Top 5: Atmos DnB Compilations (90s / 00s)

Compilation CD's rule. It's a great way to get multiple bangin tunes in one shot. I know what you're thinking: you still buy physical CD's in 2024? Hell yeah. Buy the CD once, rip it to your hard-drive, and you have a library of rare music you don't need to pay to access going forward. But that's a story for another time: presenting my top 5 atmospheric drum n bass compilation cd's from the late 90s / early 00s (as of today at least...)

5. Renegade Soundscapes (1998)
Mainly a fan of this one because you can snag two classic Future Engineer tunes (The Silence & Shattered) for cheap. Code (by Absolute Zero & Subphonics) is a guilty pleasure on this one as well...makes me want to run through a wall. Phat techy beats, dark atmospheres, some sinister stuff on here.

4. Two Revolutions (1999)
Doesn't get much better than Blame's Two Revolutions. Non-stop futuristic sounding atmospheric drum n bass to take you into the 2000s. An evolution of the GLR sound with tracks by: Future Engineers, Odyssey, Pariah, Blame, & many other heavy hitters. A must have for anyone who loves that Y2K Atmos sound.

3. STUDIO-X X10 DB (2002)
A lot of people discard atmospheric DnB from 2000 onward, which I would consider to be a mistake. This comp shows off the evolution of atmos DnB a couple years deep into the 2000s, with much tighter productions from folks like J-Laze, Pariah, Intersperse, and Greg Packer. Gotta wonder what impacted the quality of the sound...was it a move from hardware to software? More seasoned producers? Who knows...but what I do know, is that this comp rolls along nicely - combining more modern production with that classic 90s vibe.

2. Soul Survivors (2000)
A behemoth of a compilation with rare gems by: The Invisible Man, Future Engineers, Funky Technicians, Tayla, Rantoul, Doc Scott, and more. Great mix of that futuristic evolution sound on Disc 1, and 90s GLR grooves on Disc 2. Get this in your collection.

1. Movements (1999)
I'll never get sick of Movements. A collection of tracks by Aural Imbalance, Subversive, and "Inner-Vation" (Aural Imbalance & David Parkinson.) The cover lets you know exactly what you're going to get when listening to this one from front to back. Put it on, sit back, and enjoy the ride.