This year, I’m celebrating 909 Day with a quick little drum solo. No bass. No guitar. No vox. Just pure, glorious Roland TR-909 goodness, with a touch of environmental darkness and overdrive. But not too much. After all, we want to honor the venerable 909 without distorting it beyond recognition.
In keeping with the spirit, I composed this in traditional pattern mode. Yeah, it’s easier to build dynamic drum performances in a full-fledged sequencer, but that would’ve killed the feel. That unmistakable 80’s feel. Finally, it was synced to a sequencer for pattern recording and arrangement, and to create a smooth ritardando on the intro, starting at a sluggish 1000 bpm.
Here’s a haiku for the occasion. Dial up the noise and freak on this:
Weird and wonderful, Roland's TR Nine Oh Nine, Drives my beating heart
Magical, right? Okay, so it’s no Matsuo Basho, but then how many sick beats did he crank out in his lifetime? Did I hear zero? That’s right. Word. [Mic drop.]
But it truly is a weird and wonderful thing. The 909’s glitchy sounds could never be mistaken for real drums, yet it’s everywhere. Hip hop. Country. Tibetan goat singing. [Thank you, Autoorrect.] And, of course, dance (and its three-thousand vanity subgenres).
This is the streaming-friendly (low-fi) version. Contact me if you’d like an HD or surround version. The latter has some subtle, behind-your-head swirly stuff going on that defies explanation and may or may not require an airsick bag. Remember who loves ya.
Enjoy your #909Day!