Have you ever wondered what kind of music robots would make? Turns out they can pull off some pretty sick 1980s drum machine beats, as evidenced by this video, which features the MR-808, an electromechanical music robot, emulating some oh-so-80s beats.

Moritz Simon Great, a German artist and musician, designed and programmed the MR-808 to emulate the sound and function of the Roland TR-808, the famous 1980s drum machine that helped create beats for Marvin Gaye’s ‘Sexual Healing’ and ‘Planet Rock’ by Afrika Bambaataa. David Byrne, 2 Live Crew and Kimbra have even used the device.

The new robot version of the TR-808 was created to be a synthetic member of any electro-pop band – it can play live sounds and structures that human musicians aren’t able to. This ten-foot wide machine reproduces the sounds of the hi-hat, bass drum, cowbell, clap, cymbals and more.

Check out the results above and in this new video from the band Science Fiction Children.

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