Home Music Ikutaro Kakehashi, Roland Founder and Music Pioneer, Dies at 87

Ikutaro Kakehashi, Roland Founder and Music Pioneer, Dies at 87

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Of all the drum machines that have made their way through popular music, perhaps most ubiquitous is the sound of the Roland TR-808. That machine was the brainchild of Ikutaro Kakehashi, who passed away this Saturday, April 1, at the age of 87, a colleague revealed on Facebook.

Kakehashi founded the Roland corporation in 1972…