New to Trance?
Check out a couple of my recs below to grow acquainted with the genre:
(All links keep you within this webpage)
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1. Beautiful, Energizing, & Repetitive: Angel (Eteson&Nicky Dub)
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2. Uplifting Symphonic Trance (Hard, Repetitive-yet-Beautiful) Everlasting (Original Mix) [Skips intro (Skips first 2:32)] Everlasting (Original
Mix) [Don't Skip Intro (long version)]
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3. Uplifting Symphonic: Amnesia (SoundLift Remix)
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4. Video of a Concert (Song is an Electro-y Hard Electronica Anthem): Elements of Life
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5. Yet More Anthem Trance:
5a. Old-School Soothing-yet -Energizing Anthem: Airwave
5b. Frenzied Euphoric Fast Old-School (1990s) Intense Uplifting Anthem: Walhalla
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6. Uplifting Vocal Trance: Just Be (Antillas Mix)
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7. Balearic Vocal Trance (Sad/Reaffirming) Lost (Original Chill Mix)
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8. Progressive Trance (Harder, Multi-tempo Chill-Out): Fake Awake (Blizzard Remix)
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9. Uplifting Trance (Electro-y & Latin-y): Sounds Rushing (David West Remix)
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10. Vocal Progressive Trance (Laid-Back): Punta Del Este (Beach Mix)
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11. Vocal Trance (Midtempo Melancholy): Miracle
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12. Vocal Trance (Harder):
Falling Everything (Cosmic Gate Remix) Concert Video
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13. Progressive (fast & uplifting) :
(Wonderful Video of Penguins) Make This Your Day (Gareth Emery Dub Rmx)
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14. Vocal Anthem: Nothing But You
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15. Brief Transitions:
Blossom (Lounge Mix) In the Past
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16. Chill-Out Balearic Trance:
Sunny Tales (Original)
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17. Trance Downtempo God Surrounds Us
What is Uplifting Trance?
Wikipedia says,
"Uplifting trance, also known as epic trance and anthem trance, is a term to describe several styles of music;
all
of which are subgenres of trance. The name, which emerged in the wake of progressive trance in 1997, is derived
from the feeling which listeners claim to get (often described as a "rush"). The genre, which originated in
Germany, is massively popular in the trance scene, and is one of the dominant forms of dance music worldwide."
One addition to this Wikipedia statement is the the term Euphoric Trance is also used sometimes interchangeable
with the above three. The misleading thing in the Wikipedia statement is that not all uplifting trance is
designed to give a rush, just some.
Uplifting trance is usually designed either to give a rush, or to energize one, or to boost one's mood, often while
also soothing or calming. Those
three things are not the same, although they often coincide. A rush can leave one very peaceful, content, &
satiated and not energized at
all.
Likewise, there is a ton of uplifting trance that either energizing one or boosts one's mood without giving a
rush. Likewise, there is much trance that boosts one's mood without energizing one, in fact, often with the
goal of calming one down. In any case, uplifting trance almost always does at least one of those three.
Anthem trance is a song based around an anthem, as in the examples at left and right labeled "anthem".
Euphoric trance is, no surprise, trance that makes one euphoric. The Suburban Train and Forever Today examples at
right both have very long and often dissonant buildups leading to incredibly beautiful and satisfying
climaxes.
Symphonic Uplifting is uplifting trance using a symphonic orchestra. This genre's key figure has been Andy Blueman, who
is now widely emulated.
The example at right of Walhalla (in the "Warning" section) was a key defining classic of uplifting trance
that helped shape the genre. Even though they now sound completely different, uplifting trance is somehow
musically a derivative of the spastic-and-psychadelic psy-trance, and if one is familiar with psy-trance then
listening to Walhalla makes clear how the evolution happened.
Although it originated in the late 1990s, uplifting in trance exploded in popularity after 2006, helped by
the
celebrity status of Tiesto and the radio
shows of Armin van Buuren (A State of Trance with 30 million listeners/week) and Above & Beyond (Trance Around the World
with 21 million liseners/week),
even
though those two shows play
mostly progressive trance (there's some overlap).
To quote Wikipedia about the post-2006 uplifting trance, "Although some listeners consider current uplifting trance a
pale shadow of its former self, many others consider it to have evolved into a more creative, thus more 'uplifting' music in
general, fusing with styles such as progressive trance/house, and electro house, the genre is wildly followed by an
extensive and loyal fan base."
The left & below links show 4 trance genres:
- Uplifting/Anthem Tr.
- Progressive Trance - Vocal Trance - Balearic Trance
(Within these, trance producers
often merge trance with house,
jazz, ambient, classical, indie,
electro, psy-trance, pop, hip-
hop, techno, alt., Euro/HiNRG,
Latin, chill-out, or downtempo.)
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In case you like a couple of my recommendations at left, below (random order), are
more of
my all-time favorites:
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Concert Video: Classical-Based Distorted-Sounds Anthem:
Adagio For Strings