Copenhagen-based music technology publisher Bjooks has announced its latest title, Beat Gems: Drum Machines in Modern Music, an illustrated history of the rhythm machines that transformed popular music over six decades.
Written by electronic instrument historian Oli Freke, the book covers more than 60 vintage drum machines from the 1950s through the digital era, tracing the arc from early accompaniment devices like the Wurlitzer Side Man 5000 through genre-defining classics including the Roland TR-808, TR-909, Linn LM-1, Oberheim DMX and Akai MPC60, to obscure and overlooked instruments whose contributions to electronic music, hip-hop, house and techno have rarely been documented.
Freke describes the project as more than a gear catalogue. Each machine is presented in its historical context, examining design philosophy, sonic character and cultural impact — alongside high-resolution photography.
Bjooks founder Kim Bjørn says the book grew from a desire to explore humanity’s relationship with rhythm through the machines that helped define it, with the emphasis on how successive waves of technology expanded creative possibilities for composers, producers and performers.
Beat Gems follows a strong run of Bjooks titles covering music technology history and culture, including Synth Gems, The Minimoog Book and Push Turn Move. digitalDrummer readers may recall the publisher’s Inspire the Music: 50 Years of Roland History, which included an article by editor Allan Leibowitz.
The Kickstarter campaign is in its final days, with early-bird pricing and special editions still available. The book is scheduled to ship in October 2026. Details at the Bjooks website.