Serato and Roland Announce Partnership

Serato and Roland

Serato has announced a new partnership with Roland, the maker of the legendary TR-808 drum machine.

According to Serato’s press release:

“Serato and Roland are joining forces to create something truly unique and that will redefine what it means to be a DJ. Drawing on the combined experience of both companies, this shared vision will be realised in a special announcement on ‘909 Day’ (September 9th).”

909 Day, which Roland announced this week, will be a 24-hour online festival featuring performances, product debuts, and interviews. It is named after the successor to the TR-808, the TR-909.

Attack Magazine writes: “If the 808 was the rhythmic godfather of hip hop music, then the 909 is the same to techno and a fair slice of tougher-edged house.”

So does this mean that Serato and Roland are working on a new drum machine or controller? We don’t know, but it seems reasonable to assume that the project will involve drums.

Serato CEO Young Ly said about the partnership:

“Roland is an exciting new partner for Serato. It’s inspiring to be working closely with a company with such rich heritage and expertise in the musical performance and production world, and responsible for so much of the music that DJs play night after night. Both companies are closely aligned in our vision for the future of DJing and performance, and we’re excited to reveal this to the world.”

Serato will host a live stream event at their headquarters in Auckland, New Zealand to coincide with the announcement. It has also created a mailing list for the project, which you can sign up to here.

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