24. Missy Elliott - Miss E... So Addictive (2001)

This was Missy's third album following the equally excellent 'Supa Dupa Fly' and 'Da Real World', where teamed up with production wiz Timbaland, her songs would bring back a lot of freakish intergalactic funk back into hip-hop following the hardcore gangsta era of Biggie and Tupac.
Hip-hop at the end of the 90's had gotten quite soupy, dusty and dense, with the exception of Neptunes, Kool Keith, Shock G and Outkast - Hip hop needed back some of the space you used to get in the sparse early rap, to allow movement; to allow dancing.  Missy and Timbo cleverly were able to use heavily syncopated polyrhythms whilst keeping them both experimental by stretching the boundaries of hip-hop, and addictive with mass appeal. They were also a production house producing a run of futuristic classics for the likes of Aalyiah and Total.

This album went gold, was a major worldwide hit, and produced probably the most remixed track of 2001 in 'Get Ur Freak On'.
Hip-hop's choice of drug in 2001 would have been weed, alcohol and cocaine. Ecstasy was reserved for rave crowds, the love vibe just didn't seem fitting. However, Missy openly uses Ecstacy references multiple times on this, not to mention the lurid dayglo artwork. Some of the tracks even have a 4x4 danceflloor kick running throughout. This might be the most lasting influence of this music on the hip-hop scene, as 'molly's' and dance music have been fully assimilated into modern rap since.

The album goes in hard with 'Dog In Heat', featuring guests Redman and Method Man, ubiquitous serial collaborators, who kick thing off with this raunchy stomp.
Single release 'One Minute Man' pits Missy's saucy challenge to punchline star Ludacris, who comes off second best, but puts in a good show against a wiggly worm melody, taunting R&B whoops, and constantly moving details which add interest whilst always staying on the One.



'Get Ur Freak On'; possibly Missy's second best tune after 'The Rain', flips a bhangra sample (then a popular pastime in Jamaican dancehall), and weaves an audacious and hilarious track so good it had to be a hit, yet also so weird. That bit where she pauses then spits in your face, funny and sick.



'Scream A.K.A. Itchin', does marvelous things with a shaker and a clockwork rhythm; the best maracas this side of The J.B.'s 'The Grunt'. Missy then gives the perfect kiss off when a guy pulls up with the line, 'Where's your pot to piss in'.
'Old School Joint' freaks some Roger Troutman moog action for an R&B banger with a 4x4 undertow.
'Take Away' then slows things down, metaphorically and literally strips off, leaving the lushness of some vocodered simpering over pizzicato strings.
'4 My People' goes back onto the dancefloor. Eve guests, talks about stripping off in the club, and losing your shit. Missy shouts out 'for my ecstasy people'.



'Whatcha Gonna Do' stands equal to any experimental dance of the era, with Timbaland and Missy throwing all kinds of textures at the rhythm to see what sticks, unusually for hip-hop they settle on a slide guitar sample.
'Step Off' might share the name with the '84 era Grandmaster Melle Mel classic where Melle Mel compares himself to Shakespeare, but Missy comes off more like The Time's Morris Day, cause she's gonna, 'Do you like you like it'.
The album is quality to the end, and in case you didn't get the message, the track next up is called 'X-Tasy'. Fully immersive experimental electro, a backwards loop, some stuttering bossa rhythms and a vibe like 'Something In The Water' vintage Prince gets the serotonin flowin'. Great track.
To finish up we get 'Slap! Slap! Slap!' an excuse to rap the line 'slap slap slap, all across your melon, eaaasy', and some En Vogue style R & B gospel to finish.

2001 was a time when the creativity in hip-hop, UK garage and dancehall was outstripping rock music. The rock bands of 2001 were either the post Oasis, dadrock likes of Coldplay, Travis and Snow Patrol who seemed content churning out singalong ballads to crowds who looked indistinct from the bands. Or the new retro scene of The White Stripes, Strokes and country revivalists, who although often very good, seemed to want to avoid reality altogether, opting for the safety of the good old days.
Missy then is those best of things, both progressive, pushing things forward, treading where no fem-funk soldier had gone before, but also populist. So obviously good, no one could resist.

25. Wolf Eyes - Burned Mind (2004)

Michigan, Detroit has a glorious history of groups who went more noisy, more out there than the competition. Barrel-house R&B groups, MC5, Stooges, Funkadelic & Destroy All Monsters. The often cited industrial crunching of the car factory may be an influence, but more recently as the car factories have closed and been replaced by boredom, unemployment and white flight; bleak landscapes of pain and madness may be the primary reference. Those who stay continue to seek to kick out the jams.
Wolf Eyes emerged from the punk noise cassette sub-underground, taking influence from a massive array of non mainstream maneuvers like local punk house gigs, free jazz, horror b-movies, skateboarding & D.I.Y. electronics.
The refreshing thing about Wolf Eyes was their openness and attitude. Whereas a lot of noise acts can keep the audience at arms length, with their seriousness and anonymity; Wolf Eyes, in common with the aforementioned Detroit acts, came to have a good time, make some noise and party. It made sense that their pal was 'Party 'til you punk' mentalist Andrew WK. Therefore, in being approachable and inclusive Wolf Eyes have probably done more to introduce the appeal of noise, and free music into alternative culture than any other act in the last 15 years.
Wolf Eyes are John Olson: expert on all things sub-underground, insatiable appetite for all things rad, he often changes noise making machinery, have seen him use a variety of jerry made electronic devices, a homemade guitar, clarinet and saxophone all played through heavily distorting effects boxes.
Nate Young: Brings the party, kicks out the jams etc, often triggers headbanging electronic stomps.
Aaron Dilloway: Left shortly after this, performed on electronic circuitry, first time I saw him live the electronic noise he made seemed to stem from a bulldog clip he had attached in his mouth.

Wolf eyes aim for otherworldly, liberating noise, but never water down their sound for a mainstream audience. Following a brace of self-released underground CD-R's and cassettes, and a growing live reputation, they arranged an unlikely team up with major label Sub-Pop for this release.
The cover which depicts a crow pecking a two decaying human skulls are a good analogy to the music contained within. Swathes of circuit bent analogue distortion, creeping non rhythms and instruments twisted out of any recognizable shape dominate proceedings. Dead In A Boat and Stabbed In The Face include the machine driven giant thumps that send audiences mad, and provoke fist pumps and whoops from the group. Rattlesnake Shake, has a nauseating bass-tone, a windy effect, oscillations, an ominous rattlesnake sound surrounding big echoed steps. Burned Mind pulls out the axe and makes it sound like the Id in Forbidden Planet traversing the force field. Black Vomit clatters like Metal Mickey trampolining.

Wolf Eyes have the distinction of being the only group I have seen with people who have walked out in disgust, and this has happened twice!
The first time was in 2004 at All Tomorrow's Parties festival at Camber Sands curated by Sonic Youth. The stoner guy I was with was certain that Wolf Eyes were spreading bad vibes, and got the fear, walked out. Damn right man.
The second time was again at ATP festival, one of the last at Prestatyn, Wales 2014. This friend felt that Wolf Eyes were taking the piss, and had no discernible structure or tunes. Walked out.

It's true that free music or noise is never gonna appeal to a wide audience. But the overall vibe of Wolf Eyes, though based in horror, is freedom, community and thrill seeking joy.
Those guys kick ass, and still do. Saw them last year at Bristol's Exchange, and they get better with age. They are always approachable, and mix with the audience at shows. Living the D.I.Y. punk dream.