- Aug 23, 2022
- 180 Posts
- 158 Thanked
Introduction
This is an extension/prequel to my previous post I made a few days ago, in which I talked about the finest examples of proper trance music from the early years of the genre. This writing also focuses on the years between 1988 and 1992, but its main goal is to help you better understand how trance has evolved and slowly become its own thing by growing out of genres such as new beat, ambient, techno, acid, piano house, and more. This is by no means a complete list of all proto-trance tunes, trance-adjacent tracks, or popular productions that probably influenced the sound of trance, but I believe this summary gives you a good picture of the days before the genre became better established. While this post is primarily about the history of the genre rather than about the exceptional quality of a select few records, I still tried my best to only include tracks that have interesting ideas, managed to stand the test of time somewhat, and can still provide some enjoyment today.
This is an extension/prequel to my previous post I made a few days ago, in which I talked about the finest examples of proper trance music from the early years of the genre. This writing also focuses on the years between 1988 and 1992, but its main goal is to help you better understand how trance has evolved and slowly become its own thing by growing out of genres such as new beat, ambient, techno, acid, piano house, and more. This is by no means a complete list of all proto-trance tunes, trance-adjacent tracks, or popular productions that probably influenced the sound of trance, but I believe this summary gives you a good picture of the days before the genre became better established. While this post is primarily about the history of the genre rather than about the exceptional quality of a select few records, I still tried my best to only include tracks that have interesting ideas, managed to stand the test of time somewhat, and can still provide some enjoyment today.
Highly important proto-trance tunes
These are some of the most notable records that tried to push that signature trance sound before trance was even a thing. This list includes well-known productions like What Time Is Love by The KLF, the Boeing Mix of The Age Of Love that demonstrated the transition from new beat to trance, as well as lesser-known works like Cosmic Enterprises' Tao Nonstop which was way ahead of its time due to its sounds, melodies, and overall production technique. Don't feel pressured to listen to all of these tunes in their entirety, as you don't have to. For some proto-trance tunes, I marked the important parts in brackets.
1. The KLF - What Time Is Love? [1988]
2. The KLF - Kylie Said Trance [1989] [3:04-4:04]
3. Dance 2 Trance - Dance 2 Trance [1990] [2:56-3:28]
4. Age Of Love - The Age Of Love (Boeing Mix) [1990]
5. Revelation - First Power (Domination Dub) [1990] [0:31-3:08]
6. Cosmic Enterprises - Tao Nonstop [1991] [2:47-3:54]
7. Bassrace - Futurama (Final Dream Mix) [1991] [1:46-2:15]
8. Rave Inspiration - Alleluia (Natural Mix) [1992]
9. Solar Plexus - Dr Thirsty (Quench Mix) [1992]
10. Metal Master - Spectrum [1992] [3:08-6:50]
11. Evolution - Free Your Mind [1992] [2:58-3:28]
12. Abfahrt - Come Into My Life (Breathless Version) [1992] [2:55-3:55]
13. 4Voice - Catching The Scent Of Mystery [1992] [3:00-4:30]
Groundbreaking and/or popular electronic music that probably influenced trance
Most, if not all of these tracks are quite well-known for electronic music connoisseurs. Many of them were groundbreaking and very popular in their time, and probably had some level of influence on trance which was still developing during the early '90s. Some of these are especially well-known in trance circles, like Stella and Papua New Guinea, but the original Halcyon also makes an appearance that became immensely popular with its '93 version, called Halcyon On And On.
1. Future Sound Of London - Papua New Guinea (Dali Mix) [1991]
2. LDC - Wir Schicken Dich Ins All [1991]
3. Erasure - Chorus (Pure Trance Mix) [1991]
4. Phantasia - Violet Skies [1991]
5. Transformer 2 - Pacific Symphony [1992]
6. Orbital - Halcyon [1992]
7. Sven Väth - L'Esperanca [1992]
8. Peyote - Alcatraz [1992]
9. Roses Club - Que Siga La Fiesta [1992]
10. Link - Amenity [1992]
11. Jam & Spoon - Stella [1992]
12. Time To Time - Omnibus (Maxi Version) [1992]
13. Zero Gravity - Sensorium [1992]
Great tunes from other genres featuring trance elements
Productions listed here are from other, at the time already established (or better developed) genres that happen to feature melodic segments that many people associate with trance music. All tunes from here are highly recommended to listen to in their entirety, as these are excellent pieces of electronic music, regardless of their genre, and I consider many of them some of my favorites.
1. Rising High Collective - Fever Called Love [1991]
2. Midi Rain - Always (Vocal Club) [1991]
3. Euphorhythm - Chill Out Planet Earth [1992]
4. Love 4 Sale - Do You Feel So Right (D.J. Joe Remix) [1992]
5. Mental Cube - Q (Santa Monica Mix) [1991]
6. Stardiver - Lifetime Mission (10 Minutes Of Stardiving) [1991]
7. Tiziana Kutic - Seduce Me (Mix 2) [1991]
8. Young American Primitive - Sunrise [1992]
9. Visnadi - The Last Travel [1992]
10. DJ Roy Silver - Promised Land (Ambient Mix) [1991]
11. Golden Girls - Kinetic (Remixed By Frank De Wulf) [1992]
12. Ultrasonic - Obsession [1992]
Great tunes on the edge of trance
There are a few records that are borderline trance and I'm currently unsure about their placing. Some may potentially get listed in the Main section of the curated database once I get more confident about their quality and genre placement. There are some interesting tunes here like the Red Rain Mix of Raindrops which in many ways I consider to be a stronger Zyon track than the classic No Fate, and there's also He Chilled Out, which received a faster-paced soft-remake in 1993 by Phenomenia (a tune that is listed in the curated database).
1. Liasons D - He Chilled Out (Club Mix) [1990]
2. Datura - Yerba Del Diablo (Shagras) [1991]
3. Moodswings - Microcosmic [1992]
4. Zyon - Raindrops (Red Rain Mix) [1992]
5. Mediteria - Dreamer - Trance (General Base Mix) [1992]
6. Microbots - Vibrations [1992]
There are a few records that are borderline trance and I'm currently unsure about their placing. Some may potentially get listed in the Main section of the curated database once I get more confident about their quality and genre placement. There are some interesting tunes here like the Red Rain Mix of Raindrops which in many ways I consider to be a stronger Zyon track than the classic No Fate, and there's also He Chilled Out, which received a faster-paced soft-remake in 1993 by Phenomenia (a tune that is listed in the curated database).
1. Liasons D - He Chilled Out (Club Mix) [1990]
2. Datura - Yerba Del Diablo (Shagras) [1991]
3. Moodswings - Microcosmic [1992]
4. Zyon - Raindrops (Red Rain Mix) [1992]
5. Mediteria - Dreamer - Trance (General Base Mix) [1992]
6. Microbots - Vibrations [1992]