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-- Uplifting Trance = Melodic Trance?

Uplifting Trance = Melodic Trance?

It seems to me people have begun calling what once was melodic trance, uplifting trance. Is this correct, or is uplifting a different category?

isn't it all really trance? i say tomayto...you say tomato...

soz, my terminology may have been wrong. [as well as my poor spelling]

quote:

Originally posted by Floorfiller isn't it all really trance? i say tomayto...you say tomato...

But then you are wrong. One always has wrong.

Nah. The category doesn't matter as long as the music is good. But I'd like to know.

quote:

Originally posted by DJ Cinos But then you are wrong. One always has wrong. Nah. The category doesn't matter as long as the music is good. But I'd like to know.

well if you must know i think its people trying to abitrarily asign artists and tunes into genre categories and really just over complicate things...i think its stupid really...

If it has a melody, it's melodic.

Kinda obvious, is it not?

quote:

Originally posted by Mr.Mystery If it has a melody, it's melodic. Kinda obvious, is it not?

Certainly, music with a melody is melodic, but that doesn't make it melodic trance.

To answer your question, DJ Cinos, melodic trance and uplifting trance are the same thing. For that matter, epic trance is too.

quote:

Originally posted by starglider Certainly, music with a melody is melodic, but that doesn't make it melodic trance.

Yes, but trance music with a melody is melodic trance.

I think the whole "Melodic Trance" name is idiotic. How many unmelodic trance tunes have you heard?

quote:

Originally posted by Mr.Mystery Yes, but trance music with a melody is melodic trance. I think the whole "Melodic Trance" name is idiotic. How many unmelodic trance tunes have you heard?

Well, there are progressive trance tunes with little or no melody, same for tech trance. But that's not the point -- it's called melodic trance because the focus of the track is the lead melody. I see your point, but the alternatives make even less sense. Whether a song is uplifting has no bearing on its genre, and epic is an even bigger misnomer, since its most pertinent definition is "surpassing the usual or ordinary, particularly in scope or size".

I think of uplifting trance as the more epic higher energy trance. Trance that is uplifting. I wouldn't classify hard trance as uplifting, but the more melodic, floaty trance (not cheese necessarily, but light).

quote:

Originally posted by starglider Well, there are progressive trance tunes with little or no melody, same for tech trance. But that's not the point -- it's called melodic trance because the focus of the track is the lead melody. I see your point, but the alternatives make even less sense. Whether a song is uplifting has no bearing on its genre, and epic is an even bigger misnomer, since its most pertinent definition is "surpassing the usual or ordinary, particularly in scope or size".

Spot on.
That's why I just call it "trance"

This thread brought to you by the letter I.










I wonder what adjective a bunch of clueless trance crackers are going to tack onto epic/anthem trance next. Oh, I listen to power angelic high-flying uplifting melodic boombastic idiot trance.

Heres a little informaton regarding Trance and its various artforms :

Trance:
Breaking out of the German techno and hardcore scene of the early '90s, Trance emphasized brief synthesizer lines repeated endlessly throughout tracks, with only the addition of minimal rhythmic changes and occasional synthesizer atmospherics to distinguish them -- in effect putting listeners into a trance that approached those of religious origin.

Progressive Trance:
progressive house led the increasingly mainstream-sounding house from the charts back to the dance floors, 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 DJs (Oakenfold, Tong, Sasha) and spotlighted in the main rooms of Britain's largest clubs (Gatecrasher, Cream, Ministry of Sound, Home).

Goa Trance (this is very much part of my countrys culture):

Named after a region on the coast of southwestern India famed as a clubbing and drugging paradise ever since the '60s, Goa Trance broke away from the Teutonic bent of European trance during the early '90s and carried the torch for trance during the rest of the decade. The presence of LSD on the Goa scene -- instead of the ubiquitous club drug Ecstasy -- translated the music into an appropriately psychedelic version of trance that embraced the mystical properties of Indian music and culture. Traditional Indian instruments such as the sitar and sarod (or electronic near-equivalents) often made appearances in the music, pushed along by the driving, hypnotic sequencer music that trance had always been known for. The style is considerably less turntable-oriented than other electronic dance styles, especially since vinyl tends to melt in the heat (DATs are often used instead). As a consequence, Goa had comparatively few DJs to recommend it worldwide until the late '90s. Labels like Dragonfly, Blue Room Released, Flying Rhino, Platipus, and Paul Oakenfold's Perfecto Fluoro became important sources for the sound. Oakenfold, Britain's most popular DJ, finally gave Goa trance the cache it had lacked in the past by caning it on the radio and in clubs across the country.

Heres some info from Trance production regarding trance:

Progressive � In this form of trance, many anthem qualities of earlier trance have been stripped away, but to say that progressive trance totally removes the notion of a melody goes a bit far. Many times there will be no memorable melodic line. Instead the emphasis is put on gently evolving sounds and layered parts leading to a very strong and musical sense of atmosphere.

Modern Goa or Psy (Psychedelic) Trance � psy or goa is probably the area of trance most closely associated with the drug culture. Although hard to define, it is filled with rich analog sounds and psychedelic-patterned tone colors. If hippies listened to trance, this would be what they listened to. Many argue that this is the oldest original form of trance. If any differences are most noticeable, they would be that goa seems to have a more cultural and middle-eastern feel to it, while Psy holds a stronger fusion of nostalgic and energetic sound sets.

Dark or Deep Trance � Dark trance has a sadder, more melancholy feel to it. It tends to borrow from earlier techno elements and contains heavier, darker pads and strings. It�s often themed as �evil-Trance� but does not always have to sound that way. Some will argue that it should seem a bit scary to be classified as Dark trance.

Breaks � Breaks is simply a form of Trance that gets away from the standard �four on the floor� drum pattern. Instead of having a kick drum sound on every quarter note of a bar, it is often broken up into a funkier or even Pop/Hip-Hop style percussion patterns and styles. Other elements of the percussion are often mixed differently from standard Trance. Many standard Trance pieces are mixed into Breaks form and vice-versa by adding new percussion only.

Melodic/Uplifting Trance � (also contains epic trance) Probably the most common form of trance and most often the route taken by a budding producer. This is what your Alphazone�s and Airbase�s just love to output. It will consist of a thick atmosphere, bass (commercial trance will almost always have an off-beat bass), and a phat lead playing a great melody (this is where that new $2,000 piece of hardware will REALLY come in handy). Generally it will have a percussion and bass combo in the intro and will slowly bring in a sub melody that will lead into the primary melody. The primary melody is generally brought in during a breakdown where the percussion and bass are turned off and some melodic pads are playing.

Personally the borders between one form and another is very vague and you shouldnt worry too much about it. Hope it helps

i think you can use "melodic trance" as a description of an individual track, not a general "subgenre" of trance.

besides, id like to meet the person that decided what trance is, what progressive is, what uplifting, deep, etc etc etc is.....its all so stupid.

quote:

Originally posted by Rhue Breaks � Breaks is simply a form of Trance that gets away from the standard �four on the floor� drum pattern.

That's a load of crap.

quote:

Originally posted by Mr.Mystery If it has a melody, it's melodic. Kinda obvious, is it not?

pretty sr8 forward here

quote:

Originally posted by Mr.Mystery That's a load of crap.

yup... what genious was dumb enough to write that?

quote:

Originally posted by starglider it's called melodic trance because the focus of the track is the lead melody.

yup, that's a good definition

and to answer the initial question, the term "uplifting" (and also "epic") is mostly used to define trance tracks with big breakdowns and heavy synths.

i always use the term "melodic" though.

quote:

Originally posted by Mr.Mystery That's a load of crap.

Unless it's breaktrance! Haha

I'm kidding of course, but different definitions for different people.

When I say "DOG", y'all are going to get different images of a varied spectrum of dogs in your head. Some of you will gravitate more towards a Great Dane or a Jack Russell Terrier because that's what you actually own as a pet companion animal, other will visualize Golden Retrievers because that's what you see on television a lot and it gets into your head. Personal experiences account for a lot here, and quite frankly, you can always combine.

So, Uplifting Melodic Trance

I'm sure you know the archetypes. When you think of "Horror Movie Monster", you usually think of Dracula, Frankenstein Monster, or maybe the Werewolf or the Mummy.


If you want to try hard enough, you can almost *always* find flaws in these definitions. For example, you can pitch the hi-hats and toms and other percussion to make them bang out a melody. Yet, what defines a melody? Some tracks that claimed to have a melody seemed more like they had looped riffs that lasted one bar and repeated over and over. But then, what's the difference between a riff and a melody? Does a riff always have to be necessarily melodic? No, because as in the case of some rock riffs, it can be atonal guitar squealing like Sonic Youth. And then you can double up on the melody, and make it a harmony, all chorded and stuff. And you can play that harmony rhythmically by tapping it in time.

There are no clear lines, but it is like a Rainbow -- the colors are not discrete from each other, but they all are mixed and blended cohesively into what we know as the sonic art & science of music.

Ask yourself questions like:

-it is uplifting for you? Does it make you happy and inspired?
-do you find it to be melodic? Is the tune catchy?

There you go!

Then, you've come up with some personal truths you can refer to and adapt as your life goes on.

quote:

Originally posted by Mr.Mystery That's a load of crap.

, true

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