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There is a huge, huge spectrum of different types of trance, and most tracks don't really fit into one genre... you can have uplifting melodic trance for example... or a track could be a mix of two or more genres... or lie in between them. Subdividing trance is useful in that it gives us a way to describe a song, but often, you can't just take any given song and decide which sub-genre it belongs to.
Here are some basic guidelines (hope this is ok)
Melodic Trance - Most trance is melodic trance. This is the kind with the catchy melody, the characteristic build-up, and the massive, floorfilling synths. Usually there are several layers of harmony or counter-melody underneath the melody to make the track more deep.
ex: Paul Van Dyk - Crush, Solid Globe - Sahara, Tiesto - Suburban Train
Uplifting Trance - more light, happy, often in a major key...
ex: Solar Stone - Seven Cities, Gouryella - Walhalla
Hard Trance - Characteristic pounding bass drum, synths usually have a definite chaotic feel and very driving melodic lines...
ex: Anything by Green Martian, S.H.O.K.K., etc
Cheese - Predictable, cookie-cutter stuff with extremely simple melodies that are catchy enough to sell on MTV. Many TAs will flame you if you like this stuff.
ex: DJ Sammy, ATB's older stuff, Alice Deejay.
Progressive Trance - A mix between prog and trance... still with a melody, but not necessarily the big synths that most trance has... often with a more laid back, atmospheric feel and a more gradual build-up.
ex: Sasha - Xpander, some would say Motorcycle - As The Rush Comes
Breakbeat Trance - Not really a subgenre as much as it is a binary descriptor... for the most part. The characteristic 4/4 beat is replaced by breakbeat elements and often heavy basslines.
ex: Luke Chable & Danny Bonnici - Ride (Take a Break Mix), Sasha - Rabbitweed
Morning Trance - The opposite of hard trance. Instead of bringing about emotions of chaos, its melodies are soothing, relaxing, tranquil, and quite euphoric.
ex: Sholan - Can You Feel (Thrillseekers Mix), Aly & Fila - Eye Of Horus (Ronski Speed Remix)
Vocal Trance - Again, some people classify this as a genre, but it's more just a binary descriptor. Simply put, vocal trance is the kind of trance with vocals (ya know... singing.)
ex: Andain, Sylver, Jan Johnson's stuff
Chillout - Not really trance, chillout is trance slowed down with no pounding bassdrums. Better for relaxing to than for dancing to. Sometimes trance songs have chillout remixes.
ex: Paul Oakenfold - Southern Sun (Solar Stone Chillout Remix), Ulrich Schnauss - A Strangely Isolated Place
Tech Trance - Trance with some techno-ish elements. Often very repetitive, with hard-hitting sounds and less emphasis on the melody. Sometimes there will be a melodic break and then the melody will disappear as the track builds up again.
ex: DJ Tiesto - Flight 643, Nick Rafferty & Paul Kershaw - We Are Connected (Sunfire Remix)
Goa - Very deep, polyphonic, intense trance with many layers of synth at once. Tracks can be very overwhelming but often sound absolutely amazing. Many goa tracks have middle-eastern influences.
ex: Hallucinogen - Horrorgram, Astral Projection - Heavens Gate
Psy Trance - Similar to Goa, but with less emphasis on melody and more emphasis on wierd noises, funky effects, and crazy percussion.
ex: Astral Projection - Life On Mars
I hope I haven't missed anything... that should serve as a general guideline.
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