What is Trance Music? A Blog on Electronic Music Genres


Trance, which is often synonymous with Electronic Dance Music (EDM), is a genre of music that has been around since the late 1980s. This genre is characterized by a tempo that ranges from 110 to 150 bpm (beats per minute) and a bassline that typically lasts 4 beats. The term trance was first coined in Europe as an umbrella name for several subgenres such as Goa trance, ambient trance, acid trance, classic trance and progressive trance.

Trance music is known for its tempo acceleration, rising and falling melodies and hypnotic rhythms. Since the mid-1990s, this type of electronic music has been gaining popularity around the world. Some of the most popular trance artists are Armin Van Buuren, Paul van Dyk and Tiesto.

The genre of trance has influenced many other genres like house music and techno music. Trance was originally inspired by techno from Detroit and house from Chicago. As a matter of fact, one could say that it was created by splicing elements of these two genres together.

Most people who listen to this type of electronic music can attest to what many describe as an almost magical experience. Some have even said it’s like a drug; when they hear it they get transported into another realm or

Trance music is a genre of electronic music that emerged from the rave scene in the United Kingdom in the late 1980s and developed further during the early 1990s in Germany before spreading throughout the rest of Europe, as a more melodic offshoot from techno and house.

While trance was initially popular, it was not until the mid-1990s that it had reached widespread popularity in Europe, particularly Germany (with artists such as Sven Väth and Cosmic Baby) and Belgium (such as M.I.K.E., Push and Natasja). Trance music is generally characterized by a tempo of between 125 to 150 beat-per-minute (BPM), repeating melodic phrases, and a musical form that distinctly builds tension and elements throughout a track often culminating in 1 to 2 “peaks” or “drops”.

Trance tracks are often lengthy to allow for such progression and commonly have sufficiently sparse opening and closing sections to facilitate mixing by DJs. Trance is mostly instrumental, although vocals can be mixed in: they are usually performed by mezzo-soprano to soprano female soloists, often without verse/chorus structure.

Vocals appear in 2008 as featured artists on tracks, but rarely as soloists. Vocal arrangements vary

What is Trance Music?

Trance music is a genre of electronic music that emerged from the British new-age music scene and the early 1990s German techno and hardcore scenes. At the same time trance music was developing in Europe, the genre was also gathering a following in the Indian state of Goa. In the mid-1990s, trance achieved commercial success in Europe, USA, Israel and Japan. Trance music is broken into a number of subgenres including acid trance, classic trance, hard trance, progressive trance, and uplifting trance.

Of all these subgenres it’s uplifting trance that has remained one of the most popular forms of dance music over recent years. It has evolved significantly since its early days and continues to attract new fans all over the world.

Originally trance used to be a type of techno music, with free form rhythms and no real melody. Then in the mid 1990’s trance grew into a much more melodic and uplifting style of music. The BPM (beats per minute) range is usually between 125 to 160 BPM, but can vary depending on the sub genre and style of trance you are listening to.

The German producers Sven Vath, Paul Van Dyke and Cosmic Baby were some of the first to create what became known as “Euro Trance”. They created a style that was much more melodic than normal techno, with a build up (usually 8-12 bars long), and then a big pay off with a “peak” moment in the song. The melodies were very uplifting and inspirational, often including long synth lines that slowly developed over the course of the track, creating an atmosphere that could not be achieved in any other genre.

Trance music is all about the breakdowns and transitions in the songs. The rhythm has a hypnotic effect, especially when it’s accompanied by an underlying synthesizer line. Trance mixes beats that range from 127 to 135 bpm, with a 4/4 time signature. Many trance tracks feature a break in the middle of the song, followed by a breakdown that builds back up to the main rhythm and melody. This is what gives trance its “euphoric” feel. There are many sub-genres of trance music: deep trance, chillout trance, uplifting trance, tech-trance, and vocal trance are just some of them. Some famous DJs that produce this style include Tiesto, Paul Van Dyk and Ferry Corsten.

Trance music is a style of electronic music that emerged in the 1990s. It has been influenced by 1970s electronic music like Kraftwerk and 1980s Eurodisco.

Trance music is characterized by a tempo lying between 110 – 150 bpm, repeating melodic phrases, and a musical form that distinctly builds tension and elements throughout a track often culminating in 1 to 2 “peaks” or “drops”.

Trance tracks are often lengthy to allow for such progression and commonly have sufficiently sparse opening and closing sections to facilitate mixing by DJs. Trance is mostly instrumental, although vocals can be mixed in: they are usually improvised, either spoken or sung, rather than being written or pre-recorded.

Historically trance referred to an ecstatic, hypnotic state (see also hypnosis) brought about by repetitive sounds. In this sense trance means a state of mind in which one’s thoughts are focused inwards on an object of attention. Trance states may occur involuntarily and unbidden. For example, daydreaming while walking on a street or concentrating on driving long distances. The term trance may be associated with hypnosis, meditation, magic, flow, and prayer. The term trance may also refer to an induced empathic experience. This term is used in

The term trance was used to describe a type of German techno music in the early 1990s. However, the word itself is derived from ‘trance state’, a state of mind characterized by a heightened sense of awareness and focus.

In the late 80s and early 90s, prominent trance artists included Sven Vath, Paul Van Dyk, Armin Van Buuren, Ferry Corsten and Tiesto – many of whom are still producing trance tracks to this day.

Back then, however, there were two main types of trance: acid trance and hard trance. Acid trance focused on the euphoric emotions that could be created by soaring melodies and uplifting beats, whereas hard trance was about pushing boundaries through faster tempos and more aggressive sounds.

Trance became increasingly popular throughout the 90s – especially in Germany – but it wasn’t until 2000 that it reached its peak with Tiësto’s performance at the Olympics. This was also when vocal trance began to emerge as a subgenre of its own through artists like Delerium (featuring Sarah McLachlan), ATB (Featuring Roberta Carter Harrison), Darude (featuring Blake Lewis), and Kirsty Hawkshaw (featuring Jan Johnston).


Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *