I think a lot of users on this forum suffer from a distorted perception of what trance used to be like, just because they loved it so much back in the days when acid was king. But the fact is that then, just like now, there was a ton of cheesy and phoned-in stuff (Robert Miles, the Euphoria compilations, DJ Sammy) to balance out the solid tunes.

Now I'll also agree that the sound has generally developed into something more "poppy", especially with the advent of radio edits and labels like Ultra here in the US trying to move dance music into the mainstream. But that doesn't necessarily make it bad. A lot of people just like to be bitter and cynical about the perceived glory of something that was never all that cool anyway.

Another reason that modern-day trance catches so much flak is that most of the kids who listen to it have very insular taste in music - they are unwilling to step outside their little trance bubble, even to explore other stuff within the world of electronic music, let alone other genres. This establishes the (often unfortunately accurate) stereotype of the trance cracker who lives to drop E on the weekends and worship Armin or whatever.

So honestly, I'm not ashamed to still listen to some trance music. Though house owns it any day, of course.

I read hundreds of opinions about this topic and am a bit confused, because I fell in love with Trance because of the euphoric feeling on the dancfloor while the constant rythm and long, driving waves are creating a true uplifting feeling where you lose the feeling for time, your body and your mind. I really fell into trance.

That ability is the main character of Trance in my opinion. But over the years this part was cut out and replaced by pop melodies and a lot of vocals, which changed most of the "tracks" into "songs". When I have to explain what Trance is, I usually refer to native Americans or Africans dancing to their drums around a fire. That's the driving force in Trance, but in addition there are beautful repeating, short, melodic parts and strings. So you get a combination of falling into trance and a euphoric/happy mood. That's love!

___________________
http://www.soundcloud.com/djsoulstone

DJ Soulstone - Summer Solstice 2012 [Goa/Full-On]

Yeah,Trance is a good stuff

Vocals don't change the genre IMO, but can make it sound poppy, as guitars can make a track sound rockie and violins classic. Search the first vocals trance track, I bet it goes back futher then you think.

If someone tells me the first 1.36 minutes of Paul van Dyk ft. Johnny Mcdaid - Home isn't pure Trance then this would mean that for more than 10 years most people agreed and now suddenly changed their minds.

That some especially over here like a certain type of trance doesn't mean other tracks aren't trance or even are less. All a matter of taste.

___________________

Longest (classic) Trance playlist on YouTube (5000 tracks released up to and including 1997), click here

Vocal trance is still trance. It just stinks.

quote:

Originally posted by MrJiveBoJingles Vocal trance is still trance. It just stinks.

That's why in the 90's instrumental versions were invented

___________________

Longest (classic) Trance playlist on YouTube (5000 tracks released up to and including 1997), click here

quote:

Originally posted by Matazaron I like Trance mostly because of the melody and also because of the culture. One hasn't really known trance until they have been to a rave or have seen a live performance by a world-famous DJ like AvB or Tiesto.

I agree.. Theres an atmosphere they bring to the club at peak time which is just a great feeling of partying hard!

quote:

Originally posted by Matazaron These DJs have MILLIONS of fans and they are known worldwide, something rock bands or singers have a tough time accomplishing.

An outrageous statement!!... Genres such as rock bands and singers have a much more mainstream feel and therefore have a far wider target audience, theres absolutly no comparison with the likes of Armin to U2 or Tiesto to 50 Cent etc..

Which is actually another factor why I like EDM, the exclusivity!

I think the biggest thing recently, like many others have said on here, is the lack of originality and quality. Some of the pioneers and the best producers of the industry have just got lazy. My favourite period was early 2000 when trance became less mainstream but still had the quality there. When Armin, Ferry and Tiesto were chruning out gold... Its just the complete opposite now, they all produce utter shite. I actually think this is the biggest turning point for why trance has become dull and unispired. Laziness...

Eric Prydz is a great example of talent, hes always turning out great tunes using a limited amount of equipment, I'm sure I heard he still uses fruity loops! Its the talent he has that does it. I would apply a similar kind of opinion to the industry I am involved in - Graphic design. The amount of people who churn out crap thinking they are photoshop gods.. gives everyone else a bad name, theres just not enough raw talent and general creativity coming through. Everyone takes the easy option and in then end the wrong one.

Pick up a pencil or paintbrush before you jump into photoshop...
Learn a piano and violin before you jump onto cubase.

Learn everything about the industry and be unique, theres just no one with genuine talent and creativity coming through!

___________________
Kinetic Mix -
http://www.sendspace.com/file/vtgvwx

ENJOY!!

quote:

Originally posted by chrisday An outrageous statement!!... Genres such as rock bands and singers have a much more mainstream feel and therefore have a far wider target audience, theres absolutly no comparison with the likes of Armin to U2 or Tiesto to 50 Cent etc.. I think the biggest thing recently, like many others have said on here, is the lack of originality and quality. Some of the pioneers and the best producers of the industry have just got lazy.

Well U2 doesn't do a good job either, as many famous rock bands I guess.
It will become more difficult just because technical nothing much changes and many things have been done.
When I think of what I like from U2 that goes back to the 90's too.

___________________

Longest (classic) Trance playlist on YouTube (5000 tracks released up to and including 1997), click here

Seems pretty obvious to me that a large part of the reason why many people ´graduate´ from trance onto other forms of music as they grow older is due to changing mental state caused by changes to the brain as people age.

When you´re 18-22, as most trance listeners are, you have a lot of energy etc, but this changes with age and you end up listening to Clovis spin another shit one.

hmm, unicorn fighting lazershark - win

wearing scarves, noooooooooooo.

The pace of a trance track is more fun for party experience I find. The housey stuff is slightly slower, which is definitely sexier and I enjoy watching girls pump their asses to housey type things, but I am not a girl. I need to flail like a psycho and wave my arms around like I'm about to shoot fireballs out (not joking), I look like a tard when I try to do slow housey pump thing, but people gawk at me and imitate my movements when I do my trance flailing thing. Drum and Bass is a bit too fast (still fun), trance is usually just right. I know there is more than just trance that has similar pacing, I also like those other things. Really though, I like the vigorous energetic movements that a typical trance track encourages, compared to your sort of smooth pumping type behevior that the slower pace provides. During the flailing like an idiot thing, it gets tiring, and the music even comes with these breakdowns and periods to stretch and catch your breath before resuming the flailing, it's just lovely. I find it hard to fully appreciate the music until you go to a party and flail around like an idiot, it just adds a new dimmension to the interpretation, silly arm chair ravers. I guess the warning against armchair raving can be said about all the dance music styles though, they all dance a little different from each other.

Also, I love the shiny and the glowsticks and the rediculous costumes and shit. I guess it has been about 8 years of clubbing, and lots of armchair raving before that when I was a young warthog (im 25 now). I haven't grown out of the glowy shit yet, that shiny stuff isn't exclusive to trance though.

Hooking melodies are also nice, and supersaws, and snare rolls, and the thingy demonstrated in the youtube videos, those were cool. I am over the pop music analogies, if I like hook melodies because they are poppy, so be it, feeling insulted because somebody compares one sound to another one is one of those high school type arguments, fuck it I like that noise that sounds like wheeeeeeooooooooeeeeeeoooooeeee, so what.

Don't get me wrong with the vocals! In Trance they should just not be main part. A Trance track with vocals in addition is ok. But a song with Trance sounds in addition is not!

Best example is Paul van Dyk, record release party for "In Between". I was about to leave because this Pussy Cat Dolls chick was singing live and didn't even hit the note! Darn it, Trance is not a genre for singers, they are just fucking annoying...
But in the last years the use of vocals became more often and especially the tracks were build around the vocals, not the vocals added to the tracks.

___________________
http://www.soundcloud.com/djsoulstone

DJ Soulstone - Summer Solstice 2012 [Goa/Full-On]

quote:

Originally posted by Trance-MB Well U2 doesn't do a good job either, as many famous rock bands I guess.

Let me emphasize my point a bit clearer.

http://www.interference.com/9643-it...al-u2-sell-out/

How many tickets did Armin and Tiesto sell? 2.5 million by any chance?

___________________
Kinetic Mix -
http://www.sendspace.com/file/vtgvwx

ENJOY!!