|
Well trance is such a big area these days with so many sub genres like O'Callaghan's listed. There are, however, a few characteristics that tie them all together, I'll have a go at listing them for you ...
1. Trance is always a four-to-the-floor beat, typically varying from 120 to 150 BPM. This is, coincidentally, around about the heartbeat rate of an unborn child. That is the reason why it does something subliminal to adult humans which we still don't quite understand, it is the sweet spot for getting people into a euphoric "trance" like state anyways 
2. The song structure - this is quite distinctive with trance. It starts off with a simple beat for a half minute or so (this is so a DJ can easily mix the song into the last one he's playing). Then they'll either drop the bass or start bringing in the main melodic hook. Either way a number of riff- or rhythm- based elements will be gradually worked into the song, all fitting around the main repetitive riff. At some stage about half or 2/3 of the way through the song, there's likely to be a breakdown - this is where the beat will stop, and you'll be left with a sort of hanging-in-space feeling with just one or two instruments or vocals continuing to play. This will continue for as long as the producer wants it to, and then there's what's known as a buildup - where they start reintroducing the rhythm, and it often builds to a crescendo or drum roll before the main beat returns. The main body of the song then continues until it ends with some simpler elements right at the end, where your conscientious DJ is supposed to be seamlessly mixing in the next track
Not all trance has breakdowns and buildups, but just about all songs that have breakdowns are trance, if you see what I mean.
3. It's different from many other forms of dance music in that it's almost entirely based on electronic sounds. Typically the sound of old, analog synthesizers. You won't hear, for example, a lot of brass and horn stabs like you would with house music. Old style drum machines like the Roland 303, big phat analog bass, synth and pad riffs and breathy, female vocals are the building blocks of most trance. (Before anyone flames me, sure I know there are exceptions to this, like particularly some of the fluffier uplifting stuff has strings in the breakdown etc, but I'm talking generalities.)
4. It is indeed fairly repetitive (like a foetal heart beat in fact), because that's the easiest way to induce the emotional response that all good trance should have.
5. Almost any of the above rules can be ignored by the DJ as long as he brings about the desired effect in his listeners ... a state of 'trance' ... not hypnotic-staring-into-space trance but that euphoric feeling of being lost in the music, and swept along on a wave of emotion ... hell I don't need to describe this, you guys all know what I'm talking about I'm sure.
Hope some of that helps, and I wish you all many pleasant voyages in trance
___________________
Kia's Sig-o-matic
-------------
Insert your favourite jap car here
Insert partially dressed bimbo here
Select auto placement of your little Gatecrasher lion left/right/top/bottom
----------
List your 100 top DJs / producers / clubs here
Add URL for your latest dodgy fruity loops production here
|
