808 is a documentary film that will tell the inspiring story of the Roland TR808, from the creation of Planet Rock which established it as a dynamic modern instrument, to how it defined hip hop and modern dance culture, through to its continued use today.