Trance is a style of electronic music that developed in the 1990s. Trance music is generally characterized by a tempo of between 130 and 160 BPM, featuring repeating melodic synthesizer phrases, and a musical form that builds up and down throughout a track. It often features crescendos and breakdowns. Sometimes vocals are also utilized. The style is arguably derived from a combination of largely electronic music such as ambient music, techno, and house. The origin of the term is ambiguous with suggestions that the term is derived from the Klaus Schulze album Trancefer or the early trance act Dance 2 Trance though it is likely that both these uses are linked to the perceived ability of a drum beat to induce altered states of consciousness.[1] As this music is almost always played in nightclubs at popular vacation spots and in inner cities, trance can be understood as a form of club music.
1 An altered state of consciousness, also named altered state of mind is any condition which is significantly different from a normative waking beta wave state. The expression was coined by Charles Tart and describes induced changes in one’s mental state, almost always temporary. A synonymous phrase is “altered states of awareness”. An associated body of research has been conducted in trance and this is becoming the predominant auspice terminology. Trance includes all “altered states of consciousness” as well as the various forms of waking trance states.
An altered state of consciousness can come about accidentally through, for example, fever, sleep deprivation, fasting, oxygen deprivation, nitrogen narcosis (deep diving), or a traumatic accident.
It can sometimes be reached intentionally by the use of sensory deprivation, Isolation tank, sleep deprivation or mind-control techniques, hypnosis, meditation, prayer, or disciplines (e.g. Mantra Meditation, Yoga, Sufism or Surat Shabda Yoga).
It can also be attained through the ingestion of psychoactive drugs such as alcohol and opiates, or more commonly with entheogenic plants and their derivative chemicals such as LSD, DXM, 2C-I, peyote, marijuana, mescaline, Salvia divinorum, MDMA, psychedelic mushrooms, ayahuasca or datura (Jimson weed).
Another effective way to induce an altered state of consciousness is using a variety of Neurotechnology such as Hemi-Sync, psychoacoustics, Mind machines, light and sound stimulation, Cranial electrotherapy stimulation, and such; these methods attempt to induce specific brainwave patterns, and a particular altered state of consciousness.
Naturally occurring altered states of consciousness include dreams, lucid dreams, euphoria, ecstasy, psychosis as well as purported premonitions, out-of-body experiences, and channeling.[citation needed]
Trance genres
| Name Of The Sub-Genre | Description | Notable Artists |
|---|---|---|
| Acid trance | The prevalent early ’90’s style, sometimes called “first-wave” trance. Characterized by the use of a Roland TB-303 bass machine as the lead synthesizer. | Art of Trance, Union Jack, Eternal Basement, Emmanuel Top, Hardfloor, Kai Tracid, Psychobabble, Solar Quest, Oliver Lieb |
| Ambient trance/Ambient trance | A fusion of ambient atmospheres and/or samples with trance style synths and beats. This genre overlaps with Ibiza trance, but may not incorporate Ibiza’s tropical perks and elements, and can have atmospheres which are dark, mysterious, tribal or erotic. | Banco de Gaia, Sasha & John Digweed, Solarstone, Young American Primitive |
| Anthem Trance/Uplifting trance/Epic Trance | Style of trance that emerged in the wake of progressive and acid trance in the late 90’s and is sometimes called “second-wave trance”. Characterized by extended chord progression in all elements (lead synth, bass chords, treble chords), extended breakdowns, and relegation of arpeggiation to the background while bringing wash effects to the fore. | Tiësto, System F, Pulser, Carlo Resoort, Ayla, Paul van Dyk, Armin van Buuren, Above & Beyond, ATB, DJ Tandu, Neo & Farina, Blank & Jones, Marco V, Matt Darey, Filo & Peri, Digital United, Sean Tyas, Julian Cumberworth, Airscape, EX-PLOSION, Darude, Vincent de Moor, Airbase |
| Classic trance | Original form of trance music, said to have originated in the very early 90’s. Characterized by less percussion than techno, more melody, arpeggiated melody, and repetitive melodic chords/arpeggios. | Age of Love, Harald Blüchel, Cygnus X, Dance 2 Trance, Jam & Spoon, Sven Väth, Oliver Lieb, Marco Zaffarono |
| Dream trance/Dream house | A variety of epic trance popularized by Robert Miles in the mid 90’s which is highly melodic. Very often it features soothing piano rifts. | DJ Dado, DJ Panda, DJK, Robert Miles, The Cynic Project, Zhi-Vago, Eurohawk |
| Euro-Trance/Hands up | Euro Trance is a hybrid of Hard trance and Eurodance music incorporating hardstyle bass drums and trance elements. It is closely related to uplifting trance. The trance synths at times can sound like techno hoovers with trancey effects and strings backing it up. The vocals are often pitched up for the most part, but sometimes they can be heard as in normal pitch range. This is often confused as vocal trance because of its use of vocals. The lyrical content is usually primitive, containing an introduction to the song with usually no or little drums, and often includes renderings of classic Happy hardcore anthems or melodies. Also some of the middle 90’s Happy Hardcore producers started to produce tracks in this style. | Jan Wayne, Nemystic, Rob Mayth, Milk Inc., Special D, Starsplash, Marko Albrecht, Pulsedriver, Cascada, Verano, DJ Manian, Alex Megane, Marco Juliano, Rocco, Rob Mayth, Insomnia |
| Electro trance | This style has been influenced by electroclash and takes some elements from Uplifting Trance. Originated around 2004. | Ferry Corsten, Elevation, Marcel Woods, Gabriel & Dresden |
| Futurepop | A fusion of mainly Electronic body music and Anthem Trance. This music has a cold, dark feel to it, while having grandiose synth melodies and general more trancy sound than EBM. Lyrics have a more prominent place in Futurepop than most other types of trance, and tend be about love, hate, human emotions and global issues. | VNV Nation, Icon of Coil, Angels and Agony, Apoptygma Berzerk, Covenant,List of futurepop artists |
| Goa trance | A complexly melodic form of trance named for Goa, India, and originating in the early 90’s. Often uses the Raga. The style has been developed by musicians from many countries, and is now generally referred to as Psychedelic trance, which is discussed below. | Yahel Sherman, The Infinity Project, Transwave, Man With No Name, Astral Projection, Juno Reactor, Message From God, S.U.N. Project |
| Hardstyle | Closely related to nu style Gabber and Hard trance. Its sound is usually characterized by a mix of gabber and hardcore like kick/bass sounds, spontaneous rhythmic changes, trance like synth stabs and sweeps and miscellaneous samples. However, Hardstyle usually has a lot slower BPM (between 140 and 150). | Blutonium Boy, Dana, DJ Luna, DJ Isaac, DJ Zenith, Technoboy, Trance Generators, The Prophet, DJ Zany |
| Hard trance | Aggressive and slower trance sounding, Originating in Frankfurt, includes influences from hardcore. This style arguably began around 1993 and peaked in popularity in in the late 90’s. | Andrea Montorsi, A*S*Y*S, Derb, Hennes & Cold, Kai Tracid, Legend B, Nostrum, Gary D, Genetic Line, Yoji Biomehanika, Lisa Lashes, Trance Generators, Flutlicht, Mat Silver & Tony Burt, DuMonde, Jones & Stephenson, Yves Deruyter, Cosmic Gate, S.H.O.K.K., Mauro Picotto, Warmduscher, Sunburst, Scot Project, Raver’s Nature, Jon The Baptist, System D |
| Ibiza Trance/Balearic beat | This style has been influenced by various relaxed music genres, especially linked to Ibiza’s (Spain) chill-out style of life parallel with the huge rave scene that is present in the islands. Very melodic and mellow, sometimes with ethnic features, and it often samples seaside elements like seagulls and ocean waves. | Balearic Session, Café del Mar, Chicane, DJ Shah, Chiller Twist, Energy 52, Gouryella, Imagination, Miromusic, Salt Tank, Solarstone, York, Three ‘n One |
| Neo-trance | Neo-trance is new genre that arrived in the vernacular to describe the recent developments towards more minimalist trace. | Kyau & Albert, Deadmau5, Trentemøller, Gregor Tresher |
| Progressive Trance/Melodic Trance | Style of trance that originated in the early-mid 90’s. Differentiated from the then “regular” trance by less breakdowns, less acid-like sound & bass chord changes that gave the repeating lead synth a feeling of “progression”. | BT, Humate, Sasha, John Digweed, Sander Kleinenberg, Slacker, Breeder, Gab Olivier, Markus Schulz, Faithless, Sash!, DJ Quicksilver, Brainbug, Future Breeze, Ronski Speed |
| Psychedelic trance | A kind of trance that was developed in the late 90’s and grew from Goa trance culture of India. While it retains strong cultural ties to India, the term has come to refer generally to the music and style of culture associated with it, which is now found in many countries. One defining feature of this genre is the use of a lots of spontaneous sounds and samples. However the range of styles is quite broad, and it has several subgenres of its own, listed below. | Infected Mushroom, GMS, Son Kite, Skazi, Hallucinogen (musicianHallucinogen, Electrypnose, Astrix, Logic Bomb |
| Psybreaks or or Psychedelic Breakbeat | Digitalis, Polyploid, Far Too Loud | |
| Psybient or “Ambient Psy”, “Ambient Goa”, a mixture of Psychadelic trance with ambient and glitch | Bluetech, Celtic Cross, Entheogenic, Open System, Kick Bong, Shpongle, Shulman, Younger Brother, Ott | |
| Dark psytrance | Cosmo, C-P-C, Fungus Funk, Kindzadza, Ocelot, Para Halu, Parasense, Penta, The Nommos, Xenomorph, List of dark psytrance artists | |
| Full on or “Melodic Psytrance”, “Morning Trance”, is a style popular in Israel | Astrix, Cosma, Vibe Tribe, Kali, Domestic, Sesto Sento, Puzzle, PsySex, Sirius Isness, Talamasca, Frozen Ghost, Shift, Slug, EMP | |
| Nitzhonot, a crossover between Goa trance and uplifting trance, which emerged during the mid-late 1990s in Israel. | Astrix, Cyberia, Cygnet | |
| Progressive psytrance | Andromeda, Atmos, Aerospace | |
| South African psytrance | Artifakt, Frozen Ghost | |
| Suomisaundi– a style of freeform psychedelic trance, originating from Finland. | Flying Scorpions, Eraser vs Yöjalka, Salakavala, Shiwa 2000, Squaremeat, Texas Faggott | |
| Tech trance | A merge of Techno and Trance, Tech Trance appeared in the mid 90’s. Usually Tech Trance tunes consist of non-changeable bassline, loud drums and percussions and mostly ambient pads. | Oliver Lieb, Mark Sherry, Fabio MC, Incolumis, Humate, Sander van Doorn, Jesselyn, Megamind, Simon Patterson, Rafael Frost |
| Trance-Core | A combination of typical Trance sounds and rythms and Metalcore music. | Enter Shikari |
| Vocal trance | Broad term referring to trance with a full set of lyrics, which may or may not be any of the above genres (Uplifting, and epic trance often have vocals). Often an artist will borrow a singer’s talents as opposed to the singer himself or herself (vocalists are typically female), or sample from/remix more traditional pop music. Note that there is some debate as to where the divide lies between vocal trance and Eurodance. | 4 Strings, Lange, Ian Van Dahl, Above & Beyond, Fragma, Lost Witness, Armin van Buuren, Oceanlab, Chicane, Lasgo, Faithless, Ayumi Hamasaki (remix albums), Sylver |
About Trance Music
History
Origin
The earliest identifiable trance recordings came not from within the trance scene itself, but from the UK acid house movement, and were made by The KLF. The most notable of these were the original 1988 / 1989 versions of “What Time Is Love?” and “3 a.m. Eternal” (the former indeed laying out the entire blueprint for the trance sound – as well as helping to inspire the sounds of hardcore and rave); and the 1988 track “Kylie Said Trance“. The KLF labelled these early recordings “Pure Trance”; they were markedly different from the releases and re-releases to huge commercial success around the period of the The White Room album (1991) and are significantly more minimalist, nightclub-oriented and ‘underground’ in sound. While the KLF’s works are clear examples of Proto-trance, two songs, both from 1990, are widely regarded as being the first “true” trance records. The first, Age of Love’s self-titled debut single was released in early 1990 and is seen as creating the basis for the original trance sound to come out of Germany. The second track was Dance 2 Trance‘s “We Came in Peace”, the b-side of their own self-titled debut single.
The trance sound beyond this acid-era genesis is said to have begun as an off-shoot of techno in German clubs during the very early 1990s. Frankfurt is often cited as a birthplace of trance. Some of the earliest pioneers of the genre included Jam El Mar, Oliver Lieb, Sven Väth, and Torsten Stenzel, who all produced numerous tracks under multiple aliases. Trance labels like Eye Q, Harthouse, Superstition, Rising High, FAX +49-69/450464 and MFS Records were Frankfurt based. Arguably a fusion of techno and house music, early trance shared much with techno in terms of the tempo and rhythmic structures but also added more melodic overtones which were appropriated from the style of house popular in Europe’s club scene at that time. However, the melodies in trance differed from euro/club house in that although they tended to be emotional and uplifting, they did not “bounce around” in the same way that house did. This early music tended to be characterized by hypnotic and melodic qualities and typically involved repeating rhythmic patterns added over an appropriate length of time as a track progressed.
Popular trance
By the mid-1990s trance, specifically Progressive trance, which emerged from acid trance much as Progressive house had emerged from Acid house, had emerged commercially as one of the dominant genres of dance music. Progressive trance set in stone the basic formula of modern trance by becoming even more focused on the anthemic basslines and lead melodies, moving away from hypnotic, repetitive, arpeggiated analog synth patterns and spacey pads. Popular elements and anthemic pads became more widespread. Compositions leaned towards incremental changes (aka progressive structures), sometimes composed in thirds (as BT frequently does). Meanwhile, a different type of trance, generally called uplifting trance was becoming popular. Uplifting trance had buildups and breakdowns that were longer and more exaggerated, being more direct and less subtle than progressive, with more easily identifiable tunes and anthems. Many such trance tracks follow a set form, featuring an introduction, steady build, a breakdown, and then an anthem, a form aptly called the “build-breakdown-anthem” form. Uplifting vocals, usually female, were also becoming more and more prevalent, adding to trance’s popular appeal.
Immensely popular, trance found itself filling a niche that was ‘edgier’ than house, more soothing than drum and bass, and more melodic than techno, which made it accessible to a wider audience. Artists like Tiësto, Armin van Buuren, Paul van Dyk, Above & Beyond, Darren Tate, Ferry Corsten, Johan Gielen, ATB and Paul Oakenfold came to the forefront as premier producers and remixers, bringing with them the emotional, “epic” feel of the style. Many of these producers also DJ’d in clubs playing their own productions as well as those by other trance DJs. By the end of the 1990s, trance remained commercially huge, but had fractured into an extremely diverse genre. Some of the artists that had helped create the trance sound in the early and mid-1990s had, by the end of the decade, abandoned trance completely in favor of more underground sounds – artists of particular note here include Pascal F.E.O.S. and Oliver Lieb.
As trance entered the mainstream it alienated many of its original fans. As the industry became bigger, record labels, Ibiza based producers, clubs (most notably Ministry of Sound) and DJs began to alter their sound to more of a pop based one, so as to make the sound more accessible to an even wider, and younger, audience.
Post-popular trance
An alternative evolution would be to fuse trance with other genres such as drum’n’bass, various artists have attempted this but it has still to break into acceptance even in the underground. Frustrated, extreme versions of trance have mutated through gabba into violent fringe genres of “hard-trance” such as terrorcore and drillcore.
Trance more loyal to its roots has begun to rear its head on the internet more recently however, with the abundance of legal music download sites – including the likes of Juno Download, Audiojelly, Trackitdown,[2] and Beatport,[3] – enabling enthusiasts to avoid having to track down hard to find vinyl by downloading mp3s and uncompressed wavs, updated on a weekly basis. As a result, both commercial and progressive trance now have a much more global, if not chart-bound, presence, with big-draw artists such as Tiësto, ATB, Markus Schulz, Armin van Buuren, BT, Paul van Dyk, Ferry Corsten, Above & Beyond, Paul Oakenfold, Johan Gielen, Lange, Enigma, Schiller, Solarstone and the US’s Christopher Lawrence and George Acosta able to maintain their esteemed positions while upcoming producers and DJs can also breakthrough into the public domain.
Trance production
Trance employs a 4/4 time signature, a tempo of 130 to 165 BPM, and 32 beat phrases, somewhat faster than house music but usually not as fast as Psychedelic. Early tracks were sometimes slower. A kick drum is placed on every downbeat and a regular open hi-hat is often placed on the off-beat. Some simple extra percussive elements are usually added, and major transitions, builds or climaxes are often foreshadowed by lengthy ‘snare rolls’ – a quick succession of equally spaced snare drum hits that builds in volume towards the end of a measure or phrase.
Synthesizers form the central elements of most trance tracks, with simple sawtooth-based sounds used both for short pizzicato elements and for long, sweeping string sounds. A technique called “gating” is often employed in creating these lead sounds (turning the volume up and down rapidly in rhythm with the piece to create a stuttered, chopped sound). Rapid arpeggios and minor scales are common features. Trance tracks often use one central “hook” melody which runs through almost the entire song, repeating at intervals anywhere between 2 beats and several bars.
While many trance tracks contain no vocals at all, other tracks rely heavily on vocals, and thus a sub-genre has developed. The sound and quality of the production relies to a large degree upon the technology available. Vintage analog equipment still holds a place in the hearts of many producers and enthusiasts, with names such as Moog, Roland and Oberheim staples in the trance sound palette. However, the mainstream availability of digital technology has allowed a whole new group of producers to emerge due to the fact that while top shelf digital (or analog modeling) synthesizers cost thousands of US dollars, high demand and a small supply of clean vintage analog synthesizers causes them to be extremely expensive.
Trance records are often heavily loaded with reverb and delay effects on the synthesizer sounds, vocals and often parts of the percussion section. This provides the tracks with the sense of vast space that trance producers tend to look for in order to achieve the genre’s epic quality. Flangers, phasers and other effects are also commonly used at extreme settings – in trance there is no need for sounds to resemble any real-world instrument, and so producers have free rein.
As is the case with many dance music tracks, trance tracks are usually built with sparser intros and outros in order to enable DJs to blend them together more readily. As trance is more melodic and harmonic than much dance music, the construction of trance tracks in such a way is particularly important in order to avoid dissonant (or “key clashing,” i.e., out of tune with one another) mixes by DJs who do not mix harmonically. This is a technique generally employed throughout dance music (in its various forms) and records that adhere to this “build up, strip down” arrangement during intros and outros are referred as being “DJ friendly”.
Trance genres
[edit] Trance festivals
Some of the best known Trance festivals in the world are held in the Netherlands and Great Britain.
The Netherlands
Some of the best festivals are displayed in the Netherlands. Trance festivals in the Netherlands are mainly organized by three companies ID&T, UDC and Q-Dance:
- Tiësto In Concert Amsterdam: is a gig only performance by Tiësto. Organized by ID&T
- Armin Only, Ahoy, Rotterdam: the only DJ to mix at this event is the very popular Armin Van Buuren. Organized by UDC.
- Dance Valley, Netherlands: an outdoor festival organized by UDC.
- Qlimax, Gelredome, Anthem (20,000 visitors): a Hardstyle, Hard Trance event which has been gaining in popularity recently. Renowned for its impressive laser show. Organized by Q-Dance.
- Sensation, Amsterdam Arena (80,000 visitors on two nights). Not a trance-only festival, many genres such as house and hardstyle coexist. Famous for the venue (a football stadium) and the lightshow. Organized by ID&T.
- Trance Energy, Jaarbeurs, Utrecht (30,000 visitors): a festival which features only trance music, and very popular for diehard fans of trance. Many well-received DJs have played sets at this event, helping to create its fame. Organized by ID&T.
- Impulz Festival, At the Brabanthallen,’s-Hertogenbosch ( 20,000 visitors ) which started as a try-out, became a festival well known, in the BeNeLux countries, France and Germany.
Great Britain
- Global Gathering festival, promoted by the Angel Music Group. The weekend long Global Gathering held every summer features the Godskitchen arena as its centerpiece, showcasing the best trance and techno acts in the world and attracting 45,000 people between a Friday afternoon and a Sunday morning. The organization promotes other stadium trance events under the Godskitchen brand, the largest being Godskitchen: A Gift From The Gods which brought 12,000 revelers to the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham UK back in April 2003.
- Cream‘s annual Creamfields festival has also showcased an 10,000 capacity trance arena for the last 8 years at various venues across the United Kingdom.
- Gatecrasher also promote sporadic events and have in the past also used venues such as Birmingham N.E.C. Gatecrasher is currently on hiatus until further notice due to fire damage.
- South West Four held every summer has come a long way since beginning as a backyard party it found its home on Clapham Common, London. Since then moving to Cardiff in 2006. Packing the big names in one day it is a chance to top up your tan whilst listening to the great live acts without having to pay hundreds for a week in Ibiza.
- PlanetLove, Northern Ireland also has had a thriving trance scene since the early 90’s, at the legendary Kelly’s Complex in Portrush, shooting local trance pioneers such as DJs X-ray & Si into the Northern Ireland Dance Music Hall of Fame. PlanetLove holds a yearly festival in both the North and South of Ireland, and numerous other events on a smaller scale. Major DJs have performed at PlanetLove events such as Armin van Buuren, Paul van Dyk and Tiesto.
Non-European festivals
- Monster massive, a Los Angeles Sports Arena event held once a year around the night of Halloween. Typically an audience of 15,000+ electronica enthusiasts attend.
- Ultra Music Festival, Miami, Florida, USA: (80,000 visitors): A two day-long event with eleven stages playing various genres of electronic music with the main stage focusing on trance. Famous for their impressive lineup of the most famous and influential DJs in the world along with pyrotechnics and light/laser shows.
- Ultraworld and Universe Kryal Castle, Ballarat, Victoria, Australia: a 12 hour long event, comprising mainly Hardstyle, Hard Dance and Hard Trance (also featuring happy hardcore) event held in a replicated medieval castle.
- World Electronic Music Festival: held annually in Canada, this three-day-long outdoor event, comprising mainly of Trance, Hard Dance and Jungle (also featuring happy hardcore) has been held for the past ten years. It is also known as WEMF.
- Winter Music Conference: held annually toward the end of Northern Hemisphere winter in Miami, WMC is a week-long conference and festival featuring many of the hottest DJs in the world each year.
- Love Fest: Held Annually in San Francisco, CA. Formerly known as the Love Parade. Typically an audience of 60,000+ watch the elaborate parade of famous DJs down Market Street to end at San Francisco City Hall for an impromptu dance party. Love Fest is followed by the Official Love Fest afterparty held at Bill Graham Civic Auditorium right next to the San Francisco City Hall. The event normally lasts from 12:00pm noon until 4:00am the next day. Many other events lead up to the main event throughout the week with guest DJs playing at many of the clubs.
Other
- Portugal: Boom Festival (the last edition was in Idanha-a-Nova) since 1997. This event is an outdoor festival running every two years with a duration of several days, focusing in psychedelic goa trance. The festival also features workshops, presentations, and cinema.
- Germany: Full Moon Trance Festival This event is held during July 7-12th between the cities of Wittstock and Roebel, Germany. This festival celebrates psychedelic trance. In the year 2006 trance artists such as: Infected Mushroom, Astral Projection, Astrix, Space Tribe, 1200 Mics, GMS, Etnica, Oforia, Tristan, Perplex, Atomic Pulse, Electric Universe and Parasense plus many others were lined up to play. [1]
Many other countries lack such festivals due to legal restrictions. Public prosecution departments in many countries — notably France — have been reluctant to give permits for techno and trance events, due to perceived drug issues.[citation needed] Recently however, ID&T has been expanding operations and begun to organize festivals in Belgium and Germany which have became very popular in these countries.
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