Copenhagen, September 9 , 2026–– Bjooks is celebrating 909 Day with a major milestone for drum machine lovers: physical copies of the highly anticipated BEAT GEMS: Drum Machines in Modern Music will begin shipping this September. The celebration also includes an early look at the book’s TR-909 feature for PATCH & TWEAK CLUB members, a special offer pairing BEAT GEMS with Bjooks’ History of Roland, and new online content exploring the people and machines behind electronic music.
Beginning on 909 Day, September 9, customers who purchase BEAT GEMS through Bjooks can receive 30% off INSPIRE THE MUSIC – 50 Years of Roland History for the following week, pairing Bjooks’ newest exploration of drum machine history with its look inside one of electronic music’s most influential companies.
BEAT GEMS Starts Shipping
Written by electronic instrument historian Oli Freke, BEAT GEMS: Drum Machines in Modern Music is a 336-page journey through six decades of drum machines, rhythm boxes, and grooveboxes, from early home-organ accompaniment to the machines that ultimately shaped hip-hop, house, techno, and modern electronic music.
Appropriately for 909 Day, the Roland TR-909 appears on the cover, while the book opens with a foreword born from a conversation with Detroit techno pioneer and drum machine virtuoso Jeff Mills. Throughout the book, readers can explore around 100 rhythm machines and the artists, engineers, and ideas that transformed these boxes into instruments capable of defining entire genres.
The TR-909 occupies a particularly important place in that history. Released in 1983 as the successor to the TR-808, its combination of analog synthesis and digital samples helped create a distinctive rhythmic vocabulary that became inseparable from house and techno. Like the 808 before it, the 909 would ultimately transcend its original purpose to become one of the defining instruments of electronic music.
Celebrate 909 Day with PATCH & TWEAK CLUB
To mark the occasion, Bjooks is pre-sharing the TR-909 article from BEAT GEMS exclusively with PATCH & TWEAK CLUB members, offering an early taste of the photography, history, and storytelling contained in the new book.
Electronic music and synth enthusiasts are invited to join PATCH & TWEAK CLUB to access the feature and discover more exclusive content celebrating the machines, techniques, and people behind electronic music.
Capturing the Invisible
The 909 Day celebration also arrives as Bjooks completes another deep dive into electronic music culture. All three parts of Capturing the Invisible: A Conversation with Robin Rimbaud/Scanner are now available to explore on PATCH & TWEAK.
The three-part series follows the pioneering British electronic artist through a wide-ranging conversation about sound, technology, experimentation, and a creative career built around finding music in unexpected places, continuing PATCH & TWEAK’s mission of documenting electronic music through the artists who continually push its boundaries.
INSPIRE THE MUSIC Goes Digital
There is also a new way to explore Roland’s history. INSPIRE THE MUSIC – 50 Years of Roland History is now available digitally as Bjooks begins rolling out its catalog on Google Play.
The digital editions retain Bjooks’ original book designs in high-resolution PDF format, providing a more affordable and accessible way to explore the company’s titles on screen. Priced at approximately €35—around half the price of a physical edition—additional Bjooks titles are also available on Google Play.
INSPIRE THE MUSIC takes readers inside five decades of Roland innovation through rare images, interviews, and detailed features covering the company’s iconic synthesizers, drum machines, effects, and recording tools—including, of course, the TR-808 and TR-909.
Next Stop: Amsterdam Dance Event
The celebration of BEAT GEMS will continue in October, when Bjooks joins Roland at ADE Lab for the book’s first public presentation.
Bjooks founder Kim Bjørn will join Roland at the event, where BEAT GEMS will be presented alongside INSPIRE THE MUSIC, SYNTH GEMS 1, and other titles celebrating music technology, instrument design, and creativity.
BEAT GEMS author Oli Freke will also present the workshop “How Drum Machines Changed Modern Music” on Wednesday, October 21 at 2:30 p.m., exploring the extraordinary evolution of the machines at the heart of his new book.
Celebrate 909 Day with Bjooks
- BEAT GEMS physical editions begin shipping in September
- Buy BEAT GEMS and receive 30% off INSPIRE THE MUSIC for one week following 909 Day
- PATCH & TWEAK CLUB members get an early look at the BEAT GEMS TR-909 feature
- All three installments of the Robin Rimbaud/Scanner documentary series are now available on PATCH & TWEAK
- INSPIRE THE MUSIC is now available digitally through Google Play, with additional Bjooks titles available, and The Minimoog Book rolling out soon
- Bjooks and Roland will present BEAT GEMS at ADE Lab in October
909 Day offer: Buy BEAT GEMS and get 30% off INSPIRE THE MUSIC
Scanner series: Capturing the Invisible: A Conversation with Robin Rimbaud/Scanner
ABOUT BJOOKS:
Bjooks is a boutique Danish publishing company dedicated to creating high-quality books about music technology, instruments, and creativity, started by author, designer, and musician Kim Bjørn. Known for titles such as PATCH & TWEAK, PUSH TURN MOVE, and SYNTH GEMS 1, Bjooks has become a beloved resource for musicians, producers, and gear enthusiasts worldwide.
