Modernote

Ikutaro Kakehashi lost his parents at age two, got rejected from college, nearly died of tuberculosis, and watched his first company get taken from him. At 42, he started over and founded Roland. A decade later, he built the TR-808, the drum machine that became the foundation of hip hop, house, techno, and modern pop music.This episode tells the full story of the man behind the 808. We trace his life from a rural island in Japan to a hospital bed where he built his own television, to the founding of Roland and Boss, to the 808's failed launch, its second life in pawn shops, and the artists who turned it into history. We also cover his role in inventing MIDI alongside Dave Smith, the technology that connects every electronic instrument today.His life holds five lessons worth keeping:Use what others throw away. Start over if you have to. Failure can be an advantage. Document everything. Build for others, not just yourself.If you create anything, music, code, businesses, art, this story will hit.modernote.com