Ahh, I'm definitely a good person for this. I've been into drum n bass since about 1995, and I've got about 100 albums and more on the way.
I usually don't go for the rinse out or heavy types of drum n bass. I'm more into the melodic styles, namely atmospheric and liquid. There are a bunch of really good offerings out there, but they are often difficult to get your hands on. Most of them are UK only releases, and if you want the CD, you need to order it from overseas (e.g.
www.juno.co.uk or
www.chemical-records.co.uk are good sites). Or you can download them. I've downloaded from Juno as well as
www.emusic.com and been happy with the results.
Also, keep in mind that you can often find some good mixes online. The main forum for all things drum n bass is
www.dogsonacid.com. Though, I'd warn you to stay away from there if you're easily offended.
Anyway, here some good places to get started with drum n bass:
1. LTJ Bukem: the king of atmospheric dnb. He's only got 1 album, Journey Inwards, but it's very good. He's also got a bunch of really good mixes from the Good Looking Record label.
2. High Contrast: the king of liquid dnb. His first 2 albums, True Colours and High Society, are terrific. I'm not as into his 3rd, Tough Guys Don't Dance, but it's not bad.
3. Pendulum: This is a heavier offering, but Pendulum is terrific. Their 1st album, Hold Your Colour, has some of the most amazing production I've ever heard. I haven't heard their 2nd album, In Silico, yet. A Christmas gift. I've gathered it's more of a rock-dnb hybrid, more like the Prodigy.
4. Seba: Long standing producer released his first album, Return to Forever, this year. Heavy into good drum samples but with good atmospherics. Loving it.
5. Chase & Status: Released their first album, More than Alot, this year. Great stuff. Takes from all over the drum n bass spectrum and creates a terrific album. A lot of liquid type tracks, but some heavier stuff as well.
6. DJ Marky and XRS: Their album, In Rotation, is also a classic. Both of them are from Brazil, and the ethnic influences are obvious in this liquid offering. Their track, LK, is a true classic.
7. Atlantic Connection: His first album, Tomorrow's Not Enough, is a mix of drum n bass with soulful, urban music. As with a lot of drum n bass albums, not all of the tracks are at drum n bass tempos, but that's okay. It only adds to the offering.
8. 720 Degrees: Two Revolutions. 720 is a record label, and Two Revolutions is their first compilation. Terrific. Futuristic sounding atmospheric dnb.
Also, I'd recommend:
1. Anything from Good Looking Records and its sublabels: Looking Good, 720 Degrees, Ascendant Grooves, and Nexus Recordings.
2. Most things by Hospital Records, home of High Contrast.
3. Influx UK
4. Big Bud: any of his 3 albums
5. John B: his recent stuff has been very 80's electro influenced and fun
6. Most things by Covert Operations, which is an atmospheric label. The recent Solar Empire record is terrific.
7. Silbrfish: has a lot of free mp3's online and his 2 albums are great atmospheric pieces.
8. A lot things by Marcus Intalex and his Soul:R label. Different take on liquid dnb.
Edit: Forgot that you asked what drum n bass was. Drum n bass is a style of electronic music that grew out of the hardcore scene in the early 1990's. Originally it was known as jungle, but as it grew and it's influences expanded, it became known as drum n bass. It started off at about 140 BPM's, though over time, it's gotten faster, with between 170 and 180 BPM's being the norm. The additional speed is not necessarily a good thing though, as some of the more recent tracks are too manic and don't give the music enough room to breathe. And, of course, there's the bass. Subs are not necessary all of the time, but they do help out considerably so you get the tactile feel of the tracks. Even though there have been a lot more artist albums out over the last few years, drum n bass is still a club type of music. So, many tracks are designed for maximum impact on the dance floor, not for home listening. That being said, there's plenty out there for the home listener. The quality of the production runs the gamut. But most of it is pretty well done. Drum n bass is a technical type of music, and actual instrumentation is not the norm. There are also a lot of different styles of drum n bass. It seems like each year there is one style that gains in popularity. Two of the ones that have survived the test of time and that I enjoy are atmospheric and liquid. Atmospheric dnb is heavy on atmospheric/ambient type synths, often with a slower pace and less distorted basslines. Liquid is focuses more on melodies and is more likely to incorporate funk, soul, and jazz influences. The BPM's here run the range, and are more likely to incorporate vocal samples or lyricists into the tracks.
