Trance
Trance · 1989 · 130 to 145 BPM
Trance emerged in Frankfurt at the very start of the 1990s, at the crossing of techno and Germany's cosmic musical heritage: a music of repetition and build, turning arpeggios, opening chords, programmed ecstasy. The name says exactly what it does, putting the floor into a trance through accumulation. Underground at first on labels like MFS and Harthouse, it became by decade's end the mass music of European raves.
12 reference tracks
- Abfahrt: Alone It's Me (Alley Cat Edit) (1989)
- Out Of The Ordinary: Play It Again (Why Don't You Try This Side mix) (1989)
- Eclips 21: Nebula (1st Soul mix) (1990)
- Age of Love: The Age of Love (1990)
- Zyon: No Fate (1992)
- Delerium: Silence (Tiesto Remix) (2000)
- Veracocha: Carte Blanche (1999)
- Armin van Buuren & Ferry Corsten & Rank 1 & Ruben de Ronde: Destination (ASOT 2024 Anthem) (2024)
- Above & Beyond: Gratitude (2021)
- Daniel Kandi: Made Of Glass (2026)
- Richard Durand: Rubicon (2026)
- Lost Witness & Christopher Corrigan* & Theia*: Where The Sky Meets Yesterday (2026)
At a glance
- Tempo: 130 to 145 BPM
- First appeared: around 1989
- Machines: Roland JP-8000, Roland TB-303, Roland TR-909
- The sound: Arpégiateurs Roland JP-8000, Roland TB-303 adoucie, Nappes larges, Delays synchronisés
- Labels: Eye Q Records, Anjunabeats, MFS, Rising High Records, Harthouse, Kearnage
- Key artists: Sven Väth, Paul van Dyk, Cosmic Baby, Oliver Lieb, Jam & Spoon
Producing Trance
Trance holds between 130 and 138 BPM on a dead-straight, fully quantized sixteenth grid with no swing, the feel built from accumulation rather than groove; count in 8 and 16 bar blocks, pick one tempo and stay there. A long, round 909 kick sits on every beat, snare and clap on 2 and 4, open hat marking the and of each beat, and a continuous 909 ride from the first drop for the rave feel. The bass falls on the offbeats, a short note in the gap between kicks, sawtooth or square with cutoff around 300 Hz, staying on the root for eight bars before opening to the sixth or fourth. On top, a sawtooth arpeggio on a three or four note minor chord, a wide detuned pad, and a softened TB-303 line.
The full production course, in French: tempo, drums, bass, sounds, arrangement, mix, plugins and machines, and a step by step start.
Frequently asked
What is Trance?
Trance emerged in Frankfurt at the very start of the 1990s, at the crossing of techno and Germany's cosmic musical heritage: a music of repetition and build, turning arpeggios, opening chords, programmed ecstasy. The name says exactly what it does, putting the floor into a trance through…
What tempo is Trance played at?
Between 130 and 145 BPM.
Who are the key Trance artists?
Sven Väth, Paul van Dyk, Cosmic Baby, Oliver Lieb, Jam & Spoon.
