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Hi,
There are certain rituals that must occur at the end of each year, shopping for Christmas presents, deciding what to do on NYE and eating way too much, but none ensure quite as much debate and argument as choosing the Top 20 albums to grace our ears from an entire year of big releases.
Well, the D&B fraternity has spoken and we can finally reveal the Top 20 albums of 2011, as chosen by you guys, according to the number of units purchased for each of the albums in our download store.
Also, as a little Christmas treat we are giving away a free track with every order over £10, click here for more details.
#20 - WAY OF THE WARRIOR LP (SHOGUN AUDIO)
Having been at the very top of the D&B game since its inception in 2004, Friction and K-Tee's Shogun Audio mark their 50th release with a compilation that showcases exactly where the label has been and where it is going. 12 tracks of varying styles from the Shogun boys as well as label guests including dBridge and Break along with an album mixtape make this one of the baddest compilations about.
Tune to look out for: Spectrasoul - The Gift
#19 - ORIGINAL SIN - YOU LOVE IT EP (PLAYAZ)
Original dancefloor badboy Original Sin dropped yet another monster of an EP for Playaz earlier in the year. Four more tracks to add to his growing repertoire of tunes that are guaranteed to send any dancefloor into a frenzy with their filthy basslines and dark soundscapes. You always know what you are getting from Original Sin and this EP is a testament to that.
Tune to look out for: Original Badboy
#18 - BASHER - TRANSMISSION LP (RAM)
2011 has been a stand out year for Basher, having enjoyed some of the widest acclaim out of anyone in the scene, this first full length on Ram drops like a mission statement attesting to all the years that Basher has spent harnessing his sound in the studio. By injecting vibes from across the board of current drum and bass (from old skool Ram and Virus flavours to the forward-thinking sounds of Critical and Metalheadz) to form a sound that is all his own, Basher carves out his place in the scene in one seriously well-produced fell swoop.
Tune to look out for: Devotion
#17 - TOTAL SCIENCE & S.P.Y - GHOSTRIDERS EP (CIAUK)
CIA bosses Total Science team up with recent Hospital Records signing, and Brazilian midas S.P.Y to produce an EP that combines their signature sounds of emotional rollers and distorted, unsettling basslines perfectly. 6 tracks of rolling thunder from two of the most prolific producers of quality music in the industry, loving the comic strip inspired artwork too.
Tune to look out for: Magic Hour
#16 - CALIBRE - CONDITION LP (SIGNATURE)
If it had been released earlier in the year there is no question that this would have ranked higher. There are not many superlatives left to use to describe the prodigious talent that is Calibre. When it comes to making beautiful music there are very few who can take those deep and heartfelt emotions and mould them into artwork for the ears and yet still remain so modest. This LP is an audio compendium of ear-heroin that only Calibre could produce. Salute the man.
Tune to look out for: People Never Change (feat. DRS)
#15 - ANDY C - NIGHTLIFE 5 (RAM)
The Nightlife series has a somewhat legendary status amongst many D&B headz as we know that we're in for something special when the executioner steps up to the decks to produce a mix. Choc-full of unreleased and unheard beats when it first dropped, Nightlife 5 was well and truly rinsed by those who appreciate just how ridiculously good a DJ Andy C really is. A perfect amalgamation of dancefloor killers and vibey rollers, this was one of a few standout releases for Ram this year.
Tune to look out for: Spor - Kingdom
#14 - ORIGINAL SIN & FRIENDS (IMAGE RECORDINGS)
Another entry for Original Sin in the top 20, this time it's the outing on his own label, Image Recordings, and he has brought some close Playaz friends along with him. In the first of two EP's of this kind this year, Original Sin brings together a crew to produce four hard-hitting dancefloor monsters, pulling no punches and taking no prisoners, as you'd expect from the likes of Supreme Being, Taxman, Sub Zero and the man himself, Original Sin.
Tune to look out for: Original Sin - My Skool
#13 - HOSPITALITY FESTIVAL DRUM & BASS (HOSPITAL)
It has been yet another massive year for the Hospital crew, winning numerous accolades at the D&BA Awards recently and celebrating 15 years of Hospital this month. 2011 also saw them make the leap into hosting arenas at festivals and this compilation is an ode to the glorious summer days spent sitting in a field basking in the glow of D&B and hoping like mad that it doesn't rain. Featuring a plethora of artists both from the Hospital camp and elsewhere this one should bring all those summertime memories flooding back.
Tune to look out for: Turn The Lights Off - S.P.Y
#12 - FABRICLIVE 55 DJ MARKY (FABRIC WORLDWIDE)
The FABRICLIVE series does occasionally throw up something pretty special and this offering from Brazilian D&B legend Marky is definitely up there amongst the very best. The album is a continuous DJ mix, showing off the unquestionable mixing talent that Marky possesses as well as his consistent track selection. Full of positive vibes and lovely rollers it will take some effort for anyone to top this in the Fabriclive series.
Tune to look out for: DJ Marky & S.P.Y - Mystic Sunset
#11 - WORLDWIDE 001 (VIPER RECORDINGS)
From it's humble beginnings, the sound of drum & bass has reached every corner of the globe, influencing producers from every continent to try their hand at making a bit of 170bpm. With this in mind, Viper head honcho's, Matrix & Futurebound, have come together to create 'Worldwide 001', a showcase of artists and music from all over the world who continue to make D&B one of the most innovative and forward thinking genre's in the world today. There is something for everyone on this eclectic compilation.
Tune to look out for: InsideInfo - Honeybee
#10 - DRUM & BASS ARENA ANTHOLOGY (MINISTRY OF SOUND)
Our first entry in the Top 20 and it's a big one. 60 tracks and 3 DJ mixes of D&B history spanning the last 17 years of the very best beats and basslines featuring artists both old and new. The perfect way to swell your collection of quality D&B encompassing various styles from old school junglist to liquid rollers, jump up killers to vocal masterpieces, this is the quintessential guide to the very best in D&B for the connoseiur and the newbie alike.
Tune to look out for: Commix - Be True
#9 - FRESH - FUTURE JUNGLE EP (RAM)
What a year for Fresh, big release after big release and not to mention a chart topping single in the shape of 'Louder'. For anyone thinking that Fresh has strayed from his roots in 2011 one listen to this EP will dispel this myth as Fresh comes through with this weighty hybrid of an EP. Bringing the sound of jungle bang up to date with the darker styles of 2011, the Future Jungle EP is the ultimate combination of amen-break nostalgia with contemporary sub-bass. Does exactly what it says on the tin with a whole lot of dancefloor presence.
Tune to look out for: The Gatekeeper
#8 - AUDIO - THE PROTOTYPE PROJECT (VIRUS RECORDINGS)
Virus champion some seriously heavyweight business from Audio on this dark and twisted EP. This EP shows off the incredible production talent of Audio as he brings together twisted basslines, delectably half step beats and fierce industrial sounds to create a release brimming with dark energy. Not one for a sunny day.
Tune to look out for: The Journey Part 2
#7 - UKF DRUM & BASS 2010 (UKFMUSIC)
2011 has seen an upward trajectory in the popularity of people sourcing music from streaming websites such as YouTube and there has been no better purveyor of this in the world of bass music than UKF. Having gone from simple YouTube channel to host of some of the biggest raves in the country the popularity of this mixed bag album is a testament to just how far UKF has come this year.
Tune to look out for: Netsky - I Refuse (Shock One Remix)
#6 - HOSPITALITY DRUM & BASS 2011 (HOSPITAL)
Yet another entry for the Hospital juggernaut with their 'Hospitality Drum & Bass 2011' compilation, a 28 track mash up of all the biggest tunes played out at their epic Hospitality events across the country. Compiled using tunes from either Hospital or sister label Med School with a sprinkling of a few other big names this is essential listening for the hardcore Hospital fan.
Tune to look out for: Original Sin & Taxman - Penamena
#5 - DRUM & BASS ARENA: 15 YEARS (DRUM & BASS ARENA)
With all the commemorative compilations floating around toward the end of this year we had to weigh in with our very own, celebrating 15 massive years of D&BA. With 50 tracks and 3 DJ mixes we take you through all the biggest and baddest basslines that have defined D&BA and D&B music as a whole over the past 15 years. A handpicked selection of 50 of the best tunes in the scene, you can't really go wrong.
Tune to look out for: Hazard & D Minds - Mr Happy
#4 - CHASE & STATUS - NO MORE IDOLS (MERCURY RECORDS)
One of the most hotly anticipated albums of the year, No more Idols saw the prodigious talents of Chase & Status begin to veer away from 170bpm as they started experimenting with more dubstep vibes and to good effect. Surely one of the biggest albums of the year not only in the dance music sphere but as a whole, No More Idols has propelled the boys to international stardom whilst spreading the word on bass music to a wider audience.
Tune to look out for: Blind Faith (Feat. Liam Bailey)
#3 - RAM 100 (RAM)
Of all the commemorative releases to drop this year this has to have been the most coveted. Having put together one of the most impressive stables of artists in any D&B record label Ram have a reputation for releasing music of only the highest quality so it went without saying that this would be something special. As usual Andy C and the Ram crew did not disappoint as they put together a truly genre defining compilation of D&B music.
Tune to look out for: Wilkinson - Refugee
#2 - DRUM & BASS ARENA SUMMER SELECTION 2011 (DRUM & BASS ARENA)
For the summertime we brought you a soulful collection of some of the baddest liquid drum & bass tracks on the market. Featuring 30 unmixed tracks, 2 continuous DJ mixes and 5 D&BA exclusives this digital compilation has been well received amongst those looking for the softer more soulful vibe that D&B can provide. Bringing attention to some of the lesser known producers in the game this was essential listening in summer 2011.
Tune to look out for: Seismix & Cahb - Space
#1 - DRUM & BASS ARENA EVOLUTION (AEI)
The most popular album of 2011 according to what you guys have purchased from our download store is D&BA Evolution. 42 tracks outlining just how far D&B has come and how much it has evolved in the past 20 years, going from a UK scene to a worldwide movement. Evolution is a journey through everything the scene has become today and an indication of where it is likely to go. From the chart destroying anthems of Chase & Status to the darker underground rollers of Rockwell and Icicle, to the dancefloor weapons of Loadstar and the summer vibes of Lenzman & Riya, this compilation documents the evolution of one of the most unique forms of music known to man.
Tune to look out for: S.P.Y - By Your Side (Logistics Remix)
