Pharrell Williams backs ROLI

Bendy keyboard manuafacturer ROLI has announced a high profile signing, with singer/producer Pharrell Williams, joining the company as chief creative officer. 

He will work with owner Roland Lamb to develop new instruments that are “iconic, digitally connected, and accessible to all”.  As part of their long-term partnership, Williams will invest and become a co-owner of ROLI.

“Music touches all of us, and for a long time I’ve been passionate about finding ways to share the power of music with more people,” said Williams, best known for his global hit, Happy. 

“When I met Roland and ROLI, I immediately felt we were working towards exactly the same goals, and so I’m super excited that we’re kicking off this partnership.”

Lamb, founder of ROLI, added: “Our mission is to empower everyone to create music, and more broadly to empower people as creators. Pharrell is not just an extraordinary musician, he embodies creativity. His ideas will take us in exciting new directions, and we’re thrilled to share our first collaboration – the Happy by Pharrell studiopack – today.”

“The free Happy by Pharrell studiopack in ROLI’s NOISE app lets fans play around with the vocals, beats, and basslines from the global hit. It is the first in a series of NOISE studiopacks that will let people recreate hit songs – or become inspired to take the elements of that song in a completely different direction.”