Old School/Classic Trance Producers in 2020 (and beyond)?

SaltAcidFatHeatAcid

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erickUO

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Jul 13, 2020
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I like the ideas in these tracks but they could be so much more if they just went for it (development wise). Why is this scene holding back? Or is there a market for the holding back style we see so much? It’s maddening sometimes
I think so. It's getting popular then stagnates. Which sadly similar pattern we see with modern trance and other genres.
No more surprises from new tracks. It's now mirroring itself into a formula or template, instead of doing diverse explorations like few years ago.
On the other hand, Armada and other big guys are now releasing old school-inspired track.
 

TRANCEBLASTER

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I like the ideas in these tracks but they could be so much more if they just went for it (development wise). Why is this scene holding back? Or is there a market for the holding back style we see so much? It’s maddening sometimes

imho that 'Dance Science' track sounds very dancefloor friendly, I like it!

from my view, this sound is dedicated to small clubs/pubs in old european towns with max capacity of 50 people on the floor and 2 djs the whole night, I think it fits very well, mixed together with some breakbeat, acid house or electro makes the nights perfect

ofc if you are not a nightcrawler as me, its hard to enjoy the music at home on speakers.. I remember very well, that on some occasions I have shazamed some tunes that I definitely found boring at home
 

TRANCEBLASTER

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Brillante debuts on Alzaya with a vinyl-only EP. “Iniziazione” is a sonic voyage inspired by tribal initiation rituals, symbolizing the club dance experience from entrance to ecstasy. Each track represents a phase of transformation, blending progressive and trance with pulsating techno beats. Each track merges early trance flavor with modern techno vibes and hypnotic textures, leading to a trance-ecstatic trip.

Brillante - Transizione [Alzaya] July 2, 2024
https://soundcloud.com/parkettchannel%2Fbrillante-transazione-parkett-premiere
 

SaltAcidFatHeatAcid

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Jul 19, 2022
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imho that 'Dance Science' track sounds very dancefloor friendly, I like it!

from my view, this sound is dedicated to small clubs/pubs in old european towns with max capacity of 50 people on the floor and 2 djs the whole night, I think it fits very well, mixed together with some breakbeat, acid house or electro makes the nights perfect

ofc if you are not a nightcrawler as me, its hard to enjoy the music at home on speakers.. I remember very well, that on some occasions I have shazamed some tunes that I definitely found boring at home

Good points, and I tend to mix this stuff with breaks, acid, etc as well to make things more interesting. It's just, this music is a hybrid of music (prog house/trance typically) that traditionally had a lot of development in the main themes. Not just subtle stuff, but new melodies growing and disappearing. Out of this scene, only maybe 10% take a real stab at this type of track development, like the 90s tracks they base the ideas on did (often with 10+ deserved minutes of it too). My theory is just that the reward/effort ratio isn't there anymore, so producers tend to stop when they get enough growth from the subtle acid, atmosphere and other little elements they use to layer up to the break, and when the sound design is lush. The modern scene isn't supporting long heads down sets for 10 minute tracks either, I know that. But it often to me feels like plodding along rather than building up to something special. And I hear this echo'd on this site repeatedly - not just b/c it's a trance site, but b/c the best prog house had this too. It's not to pick on these two tracks in particular, it's more a general observation that the underground is both growing and stagnating at the same time. I am finally getting frustrated with it honestly, though I am finding just enough gems to keep me digging in the space.
 
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TRANCEBLASTER

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Good points, and I tend to mix this stuff with breaks, acid, etc as well to make things more interesting. It's just, this music is a hybrid of music (prog house/trance typically) that traditionally had a lot of development in the main themes. Not just subtle stuff, but new melodies growing and disappearing. Out of this scene, only maybe 10% take a real stab at this type of track development, like the 90s tracks they base the ideas on did (often with 10+ deserved minutes of it too). My theory is just that the reward/effort ratio isn't there anymore, so producers tend to stop when they get enough growth from the subtle acid, atmosphere and other little elements they use to layer up to the break, and when the sound design is lush. The modern scene isn't supporting long heads down sets for 10 minute tracks either, I know that. But it often to me feels like plodding along rather than building up to something special. And I hear this echo'd on this site repeatedly - not just b/c it's a trance site, but b/c the best prog house had this too. It's not to pick on these two tracks in particular, it's more a general observation that the underground is both growing and stagnating at the same time. I am finally getting frustrated with it honestly, though I am finding just enough gems to keep me digging in the space.

Some weeks ago I have read an old interview with a local 'House' legend (one of the first two guys who played that kind of music in my home area), in this interview from 2002 he says that he can't find good new 'House' tracks anymore, funny enough I started with 'House' somewhere in 2007 and I love the genre always alot... from my point I don't undertand people who are into modern d'n'b, its awful and tasteless, for me its 20 years dead music, still how many people celebrate it... we all are part of some musical zeitgeist, you can only enjoy, or not)
 

hoopoe

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Jun 6, 2024
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I love this stuff and from my perspective it's going from strength to strength, I feel like the last 12 months have seen some of the best music released in this scene. I rarely find enough inspiring tracks to get a mix together but finally that seems to be happening more than once per year. I turned on Radio 1 on a normal thursday night a few weeks ago and found Ben Hemsley playing the likes of Aiden Francis and Pegassi. More recently I found a record shop in Barcelona selling stuff I recognised from this thread, including one of @rambalcochet EPs. I can't remember the last time I found current, underground 12" singles available off the shelves of an actual shop, certainly not for 15+ years in the UK. I don't buy/play vinyl but if there really was enough of a resurgence it would be very tempting to get the 1210s out again.

Please keep the thread going. Do you guys have a discord or something where you share this stuff?

A little mix I put together:

https://soundcloud.com/hoopoemusic%2Flivetreehouse-31-08-2024
mpeg / Monte Kali // Haws
Olsvanger / Septum Heelrz // Powerpuff Trax
Baldo / Ex Machina // EBeamz
Maara / You're So Delicious // Haws
Dylan Forbes / High Point // Hypersoft
Kendal / Basorexia // Clint Alternative Remix /// Kendal
Tywi / Reality Checkpoint // Duality Trax
Clint / Exosphere // Main Mix /// Slowciety
Hoopoe / Untitled
Olsvanger / Bubble Toy // Kalahari Oyster Cult
Introversion / Shaky Ground // Makatao
CRTB & MG / Juice // Looking For Trouble
Ned Bennett / PLACE 2 BE // Ned Bennett
Match Box / Gaboon / Durum Records
Underworld x KETTAMA / G-Town Euphoria (Luna) // Smith Hyde Productions
 

SaltAcidFatHeatAcid

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Nah don't get me wrong I love this stuff too, just noticing there is more filler in 2024 than 2021-2023 and less standout tracks. Still, loads of great stuff. Also, your mix has quite a few of the best 2024 tracks hehe. There aren't unlimited #'s of releases like that :).

Please keep the thread going. Do you guys have a discord or something where you share this stuff?

This thread and the upcoming releases section contain the best shares of this style I have seen anywhere. The realproghouse discord used to share more of this stuff but a lot of the heads on there have fallen out of love with this underground sound, aka "Nutrance". It did really start about 10 years ago after all. Though many like me didn't really notice it until about 2020, some had their peak sound a lot earlier.
 
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SaltAcidFatHeatAcid

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New EP Coming from our forum fav Rambal Cochet. EP looks solid and will have a digi release (Rambal Cochet - Ancient Forest)



Another good EP from 39. This one from Cosmic G was a fav (Pire Meilleur - Visualizer (Cosmic G Remix))



Final track from a lost EP from 1993. Really solid EP here and this one stands out. (Dj Steve & Bobi Cacen - Moon 10 (Outer Orbit))

 

SaltAcidFatHeatAcid

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11 minute downtempo chugger on a new V/A, not familiar with this label (Don:Benito - Clearance Of Time)



A bit of dreamy breaksy acid (Laroze - Linapacan (Trippy Mix))