Land of the Rising Sound | A Roland Retrospective

Land of the Rising Sound: A Roland Retrospective.

The story of Roland is one of the most expansive and influential in the world of music technology. This feature length documentary sets out to tell it through their iconic inventions.

General Thanks:

First of all, a huge and heartfelt thank you to some anonymous synth experts who not only leant me a jaw dropping array of rare equipment, but who also gave up time from their busy schedules to show me how to use it and who even helped record it on location. I owe you a debt of gratitude, but the entire community at large does too. Thank you!

I also need to thank Gordon Reid for answering my tedious questions and for helping with the explanations of some trickier technical aspects. Furthermore, both Gordon and Sound on Sound need crediting for having already gone the whole 9-yards on the subject:

Links:

Additional incidental music provided by Joseph Hecht:

Other Image Credits:

Title image by Romain Segaud

The three System 100m cases, the red and blue Roland SH-101s and the Devil Fish 303 are photos I took at Curve Pusher Studios in Hastings last year. You can book time to record with those here:

Several images (JV80, VG-8, VS-880, UA-100) by Sound on Sound Ltd

ATV A Frame images

Various advert scans by Retro Synth Ads

Ace Tone R-1 images by M&S Organ Parts

Ace Tone FR-1 images from Encyclotronic

Ace Tone FR-6 images by Rob Nicholls

Some creative commons Ace Tone images from Wikipedia

Some GS-500 print ads from Wayne Scott Joness superb archive

MC-8 photos by Pea Hicks
Behind-the-scene photos at Roland from Ralph Dyck’s collection

Additional 727 logo image from here:

CMU 800R photos:

Social:

[DestroyER]

When "fan made" documentary completly demolishes anything that serious media or TV ever done. This is absolutely marvelous in quality and range of information and also in production level like spot on amount of talking and sound/music, editing, effects and so on. Hat down and huge respect.

[LGR]

This was obviously a monumental task to put together. Massive props, this was fantastic.

[connollysoviet]

Fantastic documentary. The BBC would be proud of this standard.

[xXAjaxXx]

What really impresses me about this is all the demos you do. Anybody with enough patience can rattle off a bunch of Roland facts in front of pictures of synths, but you actually have the access to these instruments and take the time to demonstrate what they sound like. The difference that makes is huge.

[johnnyparker]

I planned to quit watching this about every 5 minutes until I ended up watching the entire video. Great job!

[TheParadox]

"the synth flopped"
"5 years later the synth was everywhere"
even when Roland fails, they succeed

[oaktreeyt]

Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
0:51 Ikutaro Kakehashi
1:41 Start of Ace Tone
2:02 R-1 Rhythm Ace
2:26 FR-1 Rhythm Ace
2:59 Ace Tone Organs
3:15 Kakehashi leaves Ace Tone and founds Roland

- 1970s -
3:35 TR-77 Rhythm
4:33 TR-55 and TR-33
4:40 SH-1000 (song)
5:40 AF-100 BeeBaa Fuzz
6:00 BOSS
6:16 EP-30 Electric Piano
6:24 RE-201 Space Echo and Ace Tone EC-10
7:56 SH-2000 and SH-3
8:05 SH-5 (song)
8:50 BOSS CE-1 Chorus Ensemble
9:23 System 100 (song)
10:04 System 700
12:03 System 700 Song
13:04 RS-202
14:00 GR-500 and GS-500 (song)
15:28 MC-8 MicroComposer
16:26 CR-78 CompuRhythm
17:12 Jupiter 4
17:57 ProMars
18:10 SH-7
19:08 SH-7 Song
20:18 SH-1
20:43 Song with CR-78, SH-1, Jupiter 4 and Promars
22:00 Paraphonic 505
22:16 Paraphonic 505 Song
23:22 System 100M
24:43 System 100M Song
26:03 BOSS DR-55
26:26 VP-330

- 1980s -
27:23 TR-808
29:14 Jupiter 8
30:14 Jupiter 8 Song
31:30 TR-606 Drumatix and TB-303 Bass Line
33:04 Juno 6
34:31 Juno 6 Song
36:11 Juno 60
36:21 SH-101
37:34 SH-101 Song
38:42 MIDI
39:15 Jupiter 6 Song
40:16 Jupiter 6
40:57 JX-3P and PG-200
41:47 JX-3P and PG-200 Song
42:46 MSQ-700
42:54 CMU-800R
43:20 TR-909
44:38 Roland's survival through the Yamaha-DX7
45:43 BOSS Stompboxes
46:37 HM-2
47:05 TR-707
47:57 MKB-1000 and MKB-300
48:07 Juno 106
48:57 Juno 106 Song
49:43 JX-8P
50:20 Super JX
50:38 Octapad
50:54 DDR-30
51:11 RD-1000

51:47 Acid

55:31 D-50
58:21 W-30

- 1990s -
58:55 JD-800
59:30 JD-800 Song
1:00:30 JV-80
1:00:46 JV-1080
1:01:06 BOSS VT-1
1:01:56 VG-8
1:02:10 V Drums
1:02:39 JP-8000
1:03:38 VS-880

- 2000s -
1:04:23 VP-9000
1:05:57 V-Synth
1:06:46 Jupiter 80
1:07:51 TR-8
1:08:04 Plug-Out
1:08:29 Boutique Versions
1:09:00 Song with modern Roland products
1:10:17 ATV A-Frame
1:10:36 R.I.P. Ikutaro Kakehashi
1:11:03 Outro

If I missed anything, feel free to reply!

[farquoi]

Great research, filming, editing, writing, narration, ... and he actually plays music. Amazing, amazing. A million thumbs up. This belongs on Netflix or something

[git]

I’ve watched this 3 times now and just marvel at your documentary skills, you really are extremely talented, surely the best documentary on Roland.

[lordnevets]

I've watched this with tears and joy and respect and regret.
Thank you so much.
I've learnt the name of a Man who, without me knowing, has touched my soul and diverted the crash of a teenage life, drove the spirit of my heady 20s and given me the warmth of great memories in my 30s, 40s and at the onset of my 50s.
Ikutaro Kakehashi. I thank you.

This has been a fortuitous discovery stumbling upon this video and I feel blessed to of done so.
Thank you Alex.
This is stunning. And DAMN BOY! YOU CAN PLAY A MEAN SYNTH!

Again, Thank you.

I'll never forget this.

[Doctormix]

This is awesome, you should have a lot more views and subscribers!!!

[prophetofdoom]

I know I’m late to the game, but this documentary is bonkers. As someone just becoming interested in synths (I’ve been a drummer my whole life), I learned an incredible amount of information. Well done and thank you for this amazing piece of content!

[amatplayer]

This is one of the best video's Ive watched in a long time on YT. In fact, it is the best.

[SynthManiaDotCom]

_Amazing_ job, Alex!!! I enjoyed watching this so much, and special thanks for the shoutout at the W-30 clip in particular ;-) I can only imagine how long it took to put it together, and the patience and amount of research this entailed! Thank you very much for all your fantastic contributions to the synth world - (p.s. if you do decide to go for the Korg one... after a well-deserved looong rest! - I have a few of those to contribute as well :-D )

[StofffeGbg]

A massive amount of work must have gone into making this. Hands down the best Roland documentary I've seen. Great work!

[mrdiggie]

One of the best historical synth vids I've ever seen. Amazing work.

[fernandes]

I'm a an 80s metal guitar freak, but this documentary is AMAZING. Please do more like Korg, Yamaha or Moog, etc.

[EHiggins]

I was a teenager in the 80's. Seeing all of those synths, and drum boxes in action was awesome!

[HilarioGalan]

I canceled my doctors appointment to watch this. Writing this in case I die.

[joelspaulding]

This was a proper documentary. The soundtrack is so intrically involved with the subject matter.
Truly phenomenal-
Subscribed.

Current and former Roland player, with a Korg, Ensoniq and Sequential also floating around the house.