What is Trance Music?

Trance music is an art form that relies heavily on the use of electronic equipment and a specific tempo range, typically 130-160 beats per minute (BPM), to create a musical arrangement that is understood to have somewhat hypnotic qualities. This musical genre started in the late 20th century and has been influenced by other electronic music genres, such as house music, techno, and ambient music. The origins of this type of music can be traced to the acid house movement of the late 1980s in the United Kingdom. The emerging compositions included beats in the range of 130-160 BPM and involved repetitious chains of melodies that were connected by a series of crescendos and breakdowns. Although most of the earliest examples of trance music were instrumental in nature, vocals soon came to be included in the arrangements.

During the 1990s, trance music became part of the club scene in many European countries, especially Germany. The popularity of the genre in Frankfurt, Germany, was so pronounced that many musical experts trace the origin of trance music with vocals to that city. The pattern for vocals usually took a course of being somewhat uplifting in nature, rather than addressing social issues or having story lines that focus on negative emotional subjects, such as broken hearts or a longing for something better in life.

Trance music offered clubgoers and music aficionados an alternative to the techno and house music of the late 20th century. The genre was thought to be a musical style that was intended to help revitalize people rather than be a vehicle for perpetuating stereotypes or promoting political agendas. Since the beginning of the 21st century, trance music has captured audiences on a global basis. Record labels, clubs and radio outlets around the world specialize in this genre of music.

The general positive attitude of trance music has helped it remain a music form that attracts many fans. Compositions are often produced with a combination of traditional instruments used in conjunction with a musical synthesizer. Many of the most popular trance music artists of the early 21st century tended to structure their recordings so that the sound had more in common with more mainstream pop music, which is believed to have helped this type of music be more accessible to the general public. Various sources within the musical industry also have begun to track the popularity of this genre's songs, albums and artists, using charts that might be based on factors such as sales, digital downloads or radio play.