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The anticipated drum machine book enters its final production phase, unveiling three newly photographed classics while sharing Jeff Mills’ philosophy of rhythm
Following a highly successful Kickstarter campaign, Bjooks has announced that BEAT GEMS: Drum Machines in Modern Music has entered its final production phase and is now available for pre-order through the Bjooks website ahead of its worldwide release. The campaign surpassed its funding goal and earned Kickstarter’s coveted “Projects We Love” designation, reinforcing the enthusiasm from musicians, producers, collectors, and music technology enthusiasts eager to explore the history of electronic rhythm.
Written by electronic instrument historian Oli Freke, BEAT GEMS is a 336-page hardcover journey through six decades of drum machine innovation, documenting the instruments, engineers, and artists that transformed modern music. From early rhythm boxes to genre-defining classics and overlooked rarities, the book explores how drum machines evolved from accompaniment devices into creative instruments that shaped electronic music, hip-hop, house, techno, synth-pop, industrial, and beyond.
The book is set to feature an original contribution from Jeff Mills, one of the architects of Detroit techno and among the most influential electronic musicians of the past four decades. Renowned for transforming the Roland TR-909 into a live performance instrument and for redefining what drum machines could be in electronic music, Mills will open the book with “Jeff Mills on the Philosophy of Rhythm,” an exclusive reflection drawn from an interview conducted in Paris in July 2026. Mills states, “The more you can be creative, and the more room and freedom you have to be creative, the richer life becomes. The more you can express ideas, the more the machine becomes something else.”
Throughout his reflections, Mills encourages musicians to move beyond simply programming patterns and instead embrace experimentation and personal expression. “It’s all about discovery—about finding ways to put yourself more into the equation and to get more out of the music and the machine.” He closes with a sentiment that echoes the spirit of BEAT GEMS itself: “That is how culture and art have progressed: people with ideas, materializing ideas.”
Newly Revealed Featured Instruments
As production is underway, Bjooks is also previewing new photography from three remarkable machines featured in BEAT GEMS, each representing a different chapter in the evolution of electronic rhythm.
Toyo Gakki ULT-Sound DS-4
Released in 1978, Japan’s colorful “secret” drum synthesizer stands apart with its striking blue-and-yellow control panel, whose vibrant design doubles as a visual guide to signal flow. Equal parts functional and unforgettable, it remains one of the book’s most visually distinctive instruments.
MTI Auto-Orchestra AO-1
Part drum machine, part bass synthesizer, and part auto-accompaniment system, this rare analog oddity blends futuristic ambition with unmistakable 1970s design. Its unconventional sounds and bold industrial styling make it one of the most fascinating hidden gems in the collection.
Farfisa Rhythm 10
What appears at first to be a modest late-1960s rhythm box became something far more significant thanks to its individual drum trigger buttons, which allowed pioneering musicians to create original rhythms instead of relying solely on presets. Early electronic innovators, including Kraftwerk, recognized its creative potential long before drum machines became central to modern music.
Pre-Orders Now Open
BEAT GEMS: Drum Machines in Modern Music is now available for pre-order directly from the Bjooks website. Customers in the EU and the rest of the world are expected to begin receiving books in September 2026, while U.S. deliveries are scheduled to begin in October 2026.
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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.
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