Trance Music Guide: Inside Trance Music History and Subgenres

Trance music, or trance, is a form of electronic dance music (EDM) that gained popularity in the late ‘90s and early 2000s. Though it draws on various music genres, from house music to classical music, trance is distinguished by its production aesthetic, which combines a faster tempo, minimal, repetitive synthesizer lines, and an array of effects, from heavy delay to recurring build-up and breakdown structures. These elements are intended to suggest and even induce a trance-like state of euphoria on the dancefloor.

As with any musical form, there are many different subgenres of trance music, each delivering its own unique interpretation of its signature characteristics while expanding and redefining trance for new audiences. Though it has been supplanted by many newer forms of EDM like dubstep, trance music remains popular throughout the world, thanks to radio programs like DJ Armin van Buuren’s syndicated series, A State of Trance, and global music festivals.

The history of trance music begins in Europe, where DJs and record label owners began experimenting with forms of EDM, including acid house and Detroit techno.

• Beginnings. The earliest trance songs, like “L’Esperanza” by Sven Vath, the KLF’s “What Time Is Love (Pure Trance 1),” and “We Came in Peace” by Dance 2 Trance, defined the trance sound by adding melody and harmony from outside the EDM world, like classical and film music, to a house music context. A 1992 remix by Jam & Spoon of The Age of Love’s self-titled 1990 single became one of the first trance tracks to enjoy widespread attention and chart success.
• The rise. By the late ’90s, trance tracks like “Don’t Be Afraid” by producer Ferry Corsten (under the alias Moonmen) led to the rise of variations like progressive trance and uplifting trance and superstar trance DJs like Tiesto and Paul Van Dyk. Trance had also made its way to the top of the UK and European dance charts with songs like Rank 1’s “Airwave,” and its popularity helped move EDM out of the rave scene and into clubs across Europe.
• The decline. A 2001 remix of Madonna’s single “What It Feels Like for a Girl” by Above and Beyond seemed to indicate trance’s move into the mainstream, but its rise was quickly undone by changing tastes in dance music, and the return of pop and rock acts to British charts in the early 2000s.
• Legacy. The legacy of trance lives on as a popular draw at EDM festivals and through subgenres like hard trance and tech trance.

Here are the most common characteristics of trance music:

1. 1. The beat. Trance music is built on a 4/4 time signature, which means four beats per measure. It’s the time signature most frequently used for dance music, but at 125 to 150 beats per minute (BPM), trance music is also somewhat faster than house music. A kick drum is typically used for the downbeat, while an open hi-hat signals the upbeat.
2. 2. The build-up and breakdown. Both the build-up and the breakdown are used in most forms of EDM, but in trance, it has a different impact. The build-up—a transitional point in the song where its energy is increased through various effects—in trance occurs at the midpoint of the song and is followed by a breakdown—a section where rhythm and beats are reduced to focus on melody—without any percussion. The result is a sensation of tension and release with a floating, euphoric quality. Trance build-ups and breakdowns are also typically longer and more melodic than in other forms of EDM.
3. 3. The hook. The melody or “hook” is all-important in trance music and frequently repeats throughout trance tracks. The repetition emphasizes the hypnotic trance-like effect and is furthered through effects like delay and reverb.
4. 4. The vocals. Though trance is usually an instrumental form, many trance tracks employ sample vocals or session vocalists. Vocal trance, in particular, uses female vocalists to enhance the melody with singing that lends an operatic or ethereal quality to the song.

There are many different subgenres of trance music, each with its own unique interpretation of the style:

1. 1. Goa trance. The Indian state of Goa, a favorite destination for the hippie counterculture during the 1960s, lends its name to this style of trance music. DJs began playing extended mixes in the late 1980s, which informed Goa trance’s long, slow aesthetic and frequent use of vocal samples to induce a trance-like state. DJ Paul Oakenfold popularized Goa trance with several mixes in the early ’90s.
2. 2. Hard trance. One of the newest forms of trance, hard trance is distinguished by hard basslines and repetitive, reverb-heavy beats that clock in at 140 to 180 BPM. It grew from the hip-hop sound of hardcore breakbeat in Germany and was a primary influence on the hardstyle scene in the late ‘90s and early 2000s.
3. 3. Progressive trance. Though structurally similar to pure trance music, progressive trance emphasizes a less aggressive sound with more build-ups and soft breakdowns. Progressive trance’s dreamier quality led to uplifting trance, an umbrella term for trance styles with a lighter tone and longer breakdowns.
4. 4. Psychedelic trance. An offshoot of Goa trance, psychedelic trance, or psytrance, is a high-energy style of music that features a pounding bassline and rhythms that change every eight bars. At 190 to 300 BPM, psytrance is also one of the fastest forms of EDM.
5. 5. Tech trance. A mix of trance and techno music, tech trance features more complicated rhythms and hard synths with lots of delay and resonance. Tech trance and hard trance are typically the most common forms of trance music heard today.

Trance music has influenced popular culture in several significant ways:

• Helped fuel the superstar DJ. While each form of electronic music had its own “name” DJs and producers, some of the most prominent and influential figures in EDM arose from the trance world. These included Armin van Buuren, Tiesto, Paul Van Dyk, ATB, and Binary Finary, who introduced trance to UK television audiences in 1998 and 1999 via the popular music showcase Top of the Pops.
• Helped inspire huge dance festivals. Trance remains the electronic music of choice for “big tent” dance festivals across the globe. Among these are the Electric Daisy Carnival, the largest dance festival in North America, Belgium’s Tomorrowland, and the Untold Festival in Romania.
• Took dance music from raves to clubs. The widespread popularity of trance, which extended beyond the EDM fanbase, led to a demand for safer and bigger dancefloors than the rave scene could provide. This demand led to the rise of “superclubs” across Europe that were more acceptable from a legal and community standpoint and could house more dancers.

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