MATRIXSYNTH: The First Roland TB-303 Tracks


Monday, April 09, 2007

The First Roland TB-303 Tracks


An interesting thread came up on the Analog Heaven list regarding the first tracks to feature the TB-303. The following are a handful of them in order of release. Note how the TB-303 is more used in it's original intent as a substitute for bass guitar - no acid here. As Blancmange was the first on this list, I thought I'd put up a picture of them with the 303. I found the image on The Daily Disco. If you know of anything earlier with the TB-303, feel free to comment.

Update: also see Raga Bhairav - 1982 - SYNTHESIZING: TEN RAGAS TO A DISCO BEAT - Charanjit Singh


Blancmange - Living on the Ceiling - Aug 1982

Shannon "Let the Music Play" - Oct 1983


Let Me Go - Heaven 17 - Oct 1982

14 comments:

  1. It doesn't get any earlier than it's 1982 year of release =o] Good job finding those!

    ReplyDelete
  2. this video is not from the 80s, but the synths and drummachines yes
    ;)

    LATINSIZER / Celofán - New Video

    Chilly, Tomatoes, Drum Machines, Onions, Knobs, Lettuce, Analog Synths,
    Cables, Tortillas, Beef and Nurses.

    enjoy!

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-l8D6akSdDw

    ReplyDelete
  3. All I can say is...

    THANK GOD FOR PHUTURE!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Heaven 17 is the bestest!
    ~buhwop-buhwop-bwop-bwop-bwop~

    ReplyDelete
  5. haha off-topic "Latinsizer" spam even here...
    anyway Heaven 17 was first me thinks

    ReplyDelete
  6. i cant hear the 303 on "living on the ceiling"?????

    ReplyDelete
  7. orange juice should be calle the ugly guitar parade.

    ReplyDelete
  8. I know this one came out in 1984, but Chris "The Glove" Taylor's "Reckless" featuring Ice-T is probably my favorite early use of the 303. He doesn't quite get acid house with it, but he programs the hell out of it. Here are two different versions.

    http://www.youisme.com/icetbreakin.mp3

    http://thankscity.com/jams/kantading/10_-_Chris_the_Glove_Taylor_-_Reckless.mp3

    BTW, this song was a single that was later featured (still in 1984) on the "Breakdance" Soundtrack

    ReplyDelete
  9. .... beat me to it by a couple of minutes but I would second "Reckless" as the prime example of pre-acid use of a 303 in a track. Just a tweak of cutoff and resonance and this would be the first acid bassline.

    ReplyDelete
  10. I love the moog rip at 1:11.

    ReplyDelete
  11. The TB-303 is also on Chris 'The Glove' Taylor's Itchiban Scratch as well as Newcleus' 'Jam On It' where it almost gets into the Acid Sound

    ReplyDelete
  12. This looked awesome - but thanks to the power of lawyers all the videos are unavailable (except for the Heaven 17 clip, which has no sound!). Damn,

    ReplyDelete
  13. UK industrialists the Allotropes did a whole album with Roland tr606, sh101 and tb303, again without enough resonance on the 303 to invent acid, though sometime high on the sh101.
    Obvious tb303 track:

    https://theallotropes.bandcamp.com/track/theme

    ReplyDelete
  14. CTI-Dancing Ghosts 1984 was the earliest Acid House Track in my opinion.Tb-303 & 808.

    ReplyDelete

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