Trance

So, you know a bit about the Hard Dance/Harcdore genre. Now it's time to start a new topic on the popular Trance genre. As listed on my previous post, there is quite a bit of sub-genres, so this might be a pretty big post. What I'm going to do is give you a quick description of each sub-genre, where it is popular, and an album or two you might want to check out to understand that sub-genre a little more.

Acid Trance
Acid Trance started around the 80's and 90's, and it is basically focusing on an "acid" sound. This sound was first created by the Roland TB-303 (synthesizer) by playing a sequenced melody while altering an insturments cutoff frequency, resonance, envelope modulation, and accent controls. Acid Trance is best known in Belguim because of the Antwerp Rave in Belgium, which was the first showing of the Acid Trance genre.

Acid Flash seems to be the most popular Acid Trance series. It started in 1995, and features the most popular Acid Trance artists around!

Classic Trance

Classic Trance is just another way of saying Trance basically. Trance usually has a tempo of 130-155 bpm, has 32 beat phrases, short melodic synthesizer phrases, and a musical form that buils up and down throughout a track. A kick drum is placed on every downbeat and a hi-hat is often placed on every upbeat. Some simple extra percussive elements are usually added, and major transistions, builds or climaxes are often forshwdowed by snare rolls (build-ups). Created with synthsizers such as TR-808, TR-909, TB-303, and many more. Trance can also be a combination of other genres such as Industrial, Techno, and House.

Obviously Dj Tiesto Elements of Life should be the first album you should check out if you are interested in the Trance genre. It's full of amazing melodies, and is Tiestos best album!

Again, a very popuolar Trance artist Armin Van Buuren should be another artist to check out! He is ranked #1 Dj in the world, and has composed multiple number 1 songs on the Trance charts!

Hard Trance

Hard Trance is usually set between 140-160 bpm, and varies from Classic Trance with its emphasis on harder, often acid sounds. The beat is very strong, and lead pads and synths are simpler, but still are melodic. The "hoover" sound, named because of its "vacuum-like" drone, has been used less frequently, but only so it can have a harsher melody through pads or synths. Recently, European Hard Trance has been developed, which contains darker elements, and is similar to Hardstyle. Hard Trance is popular in Japan, the UK, and othe parts of Europe.

Tunnel Trance Force is the most popular Hard trance series ever! It has been going on for so long, it's on its 52nd album! Plus it's mixed by the very popular Dj Dean! Be sure to check out any of the 52 albums, and i assure you, you will not be disapointed!

Masif HardTrance Anthems is an album created by the very popular record company that made Masif Hardcore. Mixed by steve hill and Dj Alex Kidd, this album is full of choons!

Progressive Trance

Progressive Trance has a similar structure to Progressive House, but with some variations. For example, phrases are usually a power of two number bars and begin with and introduction of a new melody or rythm, and the tempo is usually around 128-140 bpm. Now, with this kind of music, listeners who aren't fans may get annoyed and want to turn it off because Progressive Trance have buil-ups that can last 3 to 4 minutes, and the songs are longer then normal (being 5-6 min), Progressive Trance songs can go as long as 12 minutes. But people! After you get passes those 3-4 minute build-ups, I'm telling you, the song is magical, it never fails to disapoint me!

The Progressive Trance series is one series you should check out! It holds all of the best Progressive Trance Tracks. The first 6 albums are all Progressive Trance albums, while Vol. 7 and 8 deal with Goa Trance.

Psychedelic trance/Goa trance

Psy/Goa Trance seems to be a big genre throughout the world. The genre itself has many different types of styles, Dark Psy, Full On, Psybreaks, Psybient. and Progressive. Regular Psy/Goa Trance is made with VST and AU software presets. The use of analog synthesizers has given way to digital "virtual analog" insturments like Nord Lead, Access Virus, Korg MS-2000, and Roland JP-8000.

Dark Psy - Dark Psy has a speed of 145-180 bpm, and usually does not contain any vocals. But Dark Psy can contain sampling, which is a part of a speech from a movie (usually from a horror or Sci-fi movie). Dark Psy is a darker, faster and more distorted form of Psy/Goa Trance music.

Full On - A hard genre to recgonize, but only if you don't know how to. The esaiest way to recognize Full On is its "rolling" bassline, which has two or three short bass notes in between each hit of the 4/4 drum.

Psybreaks - Psybreaks is just basically a breakbeat style (mentioned in previous post) of Psy/Goa Trance.

Progressive - Progressive Psy/Goa Trance is the slowest style of the genre with its speed of 125-145 bpm. It is a cleaner, and has a clearer sound compared to the other Psy genres, and is known for its well constructed percussion.

Psybient - aka Ambient Psy, is part of the Psychill scean. Psybient songs are often structured around the concept of a "sonic voyage" or "musical journey" (very hippy trippy). Psybient focuses more on creating a vast soundscape, also on tempo changes, while at the sametime focusing less on beatmatching.

Psy Trance 2 Euphoria is a compilation mixed by John Fleming, and contains Progressive Psy, and Full On Psy. This is a must listen to album!

Uplifting Trance

A derivative of the Psy Trance genre. Uplifting Trance is usually around 136-142 bpm, and uses similar progressions as Progressive Trance, but usually rest on a major chord, and the balance between the major and minor chord will determine how happy or sad a song will be. Uplifting Trance has long major chord progressions in all elements (ex. the synth, bass, treble, etc...), and has extended breakdowns. Uplifintg Trance is popular all around Europe.

Uplifting Trance Session Vol 5 is a great album to start off with if you are new to Uplifting Trance. Mixed by Paul Hided, this album is a great compilation with the best tracks today!

Vocal Trance

Vocal Trance contains vocals, highly melodic sessions, and intros and outros that are similar to Hard Trance and Progressive Trance. Vocal Trance tracks are usually around 6-8 min. long, and contain 3 main elements that should be noticed. First, the intro to the song contains progrssive beats, which go on for 1-3 min. Second, the melodic part which also contains the vocals (usually female), and go on for 2-5 min. Finally, the outro, which is when the melody fades out, and becomes the same rythem as the intro, but with some minor changes.

Vocal Trance Club Hits Vol 2 I think is the best Vocal Trance album you are going to find. Contains extended versions and Club versions of popular songs around in Trance.

Tech Trance

Combines the genres Techno and Trance, as the name suggests. This type of genre incorporates elements of Techno, with its repetitive nature and strong 4/4 beat, while at the sametime keeping the melodic elements from Trance. This style is usually paced at a 135-150 bpm rate. It also tends to use a more driving sound while using distortion as an effect on melodies. Melodies will only begin once the beat has stopped, and once the melody has stopped a brand new synth and beat will start. Synths can become extremely short, causing it to be repetitve and having very little note change.

Tech Trance Anthems Vol 2 would be the only Tech Trance album I would suggest. It has awsome tunes, and will really get you dancing!