Hardware Hack Night: Hip Hop Innovation & Japanese Inventors
We continue to draw our inspiration from our inventor, wartime orphan, and engineering university reject Ikutaro Kakehashi. He founded the company Roland after working dead end factory jobs and despite having no schooling in music, had a deep passion for creating music and obsessed on creating electronic musics to make creation accessible for all.
The heroic story of a team of young engineers toiling away on new territory is inspiring to the hacker in us all!
How could he know the impact he would have on Hip Hop music, Detroit techno and the world?
According to Wired magazine, the Roland TR-808 was seen as a joke, a toy! The instrument was seen as a flop https://artsandculture.google.com/story/UQUhLXkRI4cGng
But "in an era in which renting studios cost thousands of dollars" the 808 provided an affordable way for music geniuses on the streets of NYC to make music.
At the time guitar rock dominated, but once the prices dropped, enterprising African American youth got their hands on the 808 and breakdancing, rap music and graffiti were born!
HACK ON ANYTHING AND EVERYTHING
○ Projects: can range from building course materials for teaching local kids electronics to a robotic arm that draws, to light projection art, to people building their own microchip boards! We provide the space, tools and peer learning – you bring your project and enthusiasm!
○ Group Sewing: Learn to do simple mending or get help with technical fabric and textile projects. In addition to regular machines our Sewing Lab features heavy-duty industrial sewing machines and sergers. Our in house sewing guru CC has worked for Academy or Art College, Tesla, SuitX, and Zipline and has vast sewing machine repair and maintenance experience; bring your own machine to tune up for tip-top operation and sew alongside others.
○ General Repair: Fix it Clinic’s weekly Oakland residency: bring your broken, non-functioning things – electronic gadgets, appliances, computers, toys, sewing machines, fabric items, etc.– for assessment, disassembly, and possible repair. We’ll provide workspace, specialty tools, and guidance to help you disassemble and troubleshoot your item. First-time repairers and “Fixing Families” are heartily invited. Learn more at https://www.fixitclinic.org/
https://sudoroom.org/wiki/HardwareHackNight
more inspiration