norsk sp-forum: bank a, vol. 1
Francisco Espregueira
The Roland SP404 revolutionized music producing. This musical instrument, a sampler and effect box to create music and rhythms on, it’s small enough to hold in your hands with plastic buttons resembling a toy. Without a screen the SP404 offers a more limited workflow and method to create the music you want to go about. The end result could often be on the machine's premise, but this is perhaps much of the charm and appeal, and why it has been embraced by artists such as J Dilla, Flying Lotus, DIBIA$E, Radiohead and James Blake, to name a few.
Due to its popularity within the music producing scene, particularly within the independent hip hop scene, Roland’s SP-404 has clearly helped to foster a broader type of subculture of new beat makers and artists, In Norway, a country that has been providing some of the best independent producers, rappers, instrumentalists on the genre, the beatmaker Doydank founded the Norwegian SP-Forum - a small community of Norwegian musicians sharing the love and enthusiasm for the Roland samplers. This community now presents its first project, Bank A, Vol. 1, being the first beat tape made exclusively on Roland's SP series in this country, which was also the very premise for the release.
The tape contains a wide variety of beats and performances, ranging from relaxed lofi, jazzy yacht rock vibes, to more classic hip hop. Besides Doydank, the tape presents works from Kristoffer Eikrem, Jøgge, Lax22, Fnonose, Benjesus, Eivind Wangberg, vesle and Ewing, so there’s a loads of new names to watch out. Everything in Bank A, Vol. 1 is polished, classy, well thought, conveying ideas of roughness and elegance - two qualities that more often than not become evident through the good use of a SP404. You’ll find something for every taste. For the pensive moments, for the hands in the air moments. Available digitally.