Trance music

Lore & Background

The earliest years of trance were defined by Frankfurt labels such as Eye Q, Harthouse, Fax +49-69/450464, Force Inc., and others. Producers such as Pete Namlook, Oliver Lieb, and Rolf Ellmer created noteworthy tracks. Much of the development of trance can be traced to Sven Väth, who was heavily influenced by his experiences traveling to Goa. DJ Dag Lerner, one half of Dance to Trance, has stated that he was the first to call his music trance and 'gave the child his name,' though this attribution is not universally accepted.

In 1991 in Berlin, MFS Records began to gain a trance profile, signing Mijk van Dijk, Cosmic Baby, and Paul van Dyk. In the UK, Platipus Records and Hooj Choons became influential progressive trance labels. In Australia, Quench released 'Dreams' in 1993. In Germany, a harder sub-genre of trance emerged, with Bonzai Records (a sublabel of Lightning Records) noted for tracks such as Jones & Stephenson's 'The First Rebirth'.

Reader's Guide

Trance employs a 4/4 time signature, generally using a tempo of 125 to 150 BPM, with 16- or 32-beat phrases. A kick drum is usually placed on every downbeat and a regular open hi-hat on the upbeat. The kick drum is often de-emphasized to give space to the bassline. Extra percussive elements are added, and major transitions are often foreshadowed by lengthy snare rolls.

Rapid arpeggios and minor keys are common features. Trance tracks often use one central melody that repeats at intervals, with instruments added or removed throughout. Vocals are mostly mezzo-soprano to soprano female soloists, though male singers are also featured.

Did You Know?

• The KLF's 'What Time is Love? (Pure Trance)' was released in the UK in 1988.
• Sven Väth launched Eye Q in 1991 and Harthouse in 1992.
• Paul van Dyk's trance roots trace back to his work with Visions of Shiva.
• Quench's 'Dreams' sold over a million copies worldwide by October 2000.
• Trance was arguably at its commercial peak in the second part of the 1990s and early 2000s.