TranceAddict Forums (www.tranceaddict.com/forums)
- Music Discussion
-- What is McProg?
Pages (3): [1] 2 3 »

What is McProg?

I see this term used a lot here on TA and was wondering what it means.

1)I know mcprog is some sort of derivative for progressive, but what does the mc part mean?
2)What artists are associated with this music?
3)Share with me some of the good and bad elements of the mcprog sound?

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I've always seen "mc"prog as being commercial prog. The term 'mc' being a cultural reference to Mcdonald's, from the popular expression "McWorld", reffering to commercial american imperialism.

There was a lot of threads on this on about a year ago, search could give you some answers.

Anyway, here's a summary:

The word "McProg" was an attempt to label a particular style of progressive trance/house made by a TA with the nickname Pio. The idea came from the "McTrance" labelling of dutch trance by Ishkur, meaning it was to EDM as McDonalds and fast food were to gastronomy - produced for the masses without great artistic value.

It's basically a derogatoric(sp?) term for the style Marcus Schulz and GDJB made popular around late 2003 and 2004. It pretty much blended progressive house with epic trance, very inspired by tracks like Holden & Thompson - Nothing (93 Returning Mix) with a lot of reverbed elements. Other well-known producers for this style were Gabriel & Dresden and Perry O'Neill.

quote:

Originally posted by paranoik0 It's basically a derogatoric(sp?) term for the style Marcus Schulz and GDJB made popular around late 2003 and 2004. It pretty much blended progressive house with epic trance, very inspired by tracks like Holden & Thompson - Nothing (93 Returning Mix) with a lot of reverbed elements. Other well-known producers for this style were Gabriel & Dresden and Perry O'Neill.

McProg doesn't resemble progressive house in the slightest bit.. it's just slow, boring trance with a lot of twinkly sounds.

Some more examples of mcprog producers: Probspot, Benz & MD, Andy Moor.

quote:

Originally posted by Sinus McProg doesn't resemble progressive house in the slightest bit.. it's just slow, boring trance.

that's probably a better description, what i wrote wasn't sounding right to me neither

i do think it's not that far away from prog house tho

So Sinus & Paranoik if mcprog is slow boring trance what the hec is mctrance?

watered down version of progressive trance. see Markus Schulz for refference

quote:

Originally posted by stevieboy32808 So Sinus & Paranoik if mcprog is slow boring trance what the hec is mctrance?

the old overblown epic trance sound with huge buildups and 5000-bar melodies.. Gouryella and the likes

i think that's what Ishkur meant with that one, but go check his EDM guide, it's there i believe

quote:

Originally posted by paranoik0 the old overblown epic trance sound with huge buildups and 5000-bar melodies.. Gouryella and the likes i think that's what Ishkur meant with that one, but go check his EDM guide, it's there i believe

thats just dutch trance. and it can easily be recognized by its abuse of the supersaw.

quote:

Originally posted by RapidFire thats just dutch trance. and it can easily be recognized by its abuse of the supersaw.

yeah, mctrance = dutch trance. it's just a name used once as a pisstake, really

For examples of McProg please refer to ETN Tlists in the tlist forums

What I don't understand about about this labeling is that people on here think trance should evolve, there should be some new ideas, hasn't the sound evolved with this stuff? Yeah it might not be super energetic like epic trance, yeah it might not be as deep, rhythmic , sublte and dark and prog house/trance, but it is offering a new sound, an alternative to formulaic epic trance with big breakdowns and build ups. It is melodic, what's wrong with melodic elements in progressive? It's got some breakdowns like in epic trance, but they aren't all as super huge and theatrical, but they are emotional and thats important.
No I am not an ASOT listener, nor do I listen to GDJB, but I do respect some of these new artists for offering something for those of us who like the melodic and euphoric sound of epic trance, with the deep, rhythmic and more subtle sound of progressive house and trance. It's the best of both worlds, so whats wrong with that? Sure some of these guys do sound similar, but so do countless epic and prog producers as well. People copy each other, thats a fact of life. That doesn't mean it's all bad and commercial, do you hear "McProg" on MTV, or on those silly "trance" compilations from Ultra records? Not really. It's a new sound in trance, and you can either like it or hate it, but the sound has evolved and is continuing to evolve. There's still plenty of traditional prog and epic trance out there as well.

Okay, the sound might not be exactly "new" but it has combined the best of both worlds to offer something for people, like myself, that have listened to over the years, both epic, melodic trance and progressive trance and house, and enjoy both. Thats one of the reasons why I appreciate some of these new artists, who have found a way to please those who like both, and to help the sound evolve some. Mark Otten's sound is quite new, but it has elements of both epic, melodic trance and progressive trance and house. The same goes to Probspot, Kalafut & Fygle, some Benz & MD and others.

Basically look at GDJB tracklistings without listening to any of the tracks and assuming they are all one description then in various other threads you will give only good compliments to those same songs without realising that you've actually insulted them in the first place. Yeah I guess I should have broken that up into atleast two sentences but meh.

I'm going to reference some TA threads to explain teh McProg...

McProgressive

quote:

Originally posted by speedracer_mec McProgressive : aka McProg aka McCheese Aka MarkusCheeseProg What makes a tune mcprog? Simple: Step 1 should be "send it to GDJB so Markus can play it" a)Work Really Hard On A Tune You Think Is Progressive Then Send It To Markus Schulz. Step 2 Markus Schulz plays it for several weeks on GDJB which little mcprog addicts pee their pants yelling tune of the year. Step 3 Markus Passes the tune to Armin Van Buuren and AVB features it on his New Tunes selections Step 4 AVB plays it on ASOT For 50 weeks in a row and literally beats the tune inside out. Step 5 Get it signed to avb's label (e.g. Interstate) McProg Seal of Approval. Current McProg Pioneers: Markus S. Perry Oneil AVB Current Tune Being Transformed into McProg Victim: Interstate- I found you. Conclusion: Markus needs to stay the hell away from Progressive

quote:

Originally posted by Colbalt "American Progressive" is a better name. Describing something as "American" already has a pejorative connotation of something mass-produced with poor emphasis on quality, appealing to the lowest denominator. American news, American cars, American cheese, etc. In addition to this negative flavor, "American progressive" is a neutral description of where the subgenre originated and has developed: In the United States. Gabriel & Dresden began the sound from San Francisco, and Markus Schulz brought it to Miami, where it has since become the dominant style. McProg is okay as a colloquial term, but American Progressive is better as a formal label.

What The **** Is mcprog/mctrance

quote:

Originally posted by isoterra derived from mcdonalds := mass processed junk food

Markus Schulz - Coldharbour Sessions 2004

quote:

Originally posted by Pio I called it McProg because I think this style is starting to sound like the fast food of progressive, trying badly to have a wider appeal without much depth put into it. Pre-packaged elevator music with beats. It's prog, but there's nothing progressive about it (this goes for the general vibe, I do enjoy some tracks). Too many simple one-note piano melodies with a few pretentious layers that end up sounding superficial because it tries to hard to compromise between melody and progressive. I like Clear Blue. I loved hearing PvD, Tiesto and Sasha spin it live. It had a great effect on their respective sets, because they know how to use that kinda contrasting sound and create the right vibe with it. But the vocals in this compilation totally ruin the track, and it makes no sense to place it at the end like that. This compilation is 50 points below the musical IQ scale of classics such as Balance 005, GU013 or ISOS 2. Sorry, but this is just my opinion.

anybody want some fries with that?

hahahahahaha omfg i died in my seat drunk

-ryan

Re: What is McProg?

quote:

Originally posted by stevieboy32808 I see this term used a lot here on TA and was wondering what it means. 1)I know mcprog is some sort of derivative for progressive, but what does the mc part mean? 2)What artists are associated with this music? 3)Share with me some of the good and bad elements of the mcprog sound?

Oh Piazza, always the instigator.

people were calling what oakenfold was playing a little while back (about the time of the great wall comp) mcprog - before the whole amrkus/perry/etc. thing

but yer i think this thread properly explains the issue.

some of it is pretty kewl
a lot of it is as boring as batshit

the lost language seems to be seen as a little more credible - would this stuff be labelled mcprog?

quote:

Originally posted by Light The Fuse the lost language seems to be seen as a little more credible - would this stuff be labelled mcprog?

if you are refering to Tilt and Probspot then yes.

quote:

Originally posted by Pio I called it McProg because I think this style is starting to sound like the fast food of progressive, trying badly to have a wider appeal without much depth put into it. Pre-packaged elevator music with beats. It's prog, but there's nothing progressive about it (this goes for the general vibe, I do enjoy some tracks). Too many simple one-note piano melodies with a few pretentious layers that end up sounding superficial because it tries to hard to compromise between melody and progressive. I like Clear Blue. I loved hearing PvD, Tiesto and Sasha spin it live. It had a great effect on their respective sets, because they know how to use that kinda contrasting sound and create the right vibe with it. But the vocals in this compilation totally ruin the track, and it makes no sense to place it at the end like that. This compilation is 50 points below the musical IQ scale of classics such as Balance 005, GU013 or ISOS 2. Sorry, but this is just my opinion.

Pio, a bit more effort and you could be writing for a magazine =p. Even though I may not 100 % agree here, it's truly a great read.

quote:

Originally posted by Light The Fuse people were calling what oakenfold was playing a little while back (about the time of the great wall comp) mcprog - before the whole amrkus/perry/etc. thing

Really? I've been reading these boards for a while and don't remember that term being brought up until GDJB became popular. Please post a reference if you can, I'd love to read.

Rodas

quote:

Originally posted by stevieboy32808 what the hec is mctrance?

Every single track that has ever been played on ASOT.

Generally, all trance made with a predictable, cookie-cutter formula (the breakdown, snare roll and crescending anthem extra value meal, with a side order of inane vocals), made in minutes like a mad libs exercise and rolled off the assembly line and pressed quickly to wax so the DJ could play it on Pete Tong's show that night. This would include all Anthem Trance, Epic Trance and Dutch Trance made since 1998.

Cheap, shallow junk mass-produced for quantity's sake.

quote:

Originally posted by Ishkur Every single track that has ever been played on ASOT. Generally, all trance made with a predictable, cookie-cutter formula (the breakdown, snare roll and crescending anthem extra value meal, with a side order of inane vocals), made in minutes like a mad libs exercise and rolled off the assembly line and pressed quickly to wax so the DJ could play it on Pete Tong's show that night. This would include all Anthem Trance, Epic Trance and Dutch Trance made since 1998. Cheap, shallow junk mass-produced for quantity's sake.

It'd be almost insane to label every pop tune produced since 97 (boy band invasion) until now in a similar fasion because in between there (even if not so adopted), there are some really great tracks that have came out even for the genre.

So, I guess I disagree a bit.

Rodas

So Rodas would you consider a track such as Micro de Govia's latest Vital Spark "Mctrance"? I mean yes it has a breakdown, but I find it quite different from something with a big trance riff (which I can't stand as much anymore). It doesn't sound like it has low production values, doesn't sound "cheap". So would u consider anything with a breakdown now "McTrance"? . The breakdown isn't overly theatrical, over the top, it's there, but not taking over the track, but still quite beautiful.

man now i want macodnals.

IT'S A MARKETING PLOY BY THE MCDONALDS CORPORATION. DON'T LET ISHKUR OR ANYONE ELSE FOOL YOU.

Powered by: vBulletin
Copyright © 2000-2021, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.