Trance came out of Frankfurt’s techno scene around the end of the 1980s and spread across Europe from there. It usually runs at about 125 to 150 beats per minute, the tracks are long, and most of them are built around one melodic phrase that repeats while everything around it slowly changes.
I started making loops in FruityLoops in 1998 and came back to production seriously in 2016, and trance is a big part of what I make. These are the five things I think it does well for a listener. They’re practical uses, and none of them is a medical claim.
1. It stays out of the way while you work
Most trance has few lyrics or none, and the main hook repeats often enough that you stop tracking it. That makes it easy to leave on while you do something else. The research on background music and concentration is mixed, and I went through it in what research says about house music, movement and mood. The short version is that music with lyrics is the kind that gets in the way. If you’re reading or writing, instrumental music is the safer pick, and trance has plenty of it.
2. The tempo holds steady for a run
A trance track picks a tempo and keeps it from start to finish, and a DJ mix can hold it for an hour. That’s useful when you’re running, because you can settle into a rhythm without the music changing pace on you. A 2020 review of 139 studies found that music during exercise was linked to lower perceived effort and a better mood, and that faster music helped performance more than slower music. Trance is fast and steady.
3. It suits long drives
Long tracks with gradual changes fit a long road. A mix can run for an hour without a jarring switch, and you don’t have to keep reaching for the skip button. One caution: in a driving simulator study, faster music went along with faster driving and more missed red lights. Keep the volume reasonable and keep an eye on your speed.
4. The slow build teaches you to listen
Trance changes one thing at a time. A hi-hat comes in, a filter opens, a pad gets wider. If you pay attention, you start to hear how a track is put together, and that carries over to other music. I wrote a guide to hearing more in electronic music if you want to try it.
5. The melodies stay with you
Trance is melodic before anything else. A typical track has a breakdown where the drums drop out and the melody stands alone, and then the beat comes back underneath it. Hearing one phrase that many times, in that many settings, is why you’re still humming it the next day. I’ve written more about what makes an EDM melody stay with you.
I’m also available to book for raves, clubs and other performances. If you’d rather just listen, my trance and progressive house releases are here.