A Trance Hall of Fame, only 20 make the cut. Who makes it in? Who is the GOAT?

Quethas

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Jul 15, 2020
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Finland
As a food of thought, I will further complicate things by asking questions for which I don't have definite answers to.

The lists we have here are very much towards uplifting/progressive side of trance. But there is a mention of Astral Projection in the opening message. If we extend this to goa, Astral Projection would be my top pick also. But there are many artists that may need at least an honorable mention like Simon Posford (Hallucinogen/Shpongle), Man With No Name or Juno Reactor.

How about psy? If we are considering psytrance as trance (as we probably should), Infected Mushroom should also be a no-brainer pick. But what about Astrix? Or perhaps from more recent successful acts (like it or not) Vini Vici?

For me it is also much easier to think about 90s or 00s but what are the big names of the last decade? Or did it just further strengthen the status of the likes of Solarstone?
 
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dmgtz96

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How about psy? If we are considering psytrance as trance (as we probably should), Infected Mushroom should also be a no-brainer pick. But what about Astrix? Or perhaps from more recent successful acts (like it or not) Vini Vici?
Yes and yes, including Vini Vici especially if we go by influence on the scene

For me it is also much easier to think about 90s or 00s but what are the big names of the last decade? Or did it just further strengthen the status of the likes of Solarstone?
Yes
 

aSeb

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Jul 13, 2020
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Top 20:

Ferry Corsten
Airwave
The Thrillseekers
M.I.K.E.
Chicane
Matt Darey
Paul Van Dyk
Signum
Solarstone
James Holden
DJ Tiesto
Kyau & Albert
Mike Koglin
Lange
Darren Tate
Above & Beyond
John Graham
Armin van Buuren
Junkie XL
Rank 1


Ferry has to be the GOAT for me. What a legend.
 

Spacetime

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Nov 6, 2021
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Actually,it says Producers in the title - so no to Oakie haha.

Oakenfold did produce, or did you forget the magnificent Southern Sun (wink). Ok I will be more specific and update the title.

There is no right answer, but I think the hall of fame is reserved for not just artists who achieved the greatest volume of tracks, but also who helped move the genre forward, ran the succesful labels and remained a force for extended time throughout. Not all of these are required but most of them.

I see some question Flemming, but he is a clear contender. Massive amount of releases, multiple quality albums, succesful label of the underground, succesful club nights and he is a unique representative of psy, techno, trance and other sounds not covered by Armins, Ferrys and PVD's etc. He's been through it all and still going. In 10 years he will still be doing it too.
 
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Magdelayna

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Top 20:

Ferry Corsten
Airwave
The Thrillseekers
M.I.K.E.
Chicane
Matt Darey
Paul Van Dyk
Signum
Solarstone
James Holden
DJ Tiesto
Kyau & Albert
Mike Koglin
Lange
Darren Tate
Above & Beyond
John Graham
Armin van Buuren
Junkie XL
Rank 1


Ferry has to be the GOAT for me. What a legend.

16 of those are in my top 20 haha. John Graham is a good shout.
 

Magdelayna

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Oakenfold did produce, or did you forget the magnificent Southern Sun (wink). Ok I will be more specific and update the title.

There is no right answer, but I think the hall of fame is reserved for not just artists who achieved the greatest volume of tracks, but also who helped move the genre forward, ran the succesful labels and remained a force for extended time throughout. Not all of these are required but most of them.

I see some question Flemming, but he is a clear contender. Massive amount of releases, multiple quality albums, succesful label of the underground, succesful club nights and he is a unique representative of psy, techno, trance and other sounds not covered by Armins, Ferrys and PVD's etc. He's been through it all and still going. In 10 years he will still be doing it too.

Oakie was ghosted by Andy Gray wasnt he? And to me,JOOF never made any 'classic' tracks or had any real individual style.
 

BlueSoho

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Jul 26, 2020
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Paul van Dyk.

He is the originator, probably has more influence on other superstar names than any other one. Masterminded For Success, which is the best trance (it did not release solely trance but anyway) label ever created IMHO was armed with PvD's stone-cold classics. Armin van Buuren, Ferry, Airwave, Mr. Lieb, MIKE, Chicane, Oakenfold; everyone has a GOAT argument in their own senses but Paul van Dyk is the creme de la creme of all names for us.
 

Aquarium

Senior Member
Jul 18, 2021
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Toronto
Simon Berry has to be in there for what he did with Platipus Label and then also killing it with Art of Trance. He is in the top 10!!!
 

TRANCEBLASTER

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Jul 21, 2020
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I would add 'Jam El Mar' (Dance 2 Trance / Jam & Spoon) on the list, he made the first worldwide Trance hits like 'Stella', 'We Came In Peace' or 'The Age Of Love Remix'... in those times you had very different tunes played in the clubs of UK, Germany or Italy.. most of the releases never really made it outside of their countries, but Jam made his success really internationaly.

Also 'Cosmic Baby' was super popular from 1990-1995, he played only live shows with his keyboards and he was the first 'face' in the faceless underground Trance scene (interviews in TV and magazines), all of his early albums were very positively reviewed.

'Sven Väth' and 'Talla 2XLC' are commercially the most succesful Trance djs/promoters of the early 90's. Sven made the genre popoular with his 'Omen' club and with the legendary 'Eye Q' releases (Cygnus X, Energy 52, B-Zet). Talla's Technoclub parties at the 'Dorian Gray' club played the key role in Frankfurt's Trance scene, also his label 'Suck Me Plasma' was very respected (he signed 'Dance 2 Trance - We Came In Peace').

'Robert Leiner' (The Source Experience), 'Oliver Lieb' (L.S.G.) and also 'Art Of Trance' or 'Sven Van Hees', the TOP producer's of the 90's, just look at their discographies.. high quality..

I wonder that nobody included 'Robert Miles' because his musical touch really changed the substance of Trance music .. what everybody calls now Trance, is more his creation

EDIT: no I can't make a TOP 20 list
 
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Julian Del Agranda

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Jul 3, 2020
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Would anyone put any 'modern' producers in this hall of fame haha?

Hmm, interesting one...

Who, of the current generation, made a big impact on trance with various productions...

...

Gareth Emery?
Orjan Nilsen?


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As for the 'actual question'. I would put Svenson (including the Airscape alias) in the list of course. And maybe Marco V, and Cosmic Gate.
 

Daysleeper

Lost in Trancelation
Jul 13, 2020
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Always the same biased copy pastę thoughts/answers from everyone. Sigh. Some better than others though 😏
 

Quethas

Member
Jul 15, 2020
170 Posts
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Finland
Hmm, interesting one...

Who, of the current generation, made a big impact on trance with various productions...

...

Gareth Emery?
Orjan Nilsen?


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As for the 'actual question'. I would put Svenson (including the Airscape alias) in the list of course. And maybe Marco V, and Cosmic Gate.
I was actually considering Gareth Emery for my list. I guess he is one of the best choices from the time after the golden age.

One more name that came to my mind is Andy Moor. He had a very good run at the mid-00s and no doubt he had huge impact for the sound of the time.
 

Freezer

Elite Member
Sep 13, 2020
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My top producers of alltime:

MIKE
Oliver Lieb
Airwave
Vincent De Moor !!!
Ferry
John 00 Fleming
PVD
Solarstone
Orkidea
Armin
Thrillseekers

and from the new generation it would be:
Kandi
Temple One
Dan Stone
....but not sure if we can count them as legends...probably not, just a very stable producers
 
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