In the early 2000s, there was a creative boom within the drum & bass scene that lead to a boom in the creation of drum & bass labels. For a while, it felt like new imprints were being started every week. Some were passion projects or vanity labels, but eventually the cream rose to the top, and today, many of the labels started during that time have either folded or been long forgotten.
While we live in a time where a) vinyl sales are steadily declining in dance music and b) the overall appreciation of drum & bass is lower than it has been, you know for a fact that the drum & bass producers, DJs, and label heads still have a real love for it. The way that they still continue to push the music, they have to. And while other genres have producers that will take charge and forge ahead on their own (via starting up their own labels or just Bandcamping their releases), the feeling within the drum & bass scene seems to be that you need to align with a proper level to get your music the respect and push that it deserves.
Found here are the imprints that, on a consistent basis, are providing the best music for the drum & bass scene in the best possible way. Many are focusing on the future and showcasing not only the best of the dnb batch right now, but giving the producers of the future their time in the spotlight.