Museum, artist incubator, distro, and record store—Submerge and Underground Resistance represents the interconnected Detroit music community.
These inspiring female producers have left their marks on the music industry and continue to carve space for newcomers.
A group of eclectic Icelandic artists offer unique perspectives on electronic music performance, their home country, and more.
FEATURES
See All »Social media can reinvigorate vintage hits and help them reach broad new audiences. Here are some classic songs that got a second spin.
The prolific player shares her thoughts on touring with RAYE, finding success in the music industry, and her Roland gear.
The brainchild of housemates recording late-night jams onto cassette, Night Tapes explains the process behind their atmospheric dream pop.
From Africa to the United Kingdom, eclectic dance star Junior Simba shares his passion for infusing ethnic sounds into his songcraft.
LISTENING GUIDE
Here's a place to start exploring the massive catalog of Madlib, one of the finest producers to ever touch a beat pad.
Many artists and releases played a pivotal role in shaping the L.A. Beat Scene. Here's a variety of key sounds from a unique musical moment.
Before hip-hop was the world's most dominant musical genre, several groundbreaking women blazed a fiery trail for others to follow.
A string of artists and labels shaped trance across the '90s and early aughts. Here's a selection of tracks from the genre’s golden age.
For the uninitiated, we provide a roadmap to the formidable discography of rap’s foremost supervillain: MF DOOM.
Learn
See All »The JD-800 dominated the '90s with massive textures and a front panel that pushed limits. Learn to create immense layers with the instrument.
The drumming on the eternally funky “Let’s Groove” demonstrates how powerful disco rhythms can make listeners get up and move.
Josh Manuel discusses hybrid drumming and how he uses Roland electronic gear to enhance his performances with Kane Brown.
Explore the history and sound of the Roots' beloved track, “Mellow My Man," and learn to play some of drummer Questlove's iconic patterns.
The "Superstition" groove reminds us that, alongside his songwriting and musicianship, Wonder is one of the greatest drummers around.
SOUND BEHIND THE SONG
Vangelis’ “Elsewhere” has all the hallmarks of the late maestro: synths, emotion, and a sublime melody, all held together by two JUNO-106s.
Drawn to the unique characteristics of the JUPITER-4, Sharon Van Etten found songwriting inspiration in the iconic synthesizer.
Explore the show's haunting theme song and learn how the composers leaned on vintage synths, including the Roland JUPITER-8 and SH-2.
“Jam On It” by Newcleus is a true hip-hop classic. The track is dense with groove, creative production, and lyrical panache.
GAIA 2
SPOTLIGHT
Live electronic music performance creates a unique interaction between performer and listener. Discover how it is both exciting and transformative.
DRUMS
Looking for a Roland V-Drums kit to help you achieve your drumming goals? This introduction will help you find the ideal kit for you.
With a wide world of drum gear to explore, get clarity on the type of drum set that will help any new drummer thrive.
Rhythm is the root of drumming, but there are many paths to learning basic drum beats and concepts. Let's explore how to rock right away.
There's an excitement to playing a drum set for the first time. As a father, Oli Raud gets to revisit that feeling with his children.
The Roland TD-1 series gives beginning drummers everything they need to enjoy the instrument and excel without breaking the bank.
Our Contributors
See All »Ari is Global Editorial Content Manager for Roland. He lives in Seattle with his wife and two dogs and enjoys the woods, rain, and coffee of his region.
Brian Lamb AKA Unit:E is a Roland Cloud Academy instructor and admin of the MC-707 and MC-101 Facebook user group. As a DJ, he's participated in countless events across Hawaii and the West Coast.
Jack is Digital Marketing Assistant at Roland Corporation Australia. He is passionate about video games music production and composition, so outside of work, you'll likely find him holed up somewhere playing games or making music.
Mike is a musician, composer, and writer from Seattle. He is guitarist/vocalist in Reader and creates solo experimental music as Noonmoon.
A FEW MINUTES WITH
Few names are more synonymous with New York house than Roger Sanchez. The legendary DJ talks about process, philosophy, and Roland Cloud.
A legend of house music’s second wave, Roland instruments have been fundamental to Todd Terry’s genre-hopping career for the past 35 years.
The bicoastal artist discusses the joy of sharing new musical sounds, making cosmic connections, and crafting beats with the DJ-808.
Miss Tahloulah May respects hip-hop heritage while pursuing her vision. She discusses beatmaking, crate digging, and the SP-404.
House music icon Ron Trent opens up about his formative years, distinguished collaborators, and how a trio of cities shaped him.