Trance music

Trance
Stylistic origins
Cultural originsLate 1980s – early 1990s in Western Europe (United Kingdom,[6] Germany,[4][7][8] Belgium, and Netherlands)
Subgenres

(complete list)
Other topics

Trance is a genre of electronic dance music[11] that emerged from EBM in Frankfurt, Germany, in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and quickly spread throughout Europe.[12][13][14][15][16][17][18]

Trance music is typically characterized by a tempo between 120 and 150 beats per minute (BPM),[7] repeating melodic phrases[7] and a musical form that distinctly builds tension and elements throughout a track often culminating in 1 to 2 "peaks" or "drops".[7] Although trance is a genre of its own, it liberally incorporates influences from other musical styles such as techno,[4][2] house,[1][2] chill-out,[4] classical music,[4][5] tech house, ambient and film scores.[5]

A trance is a state of hypnotism and heightened consciousness.[19] This is portrayed in trance music by the mixing of layers with distinctly foreshadowed build-up and release. A common characteristic of modern trance music is a mid-song climax followed by a soft breakdown disposing of beats and percussion entirely,[4][7] leaving the melody or atmospherics to stand alone for an extended period before gradually building up again. Trance tracks are often lengthy to allow for such progression and commonly have sufficiently sparse opening and closing sections to facilitate mixing by DJs.[4][7]

Trance is mostly instrumental, although vocals can be mixed in: typically they are performed by mezzo-soprano to soprano female soloists, mostly without a traditional verse/chorus structure. Structured vocal form in trance music forms the basis of the vocal trance subgenre, which has been described as "grand, soaring, and operatic" and "ethereal female leads floating amongst the synths". However, male singers, such as Jonathan Mendelsohn, are also featured.[20][21]

  1. ^ a b Bom, Coen (2009). Armin Only: A Year in the Life of the World's No. 1 DJ. Oxford, UK: Dutch Media Uitgevers BV. ISBN 978-90-488-0323-1: p. 15
  2. ^ a b c d e f "Trance". AllMusic. Retrieved 9 July 2012.
  3. ^ a b "34 reasons why trance is the greatest dance music of all". FACT Magazine: Music News, New Music. 29 March 2014. Retrieved 9 December 2018.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j Fassbender, Torsten (2008). The Trance Experience. Knoxville, Tennessee: Sound Org Inc. ISBN 978-0-2405-2107-7: p. 15, 16, 17, 19
  5. ^ a b c d Webber, Stephen (2008). DJ Skills: The Essential Guide to Mixing and Scratching. Oxford, UK: Elsevier Press. ISBN 978-0-240-52069-8: p. 35
  6. ^ "A history of trance music". Retrieved 25 June 2020.
  7. ^ a b c d e f Snoman, Rick (2009). The Dance Music Manual: Tools, Toys, and Techniques – Second Edition. Oxford, UK: Elsevier Press. ISBN 0-9748438-4-9: p. 251, 252, 253, 266
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference st-john was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ a b c d e f Hewitt, Michael (2009). Composition for Computer Musicians. Knoxville, Tennessee: Cengage Learning. ISBN 978-1-59863-861-5: p. 9
  10. ^ "Goa Trance". AllMusic. Retrieved 9 July 2012.
  11. ^ "An Idiot's Guide to EDM Genres". Complex. Retrieved 21 March 2021.
  12. ^ "Beatport's Definitive History of Trance". Beatportal. 30 November 2021. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
  13. ^ "The Story of Trance Music: An In-Depth History of Trance Music". Underground Trance. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
  14. ^ "Trance | music | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
  15. ^ "Electronic dance music - London, Berlin, DJs | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
  16. ^ "Early Trance Is The Greatest Dance Music". 29 March 2014.
  17. ^ "Trance Music Guide: Inside Trance Music History and Subgenres". Masterclass.
  18. ^ "Why does trance inspire such a loyal fan following?". Red Bull. 8 August 2019. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
  19. ^ Weir, Dennis R. (May 2006). Trance: from Magic to Technology. Trance Research Foundation. ISBN 9781888428391. Retrieved 28 December 2017.
  20. ^ Hawkins, Erik (2004). The Complete Guide to Remixing. Boston, MA: Berklee Press. ISBN 0-87639-044-0: p. 51
  21. ^ Trance Music—What is Trance Music? https://web.archive.org/web/20140812205717/http://dancemusic.about.com/od/genres/g/Trance_Music