If you’re interested in the early history of Roland, the TB-303 Bassline synthesizer, or techno music in any way whatsoever, this is for you.

Nate Harrison is an artist and writer who has produced projects and exhibited for The American Museum of Natural History, The Whitney Museum of American Art, The Los Angeles County Museum of Art, The Kunstverein in Hamburg and The Museum of Contemporary Art, Denver, among others. He is an active lecturer, and in 1997 Nate founded the New York electronic music microlabel töshöklabs, which has been featured in magazines such as XLR8R, URB and CMJ.

Nate has created a documentary video on the history of the TB-303 and how it relates to electronic music.The TB-303 and its design are described in depth, and many examples of popular music made with the machine are presented.

Bassline Baseline investigates the invention, failure and subsequent resurrection of the mythic Roland TB-303 Bassline synthesizer between 1980 and 2000. Interestingly, it also explores how and why creative tools fail and how increasingly more options, parameters or intermediaries devised during a tool’s research and development phase don’t necessarily lead to increased expression during actual use, unless it’s context within art is dramatically reconsidered.

Here is the full 20 minute video. It’s definitely worth a watch:

Used TB-303′s are pretty rare these days, and prices are getting sky-high. If you are looking for one, you just might have some luck with our auction finder.

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