Welcome to the 303rd Dimension

Every so often, an instrument comes along that influences music history and helps shape a new genre.

In the early 1980s, the Roland TB-303 Bass Line was a small synthesizer designed to replicate the sound of a bass guitar. But when it hit the market, musicians quickly realized that its synthetic tones were far from convincing. It was also tricky to program, producing sounds and patterns that were more robotic than realistic. Sales were poor, and Roland quickly pulled it from production. The remaining stock was sold at a fraction of the original price.

At the time, synthesizers were expensive. The TB-303’s stock clearance provided a fantastic opportunity for many aspiring electronic musicians to get their hands on a small synthesizer. Underground musicians discovered the TB-303 and saw its potential rather than its limitations. They didn’t mind that it couldn’t imitate a bass guitar. Instead, they were fascinated by its unique, squelchy tones that sounded like they came from another dimension, and the "happy accidents" that resulted from its tricky programming. This creative experimentation led to the birth of acid house music in the mid-1980s, a genre that is intrinsically connected to the TB-303.

When paired with effects like delay, the TB-303 becomes a tool for creating mesmerizing, trance-inducing soundscapes, such as this psytrance-like soundscape.

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