6 iconic sounds of the 2000s (and 6 easy ways to recreate them today)

Missy Elliot and Timbaland's global inspiration

Known for his rhythm-heavy drum programming and percussive samples and synths, Timbaland’s productions regularly charted in the international top 10s and influenced a whole generation of beatmakers and producers around the globe. For the lead single on Missy Elliott’s So Addictive, the duo drew from a kinetic patchwork of international influences: from the spoken word Japanese intro (which roughly translates to “Everyone start dancing together wildly now. Let’s make some noise. Let’s make some noise”), to the upbeat Punjabi melody, and samples of German ambient artist Karunesh, this spirited single is a decidedly global affair.

When it came to that hypnotic six-note riff, Timbaland turned to the high-pitched, single-string Punjab tumbi and introduced the pop world to sonic staples like the tabla twin hand drums, whose combined presence built the bold Bhaṅgṛā beat that took this track to Platinum popularity. To swipe those trademark Timba tones, simply load up the tabla from the Spotlight Collection’s INDIA library.

Flying Lotus's off-kilter beats

Inspired by sci-fi space aesthetics, unconventional production methods, and the unquantized grooves of J Dilla, Flying Lotus (aka Steven Ellison) spearheaded a whole new generation of beat makers with his debut studio album, 1983. Alongside Dabrye’s Two/Three, these seductively offbeat explorations marked a blueprint for abstract and left-field hip hop sound design whose significance and strength can still be heard echoing through the 2020s.

When it comes to copping 1983’s stirring sonic signatures, remember that FlyLo relies heavily on wonky and off-grid drum programming with experimental sound design and synth-heavy harmonies. To drum up some bass-heavy beats of your own, dive into the drums presets on offer in the BURNT HUES Expansion.

MIlkshake's funky synths and percussion

Long before stepping out as a successful solo artist, Pharell Williams was one half of legendary American production duo The Neptunes. Alongside multi-instrumentalist and producer Chad Hugo, the pair spent the 90s cranking out hits for New York rappers like Noreaga and Ol’ Dirty Bastard before striking gold with longtime collaborator Kelis’ metaphorical “Milkshake” — a euphemistic banger that brought all the boys to the yard and cemented the duo as critically-acclaimed super producers.

Originally offered to Britney Spears for In The Zone, “Milkshake” deftly demonstrates The Neptunes’ signature synth-funk sound: a stirring combination of big, sawtooth synths with organic percussion paired with low beat dance grooves. To steal this sound, cue up MONARK’s Tom Saw Ya preset and scatter in some percussion from Tarbuka 1, which you’ll find in MIDDLE EAST.

Peaches' electro-punk drums

After a decade of developing the persona known as Peaches, Canadian musician and performance artist Merrill Nisker moved to Berlin and signed to the quirk-heavy Kitty-Yo record label — a pyrotechnic pairing that resulted in the endlessly-quotable electroclash album The Teaches of Peaches, whose highly-explicit and relentlessly sexual opener brims with blown out bass, grimey punk production, and punchy 909 drums. With shoutouts to Blondie and Pretenders frontwoman, Chrissie Hynde, the song oozes a nonchalantly sex-positive postfeminism that was way ahead of its time and, according to Thom Yorke, inspired Radiohead’s “15 Step.”

To access these delightfully debased tones, we prgrammed a similar pattern using Soniccouture’s excellent Electro-Acoustic library for KONTAKT, then ran that through the free VHS Audio Degradation Suite for REAKTOR, whose saturation, pitch modulation, and noise perfectly emulate an imperfect VHS tape for maximum grit and grime. You can also find suitably punchy electronic drums in BATTERY, or roll your own with DRUMLAB.

The Streets blend UK garage with hip hop

On the lead single from The Streets’ debut album Original Pirate Material, English rapper and multi-instrumentalist Mike Skinner blended 2-step and UK garage rhythms with hip hop, spoken word, and a down-to-earth attitude to create an iconic sound that quickly became his signature. Heavy on the American hip hop influence and brimming with humorous anecdotes about British working-class life, the album sits at #9 on NME’s “100 Best Albums of the Decade” and #36 on Pitchfork’s “Top 200 Albums of the 2000s.”

If you’re looking to ape The Streets’ signature blend of hip hop and garage, you’ll find all the drum samples you need in the BUMPIN FLAVA Expansion, while MASSIVE X’s Bump preset is perfect for that garage sub bass. The sounds are simple here, but emulating Skinner’s downbeat minimalism and melancholy charm may take some practice.

Defining dubstep from Digital Mystikz

Long before Sonny Moore donned his signature sidecut and became Skrillex, Mark Lawrence (Mala) and Dean Harris (Coki) were hard at work crafting sparse, syncopated sub-bass anthems with their archetypal production duo, Digital Mystikz. The pair founded the hugely influential nightclub and record label DMZ, which forever altered bass music and laid the foundations for what came to be globally known as “dubstep” while the future icon was still screaming his guts out for post-hardcore outfit From First To Last.

To mimic the tones on “Anti War Dub,” one of the most iconic dubstep tracks from the genre’s originators, try layering two copies of MASSIVE’s Bull Trava preset, and pitching the second up two octaves.