Trance really is dead. (At least in the mainstream)

[JohnnyBarefoot1992]

Ok, I know, "blah blah blah, not once again, blah blah blah", but I've just recently checked out the DJ Mag Top 100 DJ's list of this year just to laugh a little bit, and it's interesting how year after year Trance becomes even more irrelevant than the year before.

This year, not even Armin reached the top 5, he ended up on number 6 this year, which means that for the first time on God knows how much of it not even one Trance DJ managed to get into the top 5.

And the other more or less Trance-related DJ's who still appear on this list are:

Paul van Dyk at number 37.
ATB at number 47.
Above & Beyond at number 53.
Ferry Corsten at number 80.
And Giuseppe Ottaviani at number 98, apparently being the first time ever on the list.

To be absolutely honest, this doesn't really surprise me, and as sad as it might be to face this, Trance really isn't relevant anymore, it hasn't been since 2013, more or less, but yeah, the tendency is to become an even more underground genre as time goes by.

What are you thoughts about this?

 

[Magdelayna]

Trance hasnt been relevant in the mainstream since 1999 - where it had its time in the sun in the UK charts. But who cares....

 

[JohnnyBarefoot1992]

Trance hasnt been relevant in the mainstream since 1999 - where it had its time in the sun in the UK charts. But who cares....

I wouldn't say 1999, I think Trance was quite relevant until more or less 2004, and even after that it wasn't that irrelevant, I think Trance only officially lost its relevance in the mainstream more or less after 2012.

 

[Archon]

Cool, can't wait for a more creative genre to pop up.

 

[Julian Del Agranda]

Trance is indeed a little more dead now, than a few years ago. It’s simply because techno borrows the trance name, but doesn’t really embrace the genre musically. Unfortunately Armin and his huge company try to get on board of this. It’s why you see so many (female) techno dj’s on ASOT events, while they did absolutely nothing to deserve a spot on that podium.

But the average age of trance listeners is simply… old. 40-60 year olds are 95% of the target audience. They don’t all go to events, and they listen a less amount of minutes to music than young audience. So financially, you have to move on.

just look on 1001tracklist and see how many - in the trance genre - are LIVE SETS in a club. Hardly anything. It’s nerds with ‘radio shows’, often with 20 plays, probably the creators of the music used in the mix, replying “thanks for support”. There are surprisingly amounts of events in the UK. But all in all, trance is smaller than small.

That leaves you with passionates who will lose money on their hobby. That’s the whole trance scene.

(Apart from Armada and all their homies. I don’t count them, as it’s a marketing machine).

 

[Magdelayna]

I wouldn't say 1999, I think Trance was quite relevant until more or less 2004, and even after that it wasn't that irrelevant, I think Trance only officially lost its relevance in the mainstream more or less after 2012.

In the mainstream - it was one year - 1999.

 

[Jetflag]

In the mainstream - it was one year - 1999.

Bit more then that m8, trance tracks dominated the top 100 dance charts as a genre well after that. At least in NL

 

[JohnnyBarefoot1992]

In the mainstream - it was one year - 1999.

It was definitely the peak year, but I can quite assure you that from 1997 to 2004 Epic Trance was really popular!

 

[Progrez]

I didn't know that DJ Mag still has an influence on the scene. I stopped voting at it after Armin became #1 and then sold out. Also, how much in ASOT is still trance? Topics like this don't really help the genre as well. #Trance is Dead #Trance sucks now etc etc.

Who is accountable for all of this downfall of a beautiful genre the best genre ever created?

 

[SleepyBuddah]

Who is accountable for all of this downfall of a beautiful genre the best genre ever created?

A younger generation who doesn't really like our beautiful genre and require new noise every other day I guess.

 

[Progrez]

A younger generation who doesn't really like our beautiful genre and require new noise every other day I guess.

I think venue organisers and djs and producers should charging people for bringing smartphones to events where people just come to dance events these days just to take photos or videos.

 

[Ruya]

Undergroud is more alive than it was 5 years ago, that's the only thing we should be concerned with. Doesn't mean things are back, but its at least a slow move into the right direction. The next generation of good trance will come with this space, just like it always has. We should be pleased the Trance disappears from the mainstream zeitgeist.

 

[SleepyBuddah]

I think venue organisers and djs and producers should charging people for bringing smartphones to events where people just come to dance events these days just to take photos or videos.

I very much agree on this. Just can't wrap my head around it.

 

[JohnnyBarefoot1992]

I didn't know that DJ Mag still has an influence on the scene. I stopped voting at it after Armin became #1 and then sold out. Also, how much in ASOT is still trance? Topics like this don't really help the genre as well. #Trance is Dead #Trance sucks now etc etc.

Who is accountable for all of this downfall of a beautiful genre the best genre ever created?

Part of it is Melodic Techno, the other Big Room Techno and there is one Trance track or another here and there.

 

[Progrez]

Part of it is Melodic Techno, the other Big Room Techno and there is one Trance track or another here and there.

I disagree, it has nothing to do with this melodic techno movement that's going around the deep trance is nothing more a style and the younger audience Gen Z sadly got the short straw be thankful for the tracks that the producers did make it in the past I know I can be critical sometimes but I try to balance it out by thankful for the old tracks the people who sold out in the past. I think the main cause is probably social media and mental health issues most of these guys probably face depression and lack of confidence or lack of connection when it comes as well.

 

[Progrez]

I very much agree on this. Just can't wrap my head around it.

Sure why not? I mean they charge money for going to the toilet in Europe so why not bringing in Mobile phones?

 

[Magdelayna]

Bit more then that m8, trance tracks dominated the top 100 dance charts as a genre well after that. At least in NL

We are talking about REAL mainstream here...top 10 UK chart stuff alongside worldwide famous artists...it didnt last long at all.

 

[Arnoud]

In 2003 Dj Tiësto reached the 2nd place with "Traffic" in the Dutch chart (Top 40). Trance was still relevant at that time. Too bad Ch!pz released their single "Cowboy" at the same time, that reached the first place.

"Cowboy cowboy
Riding in a rodeo
can i be the one for you
Cowboy cowboy
your my little romeo
Let me be your cowgirl too"

No shame in losing to that hit

 

[JohnnyBarefoot1992]

We are talking about REAL mainstream here...top 10 UK chart stuff alongside worldwide famous artists...it didnt last long at all.

Well, let's see:

Toca's Miracle went to number one in 2000.
Airwave reached number 10 in 2000.
Sandstorm reached number 3, I think, in 2000.
And if you want to include Alice Deejay, Sash!, Lasgo & Ian van Dahl we have lots of top 10's there from 1998 to 2003, so, I'll have to disagree with you here.

 

[Jetflag]

We are talking about REAL mainstream here...top 10 UK chart stuff alongside worldwide famous artists...it didnt last long at all.

you hipster you