Everything old continues to be new again.
At Winter NAMM 2018 held in Anaheim, CA, Roland announced software versions of their coveted TR-808 and TR-909 Rhythm Composers as VST and AU plugins through Roland Cloud. The announcement was music to the ears of producers looking to craft tracks with beats from those classic and hard-to-find instruments.
With the 808 now available to all in the cloud, Roland has collaborated with global sneaker giant Puma for the PUMA RS-0 Roland, a shoe inspired by the 808. The line is a reboot of their classic ‘80s Running System (RS). A press release touts that the sneaker is a “cool nod to the past but very futuristic in every way.” Sega and Polaroid were also chosen by PUMA for this collaborative launch.
The PUMA RS-0 Roland draws style from the future-retro look of the Roland TR-808’s multi-colored panel of switches, knobs and LED lights. The sneaker features a premium leather black upper, micro perf vents, 6mm flat reflective laces, reflective midsole details and signature TR-808 colors – red, orange and yellow, on the Formstrip. Familiar notes like “Rhythm Composer” and “Bass Drum” accent the midsole and compliment the orange-hued translucent rubber outsole. PUMA and Roland branding are on the tongue label, footbed, and the anodized metal hangtag.
Obligatory press release gush from Roland Corporation Vice President of Global Key Influencers Brian Alli: “Roland is honored to collaborate with PUMA, and we’re looking forward to bringing our story of musical innovation to PUMA fans worldwide.”