Trance is a huge genre that divides into many subgenres, but generally speaking, it's very spiritual. Ask any trancehead, and they'll tell you that listening to trance uplifts them and connects them to their surroundings, to the universe. More than that, trance is therapy. When I'm down, I listen to trance, and it instantly makes me feel better.
When people talk about the "trance community" or "trance family", it's not an exaggeration. I’ve read stories of tranceheads getting along with people they meet as soon as they find out that they listen to trance. Because to be a trancehead is to share that unspoken, mystical experience. What trance does is take that subjective experience and turns it into a shared one.
Trance is full of life, full of wander, full of that desire to feel connected and feel one. It uses tension, build-up and release to take you to places you've never been before. The thick texture, heavy synths and plenty of reverb surround you, overtake you.
The tracks tend to start with one or two elements, and the sound builds up slowly at first. Extended mixes are usually 8 to 10 minutes long, but they’re mostly made for DJs to be able to mix between songs. Radio edits are around half that length. Personally, I love listening to extended mixes, because I absolutely enjoy the build up and interaction of different sounds.
The melody, if there is one, tends to be simple yet effective at striking your emotions. It's often short and repetitive, but always goes somewhere.
The vocals, if there are any, are usually high-pitched and have a certain electric feel to them. And the words tend to reinforce that feeling of connectivity and oneness.
'We Control The Sunlight' was voted as tune #1 for 2011 in the ‘A State Of Trance’ radio show. As far as structure goes, it's a typical uplifting trance song, characterized by a build-up, breakdown, and uplift. It also has that rolling bass sound, which you can hear distinctly at the beginning, that gives the feeling of waiting for take-off. The vocals are absolutely serene, and the lyrics very nostalgic, about the chase of times long gone, when we had control and everything was easy-going and we had no worries: "Bring me back to a world I used to own, where we controlled the sunlight." And once we realize that times gone will never come back, we start fighting with all our being to seize every moment, live in the present: "Can you stand still? Can you dance with light? Can you hold this moment in your hand?"
It's an absolutely beautiful song, and I think deserved its winning title.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ad_eViMKuF8Aly & Fila, being Egyptian, are called the Pharaohs of Trance. And they really are pharaohs. They are among the leaders of uplifting trance producers.
Another one of their tracks that I love:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acOqoFCgWYc'Ressurrection' is a classic song. It's one of those tracks that have come to define trance music (the one here being a remake, which I think improves on the original). Its melody, which is the main element, has that simple-yet-effective format yet is really captivating. And I think that’s what makes it a classic: its ability to take the usual structure and make more out of it.
Planet Perfecto Knights - Resurrection (Paul Oakenfold Full On Fluoro Remix)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSSOiQTSmGMIf you like that electronic melody sound with plenty of tension, you might also like 'Centurion'. The first time I heard it, it actually gave me anxiety, and my body tensed up waiting for the release.
John O'Callaghan - Centurion
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8E8f5XB5wzEJohn O’Callaghan is a rising star, and a producer whose work I fell in love with shortly after finding out about it. He's also by far the best DJ I’ve seen live. His mixes always have a perfect balance between pumping kicks that get your feet moving and uplifting elements that take your mind to the place every trancehead craves to be in.
'Big Sky' is the track he’s best known for:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6xWKFSrjSbIAbove & Beyond are one of my favourite groups. Their work is slower and has a much different feeling to it, but it nevertheless has that life-affirming element. Their latest album, 'Group Therapy', is one of my most listened to, and people who experience it at a show say that it really is a kind of group therapy. The lyrics are always engaging, and everyone sings along to them.
At the last rave I went to, the DJ played one of their songs, and a group of people started singing it. A girl pulled me closer and put her arms on my shoulders as I walked towards them, and I joined in. It’s one of those experiences at a rave that make you connect with absolute strangers.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSNcZZDqNMIThis is the full track in the video above:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lJW1nWaS0gAnother great song in the same album:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnsyOhb7PuAAs far as the song with the best lyrics though, Gareth Emery's 'Sanctuary' takes the lead for me. I particularly like the Giuseppe Ottaviani remix, and can listen to it over and over and over again. It represents everything trance is.
Between the spaces where we long to be
Beyond together and alone
And at the edge where you fade into me
We find a shelter we call home
Escape the shadows that were holding me
Slip these chains of flesh and bones
And in the seconds where we know we're free
This is the place where we call home
When there's nowhere left to run, run with me
Let the moment be a sanctuary
When it's all that you've become, set it free
Let this moment be a sanctuary
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3hQj7MFOq4For the more epic, orchestral sound, 'An Angel’s Love' is one of my favourites. Alex M.O.R.P.H. is one of those less known producers who continues to release brilliant singles.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEIo1pbonhsFor a completely different sound, Roger Shah, aka Sunlounger, is a pioneer of Balearic trance, known for its summery feeling and acoustic guitar sound. The name of his album, 'The Beach Side Of Life', says it all.
Roger Shah presents Sunlounger feat. Inger Hansen - Breaking Waves (Uptempo Version)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TLSvnSHQDTcRoger Shah presents Sunlounger - The Beach Side Of Life (Uptempo Version)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HAj018WjGucA few more tracks, each with a different feeling, all trance:
SoundLift is another one of my favourite artists, and one who deserves a lot more exposure than he has. His work is uplifting but has a unique sound.
SoundLift feat. Adrina Thorpe - Give You My Love
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5QEwZYvjXioSoundLift - The Mountain.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9eEctjavOwMThe following track combines elements of melodic and progressive trance, and the result is a dark and mysterious yet colourful sound. It feels like the quintessential rave tune.
Dennis Sheperd & Talla XLC - Two Worlds
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tmj_AI4EbioAnd here's another summery, guitar-infused track:
York - Touched By God
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmH9t3Cs1EYFinally, I leave you with these singles by the pioneer, the Zeus of Trance, the man voted #1 DJ in the world four years in a row, Armin van Buuren.
Armin van Buuren presents Gaia - J'ai Envie De Toi
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FgKQdc96k4Wigel Meirmans Snitker - Nova Zembla (Armin van Buuren Remix)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EjFwN0Gomxg
Topic: Make us understand your music!