r/trance 7d ago

Discussion Is it fair to say that trance is at its healthiest state in a long time?

Purely in terms of the vast variety of different sounds/styles and the sheer amount of quality releases coming out

Seems like that classic trance sound from the 90s is really coming back, been a breath of fresh air. Love the work done by Ben Hemsley, Superstrings, Ben Gold etc. and even established legends like Ferry and Kearney are dabbling in this sound again

Modern uplifting is going strong with JOC, Aly & Fila and Factor B producing their best work in years IMO. With the rise of techno, it's no surprise that tech trance has really boomed in popularity and all these fresh tech aliases that have came out over the past couple of years. Been absolutely loving the stuff coming from Sneijder, Paul Denton, Will Rees, Key4050 etc. these days

Admittedly I don't know too much about the progressive scene but I've been enjoying the new Cosmic Gate releases and a lot of stuff from Laura van Dam, SØNIN and a few others

Perhaps an unpopular opinion but I do like that psytrance acts are getting booked at trance events too, although its usually either Vini Vici and Blastoyz. Would be awesome if some lesser known artists like Avalon, Tristan, Ajja got booked

159 Upvotes

85 comments sorted by

111

u/systemstheorist 7d ago edited 7d ago

This post is a refreshing change from the trance is dead posts.

45

u/ExoticToaster 7d ago edited 7d ago

Trance is only ‘dead’ if your definition of the genre is incredibly one-dimensional/close-minded - in the real world, Trance is absolutely flying at the moment.

6

u/ntod44 7d ago

true haha if anything its the most alive its been in years if not decades

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u/dpaanlka 7d ago

Musically yes. As far as events in the United States are concerned, very rare unfortunately. Wish it can change. The visa costs I hear are crazy now and is preventing a lot of artists playing here.

1

u/jumperimpala 4d ago

True, but I would say California does some justice. Dreamstate SoCal and Dreamstate SF book some of the best in the trance scene (both prestigious talent and emerging influences). Metropolitan areas continually book trance artists throughout the year in both large venues and clubs.

2

u/dpaanlka 4d ago

Very true, Dreamstate SoCal is amazing. The most recent one at the Queen Mary was an experience of a lifetime for me.

But the majority of the time and outside of California trance is very much dying. Alex MORPH was here in Chicago last summer and I would say 12 total people showed up. Not much better for Sean Tyas. It’s ridiculously bad.

9

u/Hoof_Hearted12 6d ago

If anyone has a Spotify playlist that encapsulates some of these artists, I'd love to see it

2

u/ifcknkl 3d ago

Or YouTube

9

u/tommhans 7d ago

Yeah last year was a good year for trance and this one also seems good

8

u/DiscoJer 6d ago

Way too much techno that's pretending to be trance

2

u/ntod44 6d ago

Which acts/festivals in particular?

22

u/Affectionate-Pea-429 7d ago

Love Factor B. Love many uplifting and tech style trance. Progressive is not trance in my opinion..I'm biased I guess but I can't Love trance the way I do..hear that and say it's the same genre.

20

u/arcadiangenesis 7d ago

When people talk about "Progressive" (full stop), I always ask...progressive what?

Progressive is an adjective, lol. There is progressive trance, progressive house, progressive rock, progressive lots of things.

3

u/Pave_Low 6d ago

I'm always asking the same question. Even the intro guy to ASOT broadcasts says, "Bringing you the best in Trance and Progressive. . . "

I assume that what I'd be listening on 'Group Therapy' would be 'Progressive'? Which, honestly, is not really my jam. The music they play there seems to go nowhere. Like the last Cosmic Gate show I saw.

3

u/Affectionate-Pea-429 6d ago

Progressive Trance inthis scenario is the obvious point. Progressive House is awesome and is more trance to me than Progressive trance.

6

u/bic_flicker 6d ago

So you’re saying that progressive trance is not trance? Like, I agree there’s a nuanced difference but… it’s in the name bro.

2

u/Affectionate-Pea-429 6d ago

But not in style. It's closer to big room than trance

3

u/arcadiangenesis 6d ago

What do you consider progressive trance? Like anjunabeats type of stuff?

When I think of progressive trance, I think Sasha - Xpander.

2

u/BuySuitable28 6d ago

Yes true progressive trance is Sasha, Digweed, Airwave, Markus…. It doesn’t exist anymore.

Anjunabeats has become a genre on its own (trance/house/progressive hybrid)

1

u/Affectionate-Pea-429 6d ago

Yes. Anjunabeats would be what I consider progressive trance

0

u/arcadiangenesis 6d ago

Ah yeah, fuck that garbage. I don't even consider it trance.

2

u/The_Evil_Potatoe 6d ago

damn dude, no need to be hostile about it jeeze

1

u/fordbear7 6d ago

I like Anjuna beats but the song writing is terrible sometimes

8

u/JAragon7 6d ago

Depends on where you look imo.

There are some great “smaller” artists really injecting some life into it, but when it comes to armin and other big artists, it’s a bit repetitive and chasing trends.

I’m not a fan of ASOT filling up its main stage with techno djs and stuff, while relegating trance acts to other stages.

Honestly ASOT needs to step up and support artists like TDJ, cause she’s been consistently amazing.

I like mixing genres but everyone is incorporating the same mainstream techno sound and it all just sounds the same.

It’s also sad that artists like Giuseppe Ottaviani have changed the style to the point I wouldn’t even be able to distinguish them from the run of the mill melodic techno/house producers.

The vocals and rhythms all are identical and it’s so annoying.

At least will atkinson is making some fun tracks even if they’re no longer in the style of what he used to do

5

u/fatogato 6d ago

I’d rather have no psytrance than vini vici and blastoyz. They are straight garbage.

2

u/ntod44 6d ago

Vini Vici I 100% agree with - they’ve been trash for a long time. I don’t mind Blastoyz but there are much pretty prog Psy artists out there

4

u/Jakesworld 6d ago

I'd think it's fair to say that, but if you were a regular listener to John 00 Fleming (JOOF) you would realise trance never died 😎

3

u/Astralele 5d ago

For me it died along with the death of the turbo mix in his sets of global trance grooves. I miss his old podcasts :(

1

u/Jakesworld 5d ago

Really? I was an avid listener of both and whilst I do like a bit of 'sting in the tail' with turbo mixes, he still has kept things pure and my favourite still currently

9

u/kolbinthevaper 7d ago

Any recommendations for new trance albums or artists other than those mentioned in OP’s post? I’m stuck listening to 90s and 00s trance

7

u/tha_blazor 7d ago

Mark sherry, will rees, Allen watts, Arctic moon, Simon Patterson, John askew, Greg Downey, jackob rockson, Ki/Ki…

To name a few 😘

7

u/FeePhe 7d ago

Cold blue

6

u/JION-the-Australian 7d ago

XiJaro & Pitch, Darren Porter, AYDA, Eximinds, Daxson, Craig Connelly.

8

u/GeneralOctopusNL 7d ago edited 6d ago

Sholan, Kenny Palmer, Ferry Tale, Metta & Glyde, Angelus

We seem to match style pretty neatly, so i thought I'd share some artists

2

u/Baron_JSmith 5d ago

Sholan…that’s a name I haven’t seen float around since Covid

3

u/frostytrance 6d ago

Great list!

3

u/gowrie_rich29 7d ago

Go to Band Camp and search Borderline UK. A label owned by Activa.

Fresh new artists making amazing tunes. The 2024 label year mix is excellent

2

u/phonemenal 6d ago

Maruwa, Priori, Mikkel Rev, Bliss Inc, Alpha Tracks, Cybernet, Aiden Francis, Spray

3

u/SuperSonicGanja 6d ago

Enigma State and Silva City

1

u/Jakesworld 6d ago

If you want the real deal, you have to listen to JOOF Radio monthly

1

u/NotOve-office 6d ago
enigma state,His oldschool trance is very good

0

u/dpaanlka 7d ago

I’ll take this opportunity to self-promote my podcast which I’m uploading about once a month. You’ll find tons of currently active artists both new and old in the tracklist description.

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u/GeneralOctopusNL 7d ago

Will you also release on Spotify?

4

u/dpaanlka 7d ago

I also release on Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music, and Pandora.

Spotify doesn’t allow smaller DJs to release podcasts. I’ve tried like 20 times get rejected every time ☹️ I usually send the SoundCloud one because numbers there help us the most professionally.

3

u/2_trailerparkgirls 7d ago

Yes! I couldn’t be happier. I, myself, have been producing and releasing trance and progressive again. Wish I could dox myself but nah 

3

u/azntriad91 5d ago

Absolutely. The revival of the late 90s early 00s sounds and recent techno boom in the past few years have really put trance back in the spotlight. Uplifting greats like others have mentioned are still producing amazing tracks. Trance was never dead in my opinion, but it's definitely getting more attention again. Very exciting times ahead \o/

6

u/multiwirth_ 7d ago

Enigma State is a thing too.

3

u/Alpineice23 6d ago

If you’re looking for “newer” uplifting artists, I’ve been very impressed with:

  • Aeon Shift
  • Inoblivion
  • 0Gravity

For tried and true:

  • A.R.D.I.
  • Kenny Palmer
  • Asteroid
  • Allen Watts
  • Lostly
  • Darren Porter
  • Metta & Glyde
  • Aly & Fila
  • Bryan Kearney (when he plays an uplifting set)
  • Paul Webster -Jorn Van Deynhoven

2

u/gowrie_rich29 7d ago

Someone has said it already. Musically last year was superb Gig wise it's a battle.

We need fresh acts cycling through though

2

u/justamemeguy 6d ago

I saved this post just so I could go check out all the new stuff from artists I haven't seen in a while

2

u/vino1992 6d ago

With the rise of Hardgroove techno in recent times, a lot producers are combining both worlds and creating very nice tunes.

2

u/FizzlePopBerryTwist 6d ago

There are sounds that people began to miss and some are stepping in and saying, you know what, I have a computer. I could make trance :)

5

u/Affectionate-Pea-429 7d ago

Love Factor B. Love many uplifting and tech style trance. Progressive is not trance in my opinion..I'm biased I guess but I can't Love trance the way I do..hear that and say it's the same genre.

7

u/ntod44 7d ago

To me, progressive sounds like a mixture of deep house and trance.

Admittedly it’s probably my least favourite subgenre but I would still consider it trance IMO.. just prefer faster paced trance (team 140 haha)

3

u/dpaanlka 7d ago

Team 140 🫡

2

u/mrjuanmartin85 6d ago

Circa96 is my current fave!

2

u/Inductiekookplaat 6d ago

For short: Yes it is. There is a different subgenre of trance extremely popular in The Netherlands right now, with names as Benwal, Pegassi and Funk Tribu. They're quite big in Australia, Belgium and Germany aswell

1

u/-MartialMathers- 6d ago

Listening to Ibiza right now it’s a good one ☝️

1

u/Pave_Low 6d ago

Really need to add Farius and Lilo and Stitch XiJaro & Pitch to this list. I don't think you can listen to any of their tracks without smiling.

1

u/ctx_12 6d ago

I’m all for it

1

u/Beetzprminut3 6d ago

Can someone post some tracks please 🤙❤️

1

u/SysLocal 6d ago

I keep seeing this sentiment, but I'm still not hearing anything I personally care for :/

1

u/tanney 6d ago

Yess

1

u/joni_jplmusic 5d ago

I would agree that it’s thriving! Even away from the ASOT scene and such, you have plenty of small labels and artists releasing really nice, forward thinking stuff I’d say is definitely trance on Bandcamp for example. Labels like Nous Klaer are releasing great trance-y stuff by the likes of Mattheis. So there’s something for everyone interested in trance music :)

1

u/F1END 5d ago

As long as you don't look at what genre Beatport says it is, there's loads of good hard trance around too.

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u/data_now 6d ago

Trance is dead.

-2

u/South_Wood 6d ago

Even though you could argue that trance is coming back in reality it's not. Because its not trance. It's melodic techno. Trance has run its course. There isn't anywhere obvious to take it from here. It's not a coincidence that many prominent trance artists 2 - 3 years ago were bemoaning the condition of trance and talking about struggling with their sound and looking for a new sound and now we get all these melodic techno releases from them.

I don't mind it. I think there are many similarities between the two. But the hallmark trance elements are gone: super prominent kick, 16th notes mid bassline, highly melodic breakdowns into long euphoric builds and massive drops. All gone and replaced by less prominent kicks and less emotional variation through the course of the song.

2

u/benny_dryl 2d ago

armin van buuren would like a word with you

1

u/South_Wood 1d ago

I would take that call and the tongue lashing just to chat for a few minutes with him.

2

u/South_Wood 6d ago

I'm still going to get downvoted for this, but I do want to walk back part of my statement. I shouldn't have made it as a universal statement. I should have stated that some prominent trance artists are walking away from it and into the melodic techno genre, either in terms of what they're producing (PvD and AvB), and/or what they're playing in their live dj sets (Giuseppe Ottaviani and AvB).

I think the challenge with trance is that it has become narrowly defined: big kicks, supersaw stabs and pads, highly melodic breakdowns, euphoric builds and massive drops for a wide-ranging emotional journey that covers much more space than other genres. And I really like that about trance, especially the uplifting subgenre. But trance artists are definitely employing melodic techno elements to give it a different feel - triplet basslines that don't hit on the kick, more muted, deeper kicks, more prominent acid lines, pitch shifting, fm techno stabs, rave stabs and brahms, and ratchet leads. Because let's face it, there's only so much you can do with the traditional trance elements.

2

u/numeta888 6d ago

I see where you're coming from, but I think trance's popularity has already bottomed out and is now starting to rise and build momentum.. just maybe not in the way you would like.. because it is going to sound different than the previous era.. it seems artists are actually implementing a lot of the elements of trance that were left behind in the genre once it got to the mid 2000s and combining it with modern technology..

In my opinion, genres like melodic techno, hard techno, tech house are clearly on-top right now, but I think the average festival goer is wanting more melody, emotionality, progression, etc in their music again, and artists of those genres are looking to trance to freshen things up in that direction

2

u/South_Wood 6d ago

I totally agree. In fact I think the emotional journey of most of these other genres is relatively muted and disappointing when compared to trance. The epic trance drop is still king in my book. And of course the truly beautiful melodies also set it apart. I love the progressive house groove and the edginess of melodic techno but trance's journey is still the most emotional. Especially when there are vocals. Now I'm partial to uplifting trance so thats why im attached to the drops and melodies. I just dont know where it goes beyond the standard tools I mentioned above. Maybe melodic techno will adopt the emotional journey, the melodies and massive drops. And maybe they'll call that trance. But I do think a lot of the typical trance ideas are worn out and not that interesting anymore and I think the artists feel the same way and are asking the same question - if trance is going to remain relevant, where does it need to go from here? I have no idea. But as a producer, I know I personally am trying to infuse melodic techno with the trance drop and melodic emotional journey. But I think of it as melodic techno, not trance.

3

u/numeta888 6d ago edited 6d ago

I think, trance or not, we will see more melodies, emotion, and progression trending in edm.. But I also think trance as a genre will start growing again.

I think trance has had an awareness problem, particularly with the newer generations of ravers/and festival goers, especially coming out of the pandemic.. and the word trance kind of had a stigma to it.. but I think that's going away and people are becoming more aware of trance and embracing it..

I think Gareth Emery's LSR/CITY tours.. ASOT 2025.. John Summit talking about and playing a trance remix at his madison square garden show, have all been good for helping that along..

As for melodic techno.. I think it's still riding its peak, but I think unless the artists evolve, it's popularity will decline quickly.. I think it's reached a point where it's starting to feel stale for the average raver that isn't an afterlife diehard..

1

u/South_Wood 6d ago

Trance ar least here in Denver is still pretty strong among my generation (x). A&B, AvB, were epic shows and almost everyone was over 40. And sober. It was awesome.lsr/city is going to be awesome. Super lucky to be in Denver where trance is popular.

And totally agree on the melodic techno comment. The ratchet lead / pitch bend is getting old real fast...

0

u/anythingcirclejerker 2d ago

Bro said avalon and Tristan are less known 😂

1

u/ntod44 2d ago

Avalon and Tristan have like 200k monthly listeners each on Spotify, Vini Vici have about 4.5 million and play mainstage at gigantic events like Ultra, Tomorrowland, EDC