View source for Trance music

{{Short description|Genre of electronic dance music}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2023}}
{{multiple issues|
{{more citations needed|date=October 2014}}
{{original research|date=June 2016}}
}}
{{Infobox music genre
| name              = Trance
| stylistic_origins = {{hlist|[[House music|House]]<ref name="arminbiography">Bom, Coen (2009). ''Armin Only: A Year in the Life of the World's No. 1 DJ''. Oxford, UK: Dutch Media Uitgevers BV. {{ISBN|978-90-488-0323-1}}: p. 15</ref>|[[techno]]<ref name="Trance">{{cite web|title=Trance|url=http://www.allmusic.com/subgenre/trance-ma0000002903|website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=9 July 2012}}</ref><ref name="Muggs">{{cite web|url=https://www.factmag.com/2014/03/29/early-trance-is-the-greatest-dance-music-of-all-and-heres-34-reasons-why/|title=34 reasons why trance is the greatest dance music of all|date=29 March 2014|website=FACT Magazine|access-date=9 December 2018|author-first1=Joe|author-last1=Muggs}}</ref>|[[acid house]]<ref name="Trance"/><ref name="tranceexperience">Fassbender, Torsten (2008). ''The Trance Experience''. Knoxville, Tennessee: Sound Org Inc. {{ISBN|978-0-2405-2107-7}}: p. 15, 16, 17, 19</ref>|[[Chill-out music|chill-out]]<ref name="tranceexperience" />|[[pop music|pop]]<ref name="tranceexperience" />|[[classical music|classical]]<ref name="tranceexperience" /><ref name="djskillsguide" />|[[film score]]<ref name="djskillsguide">Webber, Stephen (2008). ''DJ Skills: The Essential Guide to Mixing and Scratching''. Oxford, UK: Elsevier Press. {{ISBN|978-0-240-52069-8}}: p. 35</ref>|[[hardcore (electronic dance music genre)|hardcore techno]]<ref name="Trance"/>|[[new-age music]]<ref name="Muggs"/>|[[Detroit techno]]<ref name="Trance"/>}}
| cultural_origins  = Late 1980s – early 1990s in Western Europe (United Kingdom,<ref name="A history of trance music">{{cite web|title=A history of trance music|url=https://www.toucanmusic.com/articles/trance//|access-date=25 June 2020}}</ref> {{nowrap|Germany,<ref name="tranceexperience" /><ref name="snomanmanual">Snoman, Rick (2009). ''The Dance Music Manual: Tools, Toys, and Techniques&nbsp;– Second Edition''. Oxford, UK: Elsevier Press. {{ISBN|0-9748438-4-9}}: p. 251, 252, 253, 266</ref>}}<ref name="st-john"/> Belgium, and Netherlands)
| derivatives       =
| subgenres         = {{hlist|[[Acid trance]]<ref name="compositionfor">Hewitt, Michael (2009). ''Composition for Computer Musicians''. Knoxville, Tennessee: Cengage Learning. {{ISBN|978-1-59863-861-5}}: p. 9</ref>|[[Balearic trance]]|[[Goa trance]]<ref name="amg_goa">{{cite web|title=Goa Trance|url=http://www.allmusic.com/style/goa-trance-ma0000011977|website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=9 July 2012}}</ref>|[[hard trance]]<ref name="compositionfor" />|[[progressive trance]]<ref name="compositionfor" />|[[psychedelic trance]]|[[tech trance]]<ref name="compositionfor" />|[[uplifting trance]]<ref name="compositionfor" />|[[vocal trance]]<ref name="compositionfor" />}}
| regional_scenes   =
| local_scenes      =
| other_topics      = {{hlist||[[Stage lighting]]|[[liquid light show]]s|[[Eurodance]]|[[glowsticking]]|[[gloving]]|[[rave]]|[[nightclub]]}}
| subgenrelist      = List of trance genres
}}

'''Trance''' is a genre of [[electronic dance music]]<ref>{{cite web|title=An Idiot's Guide to EDM Genres|url=https://www.complex.com/music/an-idiots-guide-to-edm-genres/|access-date=21 March 2021|website=Complex}}</ref> that emerged from the [[techno]] and [[Electronic body music|EBM]] scene in [[Frankfurt]], Germany, in the late 1980s and early 1990s, and quickly spread throughout Europe.<ref>
*{{cite web |date=30 November 2021 |title=Beatport's Definitive History of Trance |url=https://www.beatportal.com/features/trance-history-beatport/ |access-date=18 July 2023 |website=Beatportal }}
*{{cite web |title=The Story of Trance Music: An In-Depth History of Trance Music |url=https://undergroundtrance.com/trance-history/ |access-date=18 July 2023 |website=Underground Trance }}
*{{Cite web |title=Trance {{!}} music {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/art/trance-music |access-date=18 July 2023 |website=www.britannica.com }}
*{{cite web |title=Electronic dance music - London, Berlin, DJs {{!}} Britannica |url=https://www.britannica.com/art/electronic-dance-music/London-and-Berlin |access-date=18 July 2023 |website=www.britannica.com }}
*{{cite web |title=Early Trance Is The Greatest Dance Music |date=29 March 2014 |url=https://www.factmag.com/2014/03/29/early-trance-is-the-greatest-dance-music-of-all-and-heres-34-reasons-why/}}
*{{Cite web |title=Trance Music Guide: Inside Trance Music History and Subgenres |url=https://www.masterclass.com/articles/what-is-trance-music |website=Masterclass}}
*{{cite web |date=8 August 2019 |title=Why does trance inspire such a loyal fan following? |url=https://www.redbull.com/gb-en/the-enduring-appeal-of-trance |access-date=18 July 2023 |website=Red Bull }}</ref>

Trance music is typically characterized by a [[tempo]] between 120 and 150 beats per minute (BPM),<ref name="snomanmanual" /> repeating [[Melodic music|melodic]] [[Phrase (music)|phrases]]<ref name="snomanmanual" /> and a [[musical form]] that distinctly builds tension and elements throughout a track often culminating in 1 to 2 "peaks" or "drops".<ref name="snomanmanual" /> Although trance is a genre of its own, it liberally incorporates influences from other musical styles such as [[techno]],<ref name="tranceexperience" /><ref name="Trance" /> [[House music|house]],<ref name="arminbiography" /><ref name="Trance"/>  [[Chill-out music|chill-out]],<ref name="tranceexperience" /> [[classical music]],<ref name="tranceexperience" /><ref name="djskillsguide" /> [[tech house]], [[Ambient music|ambient]] and [[film music|film scores]].<ref name="djskillsguide" />

A [[trance]] is a state of [[Hypnosis|hypnotism]] and heightened [[consciousness]].<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uwgFzxFRn6gC&q=trance+defined&pg=PA69 |title=Trance: from Magic to Technology |first=Dennis R. |last=Weir |publisher=Trance Research Foundation |access-date=28 December 2017|isbn=9781888428391 |date=May 2006 }}
</ref> This is portrayed in trance music by the mixing of layers with distinctly foreshadowed build-up and release. A common characteristic of modern trance music is a mid-song climax followed by a soft breakdown disposing of beats and percussion entirely,<ref name="tranceexperience" /><ref name="snomanmanual" /> leaving the melody or atmospherics to stand alone for an extended period before gradually building up again. Trance tracks are often lengthy to allow for such progression and commonly have sufficiently sparse opening and closing sections to facilitate mixing by [[DJs]].<ref name="tranceexperience" /><ref name="snomanmanual" />

Trance is mostly [[Instrumental music|instrumental]], although vocals can be mixed in: typically they are performed by mezzo-soprano to soprano female soloists, mostly without a traditional verse/chorus structure. Structured vocal form in trance music forms the basis of the [[vocal trance]] subgenre, which has been described as "grand, soaring, and operatic" and "ethereal female leads floating amongst the synths". However, male singers, such as Jonathan Mendelsohn, are also featured.<ref name="remixing guide">Hawkins, Erik (2004). ''The Complete Guide to Remixing''. Boston, MA: Berklee Press. {{ISBN|0-87639-044-0}}: p. 51</ref><ref>''Trance Music—What is Trance Music?'' https://web.archive.org/web/20140812205717/http://dancemusic.about.com/od/genres/g/Trance_Music</ref>

==History==<!-- This section is linked with [[Electronic music]] -->
[[File:Trance Energy Utrecht 2002.jpg|thumbnail|left|Trance Energy Festival at [[Utrecht]]]]
[[File:Psychedelic trance culture of Kazantip (2006-08-134) (329954412).jpg|thumb|right|Psychedelic trance culture of [[KaZantip]] in 2006, with decorations commonplace at trance parties]]

[[The KLF]]'s "[[What Time is Love?]] (Pure Trance)" was released in the UK in 1988.  The earliest years of Trance were defined by Frankfurt labels such as [[Eye Q (record label)|Eye Q]], [[Harthouse]], [[FAX +49-69/450464|Fax +49-69/450464]], Force Inc., and others. Producers such as [[Pete Namlook]], [[Oliver Lieb]], and [[Rolf Ellmer]] created noteworthy tracks such as "Eternal Spirit" by 4Voice, "Hearts" by [[L.S.G.]], and "We Came in Peace" by [[Dance 2 Trance]].<ref name="Beat1">{{cite web |date=30 November 2021 |title=Beatport's Definitive History of Trance |url=https://www.beatportal.com/features/trance-history-beatport/ |access-date=6 June 2023 |website=Beatportal }}</ref><ref name="Story2">{{Cite web |title=The Story of Trance - In-Depth Review of the History of Trance |url=https://undergroundtrance.com/trance-history/ |access-date=2023-06-06 |website=Underground Trance |language=en-US}}</ref>

Much of the development of trance can be traced to Sven Väth, who was heavily influenced by his experiences traveling to [[Goa]] where DJs were using psychedelic rock and other sounds to induce a trance state at beach parties.<ref>{{cite web |last=Kaushik |first=Rohit |date=9 January 2020 |title=Sven Väth Shares His Thoughts On The Indian Electronic Music Scene & More |url=https://edmli.com/2020/01/09/sven-vath-shares-his-thoughts-on-indian-electronic-music-scene-more/ |access-date=6 June 2023 |website=EDMLI }}</ref> [[Sven Väth|Väth]], Dag Lerner, and [[Torsten Fenslau]] had an affection for hypnotic dance sounds and the music at [[Dorian Gray (club)|Dorian Gray]] and Omen began to reflect this.<ref name="Story2"/>

Väth launched Eye Q with Heinz Roth and Matthias Hoffman in 1991, followed by Harthouse in 1992, releasing some of the most well-known trance tracks of the era. Eye Q took a softer approach to trance with records such as [[Cygnus X (music group)|Cygnus X]]'s "The Orange Theme", Brainchild's "Symmetry" and Vernon's "Wonderer". Harthouse focused on a harder trance sound with tracks such as "Quicksand" by [[Oliver Lieb|Spicelab]], "Spectrum" by Metal Master, "Human" by Resistance D, and "Acperience" by [[Hardfloor]].<ref name="Beat1"/><ref name="Story2"/> The sound of Frankfurt was the sound of trance. 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."<ref>{{Cite web |title=About |url=http://www.djdag.com/about.html |access-date=7 June 2023 |website=DJ DAG }}</ref> The genre got its name from the trance-like state the music attempted to emulate in the 1990s before the genre's focus changed.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=PhD |first=Kathryn A. Becker-Blease |date=13 July 2004 |title=Dissociative States Through New Age and Electronic Trance Music |journal=Journal of Trauma & Dissociation |volume=5 |issue=2 |pages=89–100 |doi=10.1300/J229v05n02_05 |issn=1529-9732 |s2cid=143859546}}</ref>

In a 2006 interview with Resident Advisor, Sven Väth acknowledged the role of his labels Eye Q and Harthouse in helping to create what people know as trance music today, going on to say that "people are getting a wrong interpretation of what trance music is all about" and differentiating his own form from modern forms, saying, "They are following a format -- always producing the same structure. It's a pop format for trance."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Hunt |first1=Trance |title=Sven Väth: I play trance |url=https://ra.co/features/721 |website=Resident Advisor |access-date=22 November 2023}}</ref>

As German trance made its way back to Goa, a new subgenre emerged that was more organic in sound with an oriental aesthetic in its melodies, often with references to Eastern philosophy. [[Goa trance]] would go on to spawn many sub-genres of its own, including psytrance, psybreaks, and others.<ref>{{cite web |last=Sokolovskiy |first=Daniel |title=Psytrance Guide |url=https://psytranceguide.com/ |access-date=20 August 2023 |website=psytranceguide.com }}</ref>

In 1991 in Berlin, [[MFS (label)|MFS Records]] began to gain a trance profile, signing Mijk van Dijk, Cosmic Baby, and Paul van Dyk, soon releasing some of the most well-known early trance tracks such as "Love Stimulation" by Humate and "Perfect Day" by Visions of Shiva, as well as perhaps the first ever trance compilation, ''Tranceformed From Beyond''.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Label history • MFS Berlin |url=https://mfsberlin.com/label-history/ |access-date=2023-06-07 |website=MFS Berlin |language=en-GB}}</ref> While writer Bom Coen traces the roots of trance to [[Paul van Dyk]]'s 1993 remix of Humate's "Love Stimulation",<ref name="arminbiography" /> there is little evidence to support this contention. In fact, van Dyk's own trance roots can be traced further back to his work with Visions of Shiva, van Dyk's trance project with [[Harald Blüchel|Cosmic Baby]] coming earlier.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.dancefm.com/programs/paul-van-dyk/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170427204556/http://www.dancefm.com/programs/paul-van-dyk/|url-status=dead|archive-date=27 April 2017|title=Paul Van Dyk – Dance FM|date=27 April 2017|access-date=22 November 2019}}</ref> Early on, Paul van Dyk had been relatively sidelined on the scene, but his collaboration with Cosmic Baby quickly led him into the heart of the scene.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Denk |first1=Felix |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=16MZBQAAQBAJ&dq=techno+posse+omen&pg=PA249 |title=Der Klang der Familie: Berlin, Techno and the Fall of the Wall |last2=Thülen |first2=Sven von |date=27 October 2014 |publisher=BoD – Books on Demand |isbn=978-3-7386-0429-0 }}</ref>

In the UK, the British approach to trance music and house music was similar: progressive chord structures, crescendos, longer breakdowns, and more organic instruments.<ref>{{cite web |title=Story of Trance, Part 2 |url=https://undergroundtrance.com/trance-history/part-2/ |access-date=20 August 2023 |website=Underground Trance }}</ref> In 1993 [[Platipus Records]] was launched by [[Simon Berry]] as an outlet for Barry's various projects, including [[Union Jack (band)|Union Jack]], Clanger, Art of Trance. Platipus would become one of the most consequential progressive trance labels. Another influential label of progressive trance was [[Hooj Choons]] with notable trance releases from artists [[Tilt (British band)|Tilt]], [[Oliver Lieb]], [[Solarstone]], as well as the well-known Three N' One remix of [[Café del Mar (song)|Cafe Del Mar]] by [[Energy 52]].

In Australia, Christopher J. Dolan from [[Melbourne]], who performs as [[Quench (musician)|Quench]] released "Dreams" in 1993. It was re-released in 1994 and was nominated for the [[ARIA Award for Best Dance Release]] at the [[ARIA Music Awards of 1995]]. It peaked at No. 9 on the [[Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique|French singles chart]], and No. 75 on the [[UK Singles Chart|United Kingdom Singles Chart]]. By October 2000 it had sold over a million copies worldwide.

In Germany, a harder sub-genre of trance emerged. With a faster tempo and gated pads, hard trance introduced the breakdown-build-anthem template that would become nearly ubiquitous in later trance sub-genres. Hard trance would inspire [[UK hard house|hardhouse]], hard uplifting, [[jumpstyle]], NRG, and [[hardstyle]]. Perhaps the best known label for this subgenre of trance was [[Bonzai Records]], a sublabel of Lightning Records with notable tracks including [[Jones & Stephenson]]'s "The First Rebirth", Cherry Moon Trax's "The House of House",<ref>{{citation |title=Cherry Moon Trax - The House Of House / Let There Be House |date=23 October 2020 |url=https://www.discogs.com/release/16065039-Cherry-Moon-Trax-The-House-Of-House-Let-There-Be-House |access-date=20 August 2023 }}</ref> and Blue Alphabet's "Cybertrance".<ref>{{citation |title=Blue Alphabet - Cybertrance |date=1994 |url=https://www.discogs.com/master/2485-Blue-Alphabet-Cybertrance |access-date=20 August 2023 }}</ref>

[[File:Aly_&_Fila_au_Beachclub_--_4.jpg|alt=Aly & Fila au Beachclub -- 4|thumb|[[Aly & Fila]], Egyptian trance music duo performing]]

By the late 1990s, uplifting took over the scene with its fast tempo, characteristic builds, long breakdowns and big drops.<ref name="armadamusic.com">{{cite web |title=What Is Trance Music - The Full Story |url=https://www.armadamusic.com/news/trance-music |access-date=18 July 2023 |website=Armada Music }}</ref>  In the early 2000s, pop-style vocals began being added into the music.<ref name="tranceexperience" /> The development of another subgenre, epic trance, finds some of its origins in classical music,<ref name="tranceexperience" /> with film music also being influential.<ref name="djskillsguide" /> Trance was arguably at its commercial peak in the second part of 1990s and early 2000s.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.clubglow.com/dj-news/is-trance-dead/|title=Is Trance Dead?|date=May 2012 |access-date=22 November 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.toucanmusic.co.uk/articles/trance.html|title=A history of trance music|first=John|last=M.|access-date=22 November 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121226184520/http://www.toucanmusic.co.uk/articles/trance.html|archive-date=26 December 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> 

From the late 2000s to the mid 2010s, popular trance music providers such as [[Armin van Buuren]]'s ''[[A State of Trance]]'', [[Paul van Dyk]], and [[Above & Beyond (band)|Above & Beyond]] remained popular, while lesser known DJs changed to other sounds.<ref name="McGraw" /> In 2017 a new wave of underground DJs such as [[Nina Kraviz]] began incorporating trance music into their sets.<ref name="McGraw">{{cite news |last1=McGraw |first1=David |title=Trance reborn: The sound is back and big as ever |url=https://mixmag.net/feature/trance-reborn-the-sound-is-back-and-big-as-ever |access-date=28 September 2021 |work=Mixmag |date=24 December 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=MacNeill |first1=Kyle |title=Laser-guided melodies: Why trance is back in the ascendant in 2017 |url=https://www.redbull.com/gb-en/trance-back-artists-labels-djs-club-nights |website=Red Bull |access-date=28 September 2021 |date=1 November 2018}}</ref>

In 2023, an effort by [[John Fleming (DJ)|John 00 Fleming]] and others led [[Beatport]] to split their trance genre category into two: Trance (Main Floor) and Trance (Raw/Deep/Hypnotic). The latter was designed for the underground side of the genre.<ref>{{cite web |date=23 May 2023 |title=Beatport Adds a New Genre: Trance (Raw / Deep / Hypnotic) |url=https://www.beatportal.com/news/beatport-new-genre-trance-raw-deep-hypnotic/ |access-date=18 July 2023 |website=Beatportal }}</ref>

==Production==
[[File:JP-8000.png|thumb|right|270px|[[Roland JP-8000]], a synthesizer famous for its incorporation of the [[supersaw]] waveform]]

Trance employs a {{music|time|4|4}} [[time signature]],<ref name="snomanmanual" /> generally using a tempo of 125 to 150 [[beats per minute|BPM]],<ref name="snomanmanual" /><ref name="armadamusic.com"/> though the music can be any tempo, and 16- or 32-beat [[phrase (music)|phrases]].<ref name="musictheory">Hewitt, Michael (2008). ''Music Theory for Computer Musicians''. Boston, MA: Course Technology. {{ISBN|978-1-59863-503-4}}</ref> A [[bass drum|kick drum]] is usually placed on every [[Beat (music)#Downbeat|downbeat]] and a regular open [[Hi-hat (instrument)|hi-hat]] is often placed on the [[Beat (music)#Downbeat and upbeat|upbeat]].<ref name="snomanmanual" /> While the majority of trance music uses the same "four-on-the-floor" beat as house and techno, in trance the kick drum is often de-emphasized to give space to the bassline, whereas in house and techno the kick drum is heavily emphasized, often being the loudest sound in the mix. Extra percussive elements are usually added, and in recent years major transitions, builds or climaxes are often foreshadowed by lengthy "snare rolls"—a quick succession of snare drum hits that build in velocity, frequency, and volume towards the end of a measure.<ref name="snomanmanual" />

[[File:Supersaw Arp 1.ogg|thumb|A Simple arpeggiated (Roland JP-8000) Supersaw waveform pattern with chorus and flanging (Some professionals used Lexicon Hall programs without pre-delay.)]]
[[File:Gating technique supersaw waveform.ogg|thumb|A trance gate pattern at 141 bpm as it is heard on a software trance gate using a Roland JP-8000 with the supersaw waveform and minor EQ edits. The gated pattern gradually changes to demonstrate the various rhythms possible with a trance gate. Note that some trance gate patterns are [[wiktionary:offbeat|off-beat]].]]

Rapid [[arpeggio]]s and [[minor key]]s are common features of trance, the latter being almost universal.{{citation needed|date=May 2023}} Trance tracks often use one central "[[Hook (music)|hook]]", or melody, which runs through almost the entire song, repeating at intervals anywhere between 2 beats and 32 bars, in addition to harmonies and motifs in different timbres from the central melody.<ref name="snomanmanual" /> Instruments are added or removed every 4, 8, 16, or 32 bars.<ref name="snomanmanual" />

In the section before the breakdown, the lead motif is often introduced in a sliced up and simplified form,<ref name="snomanmanual" /> to give the audience a "taste" of what they will hear after the breakdown.<ref name="snomanmanual" /> Then later, the final climax is usually "a culmination of the first part of the track mixed with the main melodic reprise".<ref name="snomanmanual" />

As is the case with many dance music tracks, trance tracks are usually built with sparser intros ("mix-ins") and outros ("mix-outs") to enable DJs to blend them together immediately.<ref name="tranceexperience" /><ref name="snomanmanual" />

EDM-infused forms designed for festival main stages often incorporate other styles and elements of electronic music such as [[electro house|electro]] and [[progressive house]] into its production. It emphasizes harsher basslines and drum beats which decrease the importance of [[wiktionary:offbeat|offbeats]] and focus primarily on a [[four on the floor (music)|four on the floor]] stylistic house drum pattern. The BPM of more recent styles tends to be on par with [[house music]] at 120 to 135 beats per minute. However, unlike house music, recent forms of Uplifting continue to feature melodic breakdowns and longer transitions.<ref>{{cite news|last=Paterson|first=Angus|title=Above & Beyond talk shop on Australian tour & 'trance 2.0'|url=http://www.inthemix.com.au/news/51084/Above_Beyond_talk_shop_on_Australian_tour_trance_20|work=inthemix|publisher=nthemix Pty Ltd|access-date=13 April 2013}}</ref>

==Subgenres==
{{Main|List of trance genres|List of electronic music genres}}

Trance music is broken into a number of subgenres including [[acid trance]], classic trance, [[hard trance]], progressive trance,<ref name="tranceexperience" /> and [[uplifting trance]].<ref name="tranceexperience" /> [[Uplifting trance]] is also known as "anthem trance", "epic trance",<ref name="tranceexperience" /> "commercial trance",  "stadium trance", or "euphoric trance",<ref name="snomanmanual" /> and has been strongly influenced by classical music in the 1990s<ref name="tranceexperience" /> and 2000s by leading artists such as [[Ferry Corsten]], [[Armin Van Buuren]], [[Paul Van Dyk]], [[Tiësto]], [[Mike Dierickx|Push]], [[Rank 1]] and at present with the development of the subgenre "orchestral uplifting trance" or "uplifting trance with symphonic orchestra" by such artists as Sound Apparel, [[Andy Blueman]], Ciro Visone, Soundlift, Arctic Moon, and Sergey Nevone & Simon O'Shine, among others. Closely related to uplifting trance is [[Eurodance]], which has become a general term for a wide variety of highly commercialized European dance music. Notably late in the 1990s, German producer [[ATB (DJ)|ATB]] revolutionized the scene of the aforementioned Eurodance with his hit single "[[9 PM (Till I Come)]]". Several subgenres are crossovers with other major genres of electronic music. For instance, [[tech trance]] is a mixture of trance and techno, and [[vocal trance]] "combines [trance's] progressive elements with pop music".<ref name="tranceexperience" /> The [[dream trance]] genre originated in the mid-1990s, with its popularity then led by [[Robert Miles]], who composed [[Children (composition)|Children]] in 1996. Recently, there is also a very small subgenre called "medieval trance", which combines medieval elements together with trance elements, e.g. Maestro Giano, Green Clouds and other artists, which are effectively a kind of "reverse [[Bardcore]]".

[[AllMusic]] states on progressive trance: "the progressive wing of the trance crowd led directly to a more commercial, chart-oriented sound since trance had never enjoyed much chart action in the first place. Emphasizing the smoother sound of [[Eurodance]] or house (and occasionally more reminiscent of [[Jean-Michel Jarre]] than [[Basement Jaxx]]), Progressive Trance became the sound of the world's dance floors by the end of the millennium. Critics ridiculed its focus on predictable breakdowns and relative lack of skill to beat-mix, but progressive trance was caned by the hottest DJ."<ref name="AMProgTrance">{{cite web|title=Progressive Trance|url=http://www.allmusic.com/style/progressive-trance-ma0000011914|website=[[AllMusic]]}}</ref>

==Music festivals==
{{Main|List of electronic music festivals}}
{{specific section|date=June 2016}}

The following is an incomplete list of dance music festivals that showcase trance music.

===Asia===
[[File:DJ Tiesto in 808 Nightclub, progressive trance music, waves of euphoria, Bangkok, Thailand.jpg|thumb|275px|DJ Tiesto playing Uplifting music in Bangkok, Thailand]]
[[File:Sunburn Festival, Goa, Progressive trance music.jpg|thumb|275px|Sunburn Music Festival in Candolim, Goa]]

''Notes:'' Sunburn was not the first festival/event to specialize in India in trance music. Much earlier pioneers of Goa parties<ref name="Trance"/> held events as early as the late 1980s and through all of the 1990s<ref name="st-john">{{cite book|last1=St John|first1=Graham|title=Rave Culture and Religion|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ze2MCltwfigC&q=First+trance+parties+in+goa+1998&pg=PA242|publisher=Routledge|date=1 June 2004| page= 242|access-date=25 January 2016|isbn=9781134379729}}</ref>

* China: Spirit Tribe is a regular event outside of Kunming, Yunnan, China.<ref>{{cite web|title=A look back at April's Spirit Tribe Trance celebration|date=6 May 2016|publisher=GoKunming|url=http://www.gokunming.com/en/blog/item/3733/a_look_back_at_aprils_spirit_tribe_trance_celebration|access-date=12 May 2016|archive-date=12 May 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160512054802/http://www.gokunming.com/en/blog/item/3733/a_look_back_at_aprils_spirit_tribe_trance_celebration|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* India: The [[Sunburn Festival]] was launched in December 2007 as South Asia's first electronic music festival, and featured heavyweights like DJ [[Carl Cox]] and John '00' Fleming. Located by the seaside in Goa, on India's west coast, the festival has its roots in [[Goa trance]], centered around [[Anjuna]] beach. Sunburn had more than 5,000 party-goers attend a three-day event in December 2008. At the 2009 festival, DJs such as [[Armin Van Buuren]] and [[Sander van Doorn]] headlined when audience numbers were approx 15,000. At the 2010 festival, when the likes of [[Paul Van Dyk]] and many other DJ's played the estimated attendance rose to about 30,000 people. The 2015 the festival achieved a record-breaking attendance with over 350,000 people attending the event to experience world-class DJ's with the likes of [[Martin Garrix]] and [[Afrojack]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.youredm.com/2016/01/07/sunburn-goa-sets-record-attendance-350000/|title=Martin Garrix & Other Top 100 DJs Helped This EDM Festival Break Massive Record|last=Meadow|first=Matthew|website=Your EDM|access-date=5 March 2016|date=7 January 2016}}</ref>
* Thailand: [[Full Moon Party]], since 1985. Held each month on the island of [[Ko Pha-ngan]]. Thousands of people from across the world gather on Haad Rin Nok (Sunrise Beach) to dance to trance during full moons. [[Transmission (festival)|Transmission]], originally from Prague, also holds events in Bangkok.
* Japan: Rebirth Festival
* Israel: Total Eclipse
* Vietnam: Ravolution Music Festival

===Europe===
[[File:Gatecrasher.jpg|thumb|275px|Clubbers at Gatecrasher on 16 April 2006]]

* Germany: Waldfrieden Wonderland, [[Stemwede]], since 1997. The forest peace wonderland is an international open-air music festival, which takes place every year in August. The main style of music is psychedelic trance.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wald-frieden.de/en/|title=Waldfrieden Events GmbH|access-date=22 November 2019}}</ref>  <br />We Are One, Berlin, since 2010. Headed by [[Paul van Dyk]], the event plays several different styles of trance.
* [[Lithuania]]: [[Yaga Gathering]]. A transformational festival hosted in a clearing in Ežeraitis Forest, at the edge of Spengla Lake in the Varėna District of southern Lithuania. The festival has no corporate sponsors and is financed by ticket sales. The site of the festival is about 60 kilometers (37&nbsp;mi) south of Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania. Classes and activities are among the festival's other attractions, including open-air cinema, the Discovery stage featuring lectures, a Healing area with yoga and meditation sessions, a handicraft workshops area, and a children's area.
* [[Hungary]]: [[Ozora Festival]]
* [[Poland]]: Euforia Festival, Electronic Family Poland, Mayday, Sunrise Festival
* [[Portugal]]: [[Boom festival]] (the last edition was in Idanha-a-Nova), since 1997. This event is an outdoor festival running every two years with a duration of several days, focusing in psychedelic Goa trance. The festival also features workshops, presentations, and cinema. Freedom Festival; [[4 Elements|Kin and 4 Elements Festival]], and many others.
* [[Romania]]: [[Untold Festival]], [[Dakini]] Festival, SAGA Festival
* [[Switzerland]]: [[Street Parade]], [[Zürich]], since 1992. The world's biggest electronic music festival (more than one million visitors attend this event yearly).
* Sweden: Monday Bar Cruise has been arranged four times a year since 2002 and takes place on a 2000 people cruise ship between Stockholm and the Baltic countries. Styles include trance, psytrance, hardstyle, and hardcore.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mondaybar.com|title=Monday Bar -|access-date=22 November 2016}}</ref>
* [[Belgium]]: [[Tomorrowland (festival)|Tomorrowland]], [[Boom, Belgium|Boom]], since 2005. The largest Belgian open-air electronic music festival. DJs such as [[Armin van Buuren]], [[Tiësto]], [[Arty (musician)|Arty]], [[Cosmic Gate]] and many more have been fixtures at the festival.
* [[Czech Republic]]: [[Transmission (festival)|Transmission]], Prague, since 2006. The biggest indoor trance music event in middle and eastern Europe. [[Markus Schulz]] is a frequent headlining performer at the event.
* [[Finland]]: Summer Sound, [[Helsinki]], since 2011. Starting as a one-day festival in 2011 and held in Suvilahti, Helsinki, it has since grown into 3-day festival partly inside and partly outside. Every summer, DJs such as [[Tiësto]], [[Armin van Buuren]], and [[Faithless]] headline the event.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.summersound.fi|title=SUMMER SOUND FESTIVAL 2015|access-date=22 November 2016}}</ref>
* [[Greece]]: Dreamland, [[Ancient Olympia]], [[Elis (regional unit)|Elis]], since 2014. An event which aims to promote different types of electronic music, culture as well as the ecological awareness. Since 2018, it takes place in the [[Gulf of Kyparissia|coast of Kyparissia]], under the name "Mythody".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://dreamland-greece.gr|title=Dreamland Greece|access-date=22 November 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161123065446/http://dreamland-greece.gr/|archive-date=23 November 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mythody.gr/en/|title=Mythody Greece|access-date=3 June 2018}}</ref>
* [[Turkey]]: ANKA or Psy-ANKA and AJAX, since 2009 and 2011. Festivals which represent  different genres of electronic music are hold in Turkey annually.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://biletinial.com/muzik/psy-anka|title=Biletini Al PSY-ANKA|access-date=15 November 2022}}</ref>
* Spain: [[Ibiza]] has hosted trance parties since the 1990s.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://theculturetrip.com/europe/spain/articles/the-history-of-manumission-parties-in-ibiza/|title=The History Of Manumission Parties In Ibiza|last=Jessop|first=Tara|website=Culture Trip|date=8 August 2016|access-date=5 November 2019}}</ref>
* United Kingdom: [[Spiral Tribe]], [[Tribal Gathering]], [[Glade Festival]] ''etc''; [[Gatecrasher]] also promote sporadic events and have in the past also used venues such as [[National Exhibition Centre|Birmingham N.E.C]].

====Netherlands====
[[File:Sensationwhite04 2006.jpg|thumb|275px|right|Sensation White at Amsterdam Arena 2006]]
Electronic Music festivals in the Netherlands are mainly organized by four companies [[ALDA Events]], [[ID&T]], UDC and [[Q-dance]]:
* [[Armin Only]], [[Jaarbeurs]], [[Utrecht]]: As the name states, the only DJ to mix at this event is [[Armin van Buuren]]. Organized by ALDA Events. Armin Only 2005 was held in [[Rotterdam Ahoy]]. The 2008 and 2010 editions were held in Jaarbeurs Utrecht. The 2013 event was held at the [[Ziggo Dome]], Amsterdam
* [[Dance Valley]], [[Spaarnwoude]]: an outdoor festival organized by UDC.
* [[Sensation (event)|Sensation]], [[Amsterdam Arena]]. Organized by ID&T.
* [[Trance Energy|Energy]], (formerly Trance Energy) Jaarbeurs, Utrecht: Previously Trance only under the name "Trance Energy", the festival was renamed "Energy" in 2011 and begun to incorporate other genres. Organized by ID&T.
* [[Amsterdam dance event]], One of the world's trance and electronic music festivals held every year at Amsterdam in October.
* [[A State of Trance]]: [[Armin van Buuren]]'s weekly radio show ''[[A State of Trance]]'' celebrates every 50th episode with an event in the Netherlands, usually in [[Utrecht]].
* Electronic Family: Organized by ALDA Events.
* [[Mysteryland]]. A series of electronic music festivals held by the Dutch promoter ID&T. Being the first of its kind in the country dates back to 1993.
* Luminosity: Amsterdam, founded in 2007. With the slogan "Spreading The Love Of Trance Music", the Luminosity Festival is organized by Luminosity Events and is attended by thousands worldwide.
* Psy-Fi: outdoor psychedelic trance festival, at Leeuwarden.

===North America===
====Canada====
* [[Bal en Blanc]] is a rave party that is hosted annually, in April during the Easter holiday weekend, in Montreal. This event usually has two separate rooms, one catering to house music and the other to trance music. It usually lasts for more than 14 hours.
* Digital Dreams Festival in [[Toronto]] featured a full trance stage in June 2014
* Escapade Music Festival hosted on Canada Day (1 July) in Ottawa
* A two-day festival called the U4RIA Trance festival in [[Toronto]] featured 23 International acts, 12 Canadian acts, and 25 hours of music in June 2018. This 2-day all trance festival was the first of its kind in Canada.
*Trance Unity, hosted in Montreal, is hosted annually and usually lasts 12 to 14 hours.

====United States====
Electronic music festivals in the United States feature various [[electronic music]] genres such as trance, house, techno, electro, [[dubstep]], and [[drum and bass]]:
* [[Decadence]], an annual 2-day New Year's Eve electronic dance music festival. Held at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, it is one of the largest NYE EDM festivals in the U.S.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://decadencenye.com/co/|title=Decadence NYE 2018|website=Decadence NYE 2018|access-date=22 November 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190621115321/http://decadencenye.com/co/|archive-date=21 June 2019|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* [[Decibel Festival]], an annual music and digital arts festival started in 2004 in Seattle. It is dedicated to live electronic music performance, visual art, and new media. The core of the festival comprises concerts, performances, commissioned work, film screenings, and exhibitions. The programming is presented in a variety of locations throughout Seattle, centered on the Capitol Hill neighborhood and Downtown. Since its inception, Decibel has hosted over 750 acts ranging from underground dance and experimental electronic music to transmedial art.
* [[Ultra Music Festival]], an annual outdoor electronic music festival that occurs in March in the city of Miami, Florida. A State of Trance has frequently held milestone celebrations at the festival.[[File:Armin van Buuren 2014.jpg|thumb|212x212px|[[Armin van Buuren]] 2014 Ultra Miami]]
* [[Electric Daisy Carnival]], an annual massive organized by [[Insomniac Events]] that was held in Southern California from 1997 to 2010, and was moved to Las Vegas in 2011. In 2009, the festival was expanded to a three-day event.
* [[Nocturnal Wonderland|Nocturnal Festival]], are annual events held in Southern California organized by Insomniac Events, held at Glen Helen Regional Park in [[San Bernardino, California]] in September. Some have also been periodically held at the Downtown, Texas Amphitheater in [[Thorndale, Texas]], just outside of [[Austin, Texas|Austin]].
* [[Beyond Wonderland]], an electronic dance festival in Southern California organized by Insomniac Events.
* [[Dreamstate]], first produced by festival organizer [[Insomniac Events]] on 27–28 November 2015, at the National Orange Show in San Bernardino, California, is the first all-trance festival in North America.
* [[Electric Zoo Festival]], an annual electronic music festival held over Labor Day weekend in New York City on Randall's Island Park. 
* [[Electric Forest Festival]], a four-day annual festival in Michigan.
* [[TomorrowWorld]], a three-day annual festival in Chattahoochee Hills, Georgia. Organized by ID&T, TomorrowWorld is a sister festival to [[Tomorrowland (festival)|Tomorrowland]].
* [[Spring Awakening (festival)|Spring Awakening]], the three-day annual festival in Chicago, Illinois.

====Mexico====
* [[Beyond Wonderland]], an electronic dance festival in northern Mexico organized by Insomniac Events.

===Oceania===
====Australia====
* [[Doof]]—A type of outdoor dance party, which is generally held in a remote country area or just outside big cities in surrounding bush or rainforests and similar to raves or teknivals. Doofs generally have live electronic artists and DJs playing a range of electronic music, commonly goa trance, techno, drum and bass, and psychedelic trance.
* [[Defqon.1 Festival]]—A music festival that mostly plays hardstyle and related genres such as hardcore techno, hard house and hard trance, the event has been hosted in [[Sydney]] in mid-September since 2009 at the [[Sydney International Regatta Centre]].
* [[Rainbow Serpent Festival]]—A large electronic music, art, and lifestyle festival, located in [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]]. The festival is mainly known for psychedelic trance and minimal techno music, but also features other genres of electronic music and non-electronic music in the smaller stages.

===South America===
====Argentina====
*[[Creamfields BA]]

==See also==
* [[List of trance genres]]

==References==
{{Reflist|25em}}

==Further reading==
*Rietveld, Arjan (2021). ''Hypnotised: A Journey Through Trance Music 1990-2005''. Mary Go Wild
*Underground Trance: The Story of Trance [https://undergroundtrance.com/trance-history/ The Story of Trance Music: An In-Depth History of Trance Music]
*Beatport: The Definitive History of Trance [https://www.beatportal.com/features/trance-history-beatport/ Beatport's Definitive History of Trance]

==External links==
<!-- AS PER WP:EL POLICY—http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:External_links¶
-NO INTERNET RADIOS OR SITES OF BANDS,RECORD LABELS, STORES, ETC.¶
-NO MESSAGE BOARDS OR FORUMS OR COMMUNITIES OR BLOGS¶
ONLY DIRECT LINKS (NOT HOMEPAGES) TO INFORMATIONAL ARTICLES, SUCH AS:¶
-ARTICLES ANALYZING, COMMENTING, OR CRITICIZING THE TOPIC¶
-AN HISTORY OF THE TOPIC¶
-A PRIMER ON THE TOPIC¶
-->
{{Commons category|Trance music}}

{{Trance music-footer}}
{{Electronica}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Trance Music}}
[[Category:Trance music| ]]
[[Category:Electronic dance music genres]]
[[Category:British styles of music]]
[[Category:German styles of music]]
[[Category:20th-century music genres]]