Trance

=Trance=

=History and Background=

It has been said that trance music originated from a spiritual state of mind reminiscent of shamanism and elements of Buddhism. However, contemporary trance emerged during 1990s in Germany and became mainstream in mid 90s. Frankfort is known as the birthplace of trance. By late 90s trance became a popular and dominant genre of dance music. In 1996, the UK became the core of the new trance phenomenon taking trance to new heights in UK clubs and out to the clubber's island of Ibiza.[|°]

=Characterstics=

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, often crescendoing or featuring a breakdown. Sometimes vocals are also utilised. The style is arguably derived from a combination of largely techno and house.Trance is usually classified by having anthemic and epic and rifting and psychedelic qualities.

=Movement from Underground to Mainstream=

Ever since its birth, trance has been part of a subculture comprised of young adults that were looking to find solace in a stagnant music industry dominated by mainstream alternative rock and pop. In North America, hip-hop and Euro anthems dominated the dance floors and club owners were not willing to break the cycle and take a risk by hiring trance DJs. Trance listeners were left to start their own underground parties which became known as raves. But as the underground trance scene started growing steadily, mainstream musicians began to experiment and collaborate with trance producers like BT and Oakenfold.[|¹] And soon this rise in popularity of trance in North America has paved a way for top European trance DJs like Paul Oakenfold and Tijs Tiesto to tour around North America. Soon younger Dutch DJs like Armin van Buuren and Ferry Corsten were able to enter into the Canadian and American markets, bringing a more mainstream sound by incorporating female vocal to tracks with less harder beats and slower beats per minute (albeit considered still fast for non-trance listeners).

In 2004, trance music was given a huge boost by mainstream media when Tiesto was given the exclusive right to perform at the opening ceremonies of 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens.[|²] Armin van Buuren followed suit in a different way when he was given an opportunity to create a remix of FOX's most popular TV show 24.[|³]

Today, trance artists have taken a new step forward by entering into untapped East Asian markets like Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, and China. Trance artists are pushing the boundaries and the sound of trance and the genre is constantly reinventing itself. As music producing software like Reason and MixMeister become more advanced and become readily available to young musicians through BitTorrent, the future of trance looks brighter than a 1000 watt strobe light.

=Types=
 * Goa
 * Pyschedelic
 * Progressive
 * Hard
 * Vocal
 * Euro

= =

=Trance DJ's & Producers= >
 * Robert Miles
 * Armin Van Buuren
 * Chicane
 * Paul Van Dyk
 * Ferry Corsten
 * 4 Strings
 * Above and Beyond
 * Blank and Jones
 * Gabriel and Dresden
 * Tiesto
 * [|Andy Moor]
 * Kai Tracid
 * Johan Gielen
 * Markus Schulz
 * Benny Benassi
 * Da Rude
 * ATB
 * Rank 1
 * Delerium
 * Paul Oakenfold
 * Motorcycle

=Sources=

° Jahsonic. "A History of Trance Music." Jahsonic. 2004. [||http://www.jahsonic.com/Trance.html] ¹ MTV. "BT Secretive About 'NSYNC Payback On Upcoming Album." MTV. 2002. [||http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1458763/11182002/bt.jhtml] ² Remix Magazine. "Tiesto Performs At Olympic Games Opening Ceremony." Prism Business Media Inc. 2004. http://remixmag.com/news/remix_tiesto_performs_olympic/

³ Armin van Buuren. "24: The Longest Day." Armada Music. 2005. http://supra.armadamusic.nl/?id=371