Is the 90s "revival" ("trance",acid,house,techno) scene a gimmick/fashion statement rather than a loveletter to the 90s?

[Daysleeper]

Where do you see the fashion statement? Are you talking about clothing, or the decoration at the nights and the posters and such? I don't see what you are talking about if thats so. I only hear the music and even so I do not find the link to the 90s as strong as others here. I dont hear Platifpus, Harthouse, EyeQ, Bonzai in any of the revival Trance.

Maybe some of the speed techno influence Trance is 90s feeling, ones like on Spacetraxx and UTE label, but I do not really like that. No way they are making that music for fashion. Thats the type of Trance that your parents disown you if you are a 'musician' and you show them, or the kids at school decide you isolate you ask the freak. Charlotte De Wit techno is the trendy world my friend.

Theres fashion thats not mainstream fashion.

Its certainly 90s inspired. Thats why you see acid/house/techno in the op text. You bring up a few of the traditional best pf trance labels, but there was more in the 90s that defined and inspired the trance genre as awhole, and if you dont hear that in the 90s revival stuff i cant help you.

 

[Spacetime]

Has any genre ever been formed this way? Just because people thought it was cool?

 

[Manofearth]

As far as I can tell it’s not a gimmick. Why would it be? It takes a lot of effort to produce and work as an artist. They are music lovers and they work hard. Why settle or stoop to a gimmick, just because it’s fashionable. I have a feeling it was the listeners who demanded something more and we exposed and elevated these producers and styles, not the other way around.

 

[Hensmon]

From the article Tranceblaster shared today on the Trance 'revival'

"Don’t discount the role that fashion plays in shifts like these, adds Vestbirk. The trance revival is also part of a broader revival of Y2K aesthetics, which is itself just the latest manifestation of a never-ending cycle of retro trends. “What goes up, must come down,” she laughs."

Personally I dont see or feel much Y2K aesthetics making a come back, but I haven't spent much time in Europe in the last 5 years. When I go home to UK I see some bucket hats, but also flares (70s) and then heavy 80's influence stuff off the back of Stranger Things and so on. Seems to me like recent generations have been lacking their own identity due to a globalized world and they are simply grabbing pieces of past fashion (no issue with that).

All these Trance revival articles I read so far barely have any Trance in it. That Fred Again track is as deep as their references can take them. It all feels out of touch or a stretch to write an article. If I think of UTE and Spacetrax as Trance labels then I don't see gimmick at all. Their interview we did with them shows long lasting passion. Wouldn't be surprised if majority of producers are like this. Agree with above that music takes too much effort to just do flippantly to a trend.

 

[No Return]

and if you dont hear that in the 90s revival stuff i cant help you.

I hear more house or techno influences from the tracks shared in this forum, for example in the thread dedicated to modern classics. I admit I dont look to hard for it or know much about the scene so I could be out of touch.

You might be right but it's not necessarily a bad thing for music and fashion or cultural trend. I remember in Buenos Aires when British rock was very popular and all of sudden you had teens and young adults copying the aesthetic, forming cover bands and making music that was not like Argentian music. That time was very fun to be involved with. There was a big local scene with bands and events. Some really good bands came from this time. I think that being a part of something that feels current can make the music become something more.

 

[TRANCEBLASTER]

I hear more house or techno influences from the tracks shared in this forum, for example in the thread dedicated to modern classics.

yes, but also many times people very degrade the two genres, everything is 'house' or 'techno' in these days, a good friend showed me some spotify 'deep house' charts, holy christ 100% of the tunes had nothing in common with the genre.. also many tracks in the nu-trance/revival thread are way too trippy and spacey for 'house' music, its not about the bpm.