September 16, 2016

#909day and The Future. Redefined.

Jim Bybee [Roland US] Artists, Product News #909day, Accordion, Aerophone, AIRA, DJ Pierre, DJ Trayze, DJ-808, drums, Echosmith, FR-4x, GP607, GT-1, guitar, Judith Hill, Katana, KD-AD22, keyboards, Masego, Mike Garson, Piano, Saint Motel, Serato, She Wants Revenge, Smallpools, SYSTEM-8, TB-03, TD-50K, TD-50KV, TR-09, TR-8, TR-808, TR-909, V-Accordion, V-MODA, VP-03

Landmark 24-Hour Streaming Event with 30-Plus Products Unveiled and Live Performances by 28 Top Artists

Linda Perry and her band perform at Six01 Studio on #909day.

On September 9, 2016 (#909day), over 1000 people joined Roland at Six01 Studio in Burbank, California, for the final showcase of “The Future. Redefined.”, a first-of-its-kind 24-hour streaming music festival. Throughout the festival, leading music artists introduced over 30 brand-new Roland and BOSS products in performances from eight major cities around the world. The final stop in Burbank featured a live, five-hour concert with performances by 28 artists, including Linda Perry, Saint Motel, Echosmith, DJ Pierre, Judith Hill, She Wants Revenge, and many others.

Read on to learn more about this great event and the exciting new products launched on #909day.

Video: Roland Celebrates #909day in Los Angeles

Video Playlist: “The Future. Redefined.” Launch Events from Around the World

#909day: All Roland, All Day

Hundreds of thousands of online viewers watched “The Future. Redefined.”, which presented VIP events from Auckland, Tokyo, Paris, Brussels, Berlin, Toronto, New York City, and Los Angeles. Roland established #909day and chose 9/09 as the date of this historic event in celebration of the iconic and highly influential TR-909 drum machine.

Roland products introduced during the festival included the flagship TD-50KV and TD-50K V-Drums, GP607 mini grand piano, DJ-808 DJ Controller (developed with Serato), Aerophone AE-10 digital wind instrument, and numerous others. New BOSS products included the Katana guitar amp series and GT-1 multi-effects.

In a special video message that kicked off the festival, Roland Corporation CEO Mr. Jun-ichi Miki explained Roland’s passion for musical instruments: “Why do we research and develop new musical instruments and new ways to enjoy them? It is because we want all of you to unleash your unlimited creativity and potential with our unique Roland products. Your passion is our passion.”

You can learn more about all the cool new products at the Roland and BOSS websites.

DJ Pierre performing with the new DJ-808 DJ Controller and the latest Roland Boutique modules (TR-09, TB-03, and VP-03).

Roland Artists Rock the House at Six01 Studio

The five-hour final showcase at Six01 Studio—located near Roland U.S. headquarters in Los Angeles—presented revolving performances by Roland’s artist friends on three different stages. In addition to the artists mentioned earlier, the evening featured performances by DJ Trayze, Mike Garson, Masego, MOON, Ric’key Pageot, SAARA, Smallpools, Tal Wilkenfeld, Gregg Bissonette, Josh Stevens, Jessy Greene, Lola Astanova, and more.

Performing artists also autographed a variety of Roland gear, which will be auctioned at a later date to benefit MusiCares®, the non-profit organization established by The Recording Academy® to help music people in times of hardship.

Judith Hill performs on Roland’s new GP607 mini grand piano.

#909day Performers Love Roland’s New Gear

“It’s really inspiring being here,” said Judith Hill. “I’m so honored to be a part of this event. Just looking around at all the new equipment and to be around talented musicians and everyone who’s passionate about creating music and making the world a better place with what we do.” After performing on the GP607 mini grand, she said, “I love that piano. The moment I stepped onstage and just touched it I immediately fell in love. The touch is so sensitive, it’s a really dynamic piano, and it’s fun to play. And it sounds really good, so it was really a joy. I could have been up there all day playing it.”

Drummer Scott Ellis of the band She Wants Revenge performed on the new TD-50KV V-Drums kit at the event. “Wow! The TD-50 is amazing,” he said. “So responsive to every move I make! #909day was a dream come true for me. I’ve been using Roland electronic products since the ‘90s and was honored to be invited.”

She Wants Revenge on stage at Six01 Studios on #909day.

She Wants Revenge on stage at Six01 Studio on #909day.

DJ Trayze really enjoyed working with the DJ-808 DJ Controller. “It’s kind of a dream to be able to see all the facets of live remix coming into one piece of hardware,” he said. “We can play our DJ tracks and have drums and other samples, and it’s all sequenced and sync’d into one unit. It’s just been great. Operation on it is great—flawless so far. I love the sound of it. I’ve been happy with it. It’s been a joy just to be a part of it.”

DJ Trayze on the new Roland DJ-808 DJ Controller, developed in collaboration with Serato.

One the many highlights of the evening was when Linda Perry was joined on stage by Six01 Studio owner and producer/musician Kerry Brown (Smashing Pumpkins, Miley Cyrus, Courtney Love), where they proceeded to bring the house down with rousing renditions of classic Led Zeppelin songs.

“‘The Future. Redefined.’ surpassed our expectations in terms of global reach, market interest, and attendance,” stated Roland Corporation U.S. President and CEO Jay Wanamaker. “I am so proud of the Roland team and truly honored by the artists who joined us in making it a huge success.”