Kanye had previously used auto-tune, for example on his 2004 hit “Jesus Walks”, but it was never a focal point of the music. He called this effect the “heartbreak,” and said that it was ‘representative of his state of mind’.

Kanye used the “808” sound and altered its pitch to create the unique distorted and electronic sound you hear throughout the album. The album is heavily influenced by 1980s synthpop and electropop. The type of ideas that it was coming up with, the melodies that were in me - what was in me I couldn’t stop. Emotionally drained and feeling somewhat lost, Kanye dealt with his pain by channeling it into a sonically stripped-down album, one dominated by his use of the titular Roland TR-808 drum machine and Auto-Tune. The album was formed off the back of an extremely difficult time for West his mother died due to complications after cosmetic surgery, his relationship with on-and-off again girlfriend/fiancé Alexis Phifer finally ended for good, and Kanye was struggling to adapt to his celebrity status, often being criticized from the media.

808s & Heartbreak is Kanye West’s fourth studio album, released on November 24th, 2008, and it was a base breaker as far as fans were concerned.

808s and heartbreak drum kit