Trance
If you haven't worked it out by now I love Trance music in all it's glorious flavours. However there seems to be some confusion so I thought I'd explore the genre as a whole and then breakdown a few of my favourite sub-genres to give you a better understanding of the beauty of this music.
Recently I stumbled across this video by one of my favourite artist, Indecent Noise. It outlines the various sub-genres of Trance music so I thought I'd explore a few of my favourites for you. Before I get started here's the video: (Indecent Noise, 2016)
The three genres I will be exploring are Psy-Trance, Tech Trance and Uplifting Trance. Each of these genres has their own blog post which you can find by clicking the genre's title. However, I thought it prudent to do a little background research on their common roots and what defines Trance.
"Trance is the most emotional genre. It can make you cry, make you shout, make you cheer, and make you celebrate absolutely nothing of substance except pure, ecstatic bliss. This is interesting, when at one time it was very repetitive and hypnotic (hence its label 'trance') and was very easy to get lost in whilst divulging in aforementioned emotions."
(Ishkur, 2016)
History
Trance as a genre began in the early 90's in mainland Europe and across the UK. Drawing from the popularity or warehouse raves and the foundation of the cultures of House and Techno in those areas. The majority of music released at this time was sample based and forward thinking producers began experimenting with synthesizers.
The two main instruments that brought about this change were the Roland TB-303 bassline and TR-909 drum machine. The ability to program in locked grooves that repeat and distorted bass lines with grit gave rise to this behemoth pf electronic music.
While many producers at the time were using samplers the Trance scene was moving to a more melody based style of music focusing on ambience and musicality. The Roland TR-909 drum machine remained the stalwart of the genre all the way up until the early 2000's. Its ability to hold a groove for long periods of time allowing the listener to get lost in the melodies played out above is where the name Trance came from. (M, 2010)
One of the most pivotal pieces in defining the genre is the timeless classic Lost Tribe's Gamemaster. Encapsulating all the early elements the bass line created with the TB-303 and solid TR-909 drum groove combined with beautiful atmospheric pads, unbelievably catchy hook and spiritual lyrics this is easily on of my favourite tracks of all time.
(TranceTube1987, 2017)
Elements
Here is a breakdown of common elements that will be found across the kaleidoscope of Trance:
hypnotic rhythms and sounds
Tempo ranging between 128 and 142 beats per minute (BPM)
Musical structure designed to build tension
Climaxing in a Drop usually limited to 1 or 2 per track
Long breakdowns where the track is stripped down to the melody and atmospheric or hypnotic elements that build over a prolonged period of time
Now that you know a little more about where trance came from and what it means here is some awesome music to prepare you for the next few posts.
The World Of Trance (40 Biggest Trance Hits Ever)
(Armada Music, 2015)
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References
Armada Music. (2015, September 25). The World Of Trance (40 Biggest Trance Hits Ever) - Armada Music [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLRbcUrcJVEmUv7isUEEBdWwgchBBvk6fG
Indecent Noise. (2016, February 5). Indecent Noise [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.facebook.com/indecentnoise/videos/10153444374973129/?type=2&theater
Ishkur. (2017). Ishkur's Guide to Electronic Music | New Home on Techno.org [Video file]. Retrieved from http://techno.org/electronic-music-guide/
M, J. (2013, January). A history of trance music. Retrieved from http://www.toucanmusic.co.uk/articles/trance.php
TranceTube1987. (2010, June 14). Lost Tribe - Gamemaster (Original) [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bboe1FRs2nI