What was the first ever 'Uplifting' subgenre track? Who coined the term?

[Altair]

I used to worry a lot about classifying subgenres, but these days I really don't care, because a lot of my favourite trance has always straddled the boundaries of what we might consider uplifting or progressive to be. But I've thought to myself before that one of the first tracks that exemplified a lot of what uplifting trance later became (or at very least, the first uplifting trance hit) must be Robert Miles - Children:

 

[facade1984]

I dunno what the first ever uplifting track was but I'm fairly certain it was made by some asshole

 

[girthley]

If we're talking about modern day uplift format, the earliest examples I have are by beam and tyas. Beam odin and mr - to France beam and tyas remix both from 2005

 

[Perpetuous dreamer]

I dont think there is a sub genre of Uplifting Trance. Saltwater is uplifting,and its trance. Therefore its Uplifting Trance.

You must surely hear the delta between Saltwater and This? They are completely different stylistically.

Feeling uplifted when listening to music is subjective, it's not a good way to go about naming genres. That way when I become sad or melancholic listening to Scott Bond - Naked Angel I don't choose to label it as 'Sad Trance'. I'm also not personally getting uplifted even 1% by Ciaran McCauley, so there's that too.

 

[Spacetime]

This man gets it

 

[Progrez]

Up until 2006 I believe the term Uplifting trance did not exist. Everything was just Trance or maybe Progressive Trance. All the big records, no matter how much super-saw goodness or BPM epicness was injected, it was all just 'Trance'.

So when did all the big melodic stuff stop becoming Trance and start becoming Uplifting? Was it a track or labels doing? What actually makes a track like Synaesthesia separate from tracks labelled as Uplifting Trance in 2008?

Just for fun discussion...

According to Armada

What Is Trance Music - The Full Story​

Trance music is perhaps one of the most recognizable genres within electronic dance music. There is a lot to discover about this style of music, so we made sure you can find all of that on this page. Read on to find out where Trance comes from, what the classics are, how it sounds and more!
Table of Contents
A (brief) Trance Music History
Twenty Must-Listen Trance Classics
The Characteristics of Trance Music
The Sub Genres of Trance Music
Uplifting Trance
Progressive Trance
Vocal Trance
Epic Trance / Orchestral Trance
Goa Trance / Psy Trance
Our Trance Music Artists
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A (BRIEF) TRANCE MUSIC HISTORY​

The first tracks that could be classified as Trance music popped up in the late 1980s, so it’s safe to say that the genre was fully up and running by the early 1990s. After a few years of dominating the club scene in Germany, Trance music spread to the rest of Europe, where it remained the leading sound in the club scene for about a decade long.
A list of notable Trance music pioneers should always include the likes of Chicane, Ferry Corsten, Paul van Dyk, Rank 1, Tiësto and Armin van Buuren, whose A State Of Trance radio show is still one of the most popular outlets for Trance music today.
A paragraph from 'The History Of Dance Music':
"Spurred onward by the melodic tendencies of Ferry Corsten, DJ Tiësto and later Armin van Buuren, trance music gradually developed into the newest dominant style of dance music. Armin van Buuren became the first of the three to fully exploit the reach of the Internet. His A State Of Trance radio show, which was launched in 2001 and remained a mostly national show for its first four years, suddenly rose to global importance when a U.K. company called Radio Department snatched up the show and started broadcasting it worldwide. The globalization of dance music, and in particular trance, proved a huge turning point."
Back to Table of Contents
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TWENTY MUST-LISTEN TRANCE CLASSICS​

Most of the absolute classics of the genre can be found throughout the 1990s. Those were the years when Trance music really started to gain a foothold, and many of the tracks that were released back then helped shape the genre.
Even though our ’60 Best Trance Hits Ever’ article comes a long way, naming all of these classics would be next to impossible. Instead, we listed twenty iconic Trance classics to show you what Trance music was like in its early days and how the its sound evolved throughout the 1990s. A lot of these tracks can also be found in our Trance & Melodic Techno Top 1000 playlist on Spotify, and there's also our article about the Top 100 Vocal Trance classics!
Age Of Love - Age Of Love (Jam & Spoon Remix) (1992)
Dance 2 Trance - Power Of American Native (1992)
Humate - Love Stimulation (Paul van Dyk Remix) (1993)
Energy 52 - Café Del Mar (1993)
Robert Miles - Children (1994)
Paul van Dyk - For An Angel (1994)
Underworld - Born Slippy (1995)
B.B.E. - Seven Days And One Week (1996)
Chicane - Offshore (1996)
Armin van Buuren - Blue Fear (1997)
Art Of Trance - Madagascar (1998)
Push - Universal Nation (1998)
Armin van Buuren - Communication (1999)
Chicane - Saltwater (1999)
Gouryella - Gouryella (1999)
Rank 1 - Airwave (1999)
Sasha - Xpander (1999)
Solarstone - Seven Cities (1999)
System F - Out Of The Blue (1999)
Veracocha - Carte Blanche (1999)
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THE CHARACTERISTICS OF TRANCE MUSIC​

Sometimes described as a mix between Techno and House music, Trance music stands out from those genres due to a heavy focus on melodies, harmonies and rich atmospheres. Its tempo (or beats per minute) generally ranges from 128 BPM to 140 BPM, although some of its sub genres exceed that range. Trance music is known for its enduring breakdowns and build-ups (which tend to leave people in a "trance") and is often found to be closely related to classical music, often adopting similar string patterns, harmonies and melodies.

Digging into the more technical aspects of Trance music, delay and reverb effects are used frequently and heavily to strengthen the atmospheric feel of the music. Traditional instruments are sometimes used alongside the electronically produced sounds, but this rarely goes beyond piano, guitar and strings. There are exceptions of course. Trance pioneer Armin van Buuren used some non-traditional instruments in a number of songs on his sixth studio album ('Embrace'). Title track ‘Embrace’, which features Jazz trumpeter Eric Vloeimans, is a great example of that.
Back to Table of Contents

THE SUB GENRES OF TRANCE MUSIC​

Trance music draws from various genres and influences, so it’s no wonder that there are so many Trance sub genres around. Throughout the years, many of those sub styles have evolved in their own way, which is why they can sound so different. As it is not always clear which records 'fit' into a certain sub genre, you'll find a breakdown of the most notable sub genres below, including a few examples of what that specific style of Trance music sounds like.

UPLIFTING TRANCE​

Uplifting Trance is the sub genre lovingly referred to as ‘pure Trance’ by most Trance music enthusiasts. The style was born around the year of 1996 and has never strayed too far from its initial sound. Compared to other sub genres, Uplifting Trance is more energetic and faster (in tempo/BPM), and largely focuses on one or two lead melodies. These specific characteristics allow for an energetic build-up while simultaneously making room for an extended breakdown that grows toward a powerful beat drop.

Uplifting Trance nowadays seems to be the sole preserve of the (arguably) more credible Trance events. Its energy, tempo and build-up style seem tailored to large-scale events at massive venues, stadiums and festivals. A great example of that are the quintessential A State Of Trance events, which attract tens of thousands of Trance fans with each edition (such as A State Of Trance 950).

​

PROGRESSIVE TRANCE​

Progressive Trance has had many names, often being called Progressive or Progressive House. But no matter the fuzz about the name and the different musical interpretations that come with it, the genre is very melodically oriented. It does not focus solely on one lead melody like Uplifting Trance, but instead uses multiple melodic elements to “progressively” build out the atmosphere of the track.

Progressive Trance generally ranges from 126 BPM to 132 BPM and is often groovier (or at least less straightforward beat-wise) than its uplifting counterpart. Ranging from smooth Trance vibes to the somewhat rawer Electro-inspired implementations of Trance music, Progressive Trance often seems to be the more mainstream outlet of Trance music. It is definitely one of the more diverse sub genres, and therefore could be regarded as the sub genre with the broadest appeal.
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VOCAL TRANCE​

Even though combining vocals with instrumental music is all but uncommon, Vocal Trance managed to become an actual sub genre. Since Trance music mostly took on a fully instrumental form in its early days, introducing a full set of lyrics was something new and surprising that gained a lot of popularity in a small amount of time.

The dreamy vocals tones in Vocal Trance are often overflowing with delay and reverb effects, which strengthens the emotional feel of Trance music. A great playlist to check out is the Vocal Trance Hits playlist on Spotify. You could also read our in-depth article of the Top 100 Vocal Trance Classics, which also comes with a bespoke playlist.

EPIC TRANCE / ORCHESTRAL TRANCE​

Although very similar to Uplifting Trance, Epic Trance (or Orchestral Trance) is often seen as a separate sub genre. This is mainly because of its strong connection to classical music and even film music. Its breakdowns are often much longer and built on a bedrock of string harmonies and melodies, sharing a headspace with orchestral film scores. It’s where both worlds collide, and this combination of Uplifting Trance and classical music/film music has been proven to entrance a lot of people more than anything else.

Another thing worth mentioning is that the link between Trance Music and classical music is often shown through other ways as well. There is, for instance, a three-part album series called 'Classical Trancelations', composed by Finnish producer Petri Alanko under his Lowland alias. The three albums feature orchestral versions of some of the biggest Trance classics of all time, which we highly recommend for anyone who’s into Trance, orchestral music or both.

GOA TRANCE / PSY TRANCE​

Ever since its inception in Goa – a lovely state in the western region of India – Goa Trance (or Psy Trance) has been one of the most recognizable sub genres in Trance music. It is highly melodic like essentially any Trance sub genre, but its sound is also very complex and hard to rival. Originally used to invoke some sort of outer-body experience to the ones dancing to it, Goa Trance's hypnotizing effect comes from its palpitating melodies, super-fast tempo and high-pitched (or spacey) sound effects. Taking that into consideration, Goa Trance is the sub genre that comes closest to the literal meaning of the word 'Trance'.

OUR TRANCE MUSIC ARTISTS​

We have been releasing our fair share of Trance music since Armada Music was founded in 2003, often through some of the genre’s most reputable artists. Apart from the legions of Trance acts releasing their music on Armada Music-operated labels such as Armada Captivating, Armind, A State Of Trance, Flashover Recordings, InHarmony Music and Who’s Afraid Of 138?!, the label exclusively represents Trance titans such as:
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• Allen Watts
• Andrew Rayel
• Armin van Buuren
• Ben Gold
• Chicane
• Chris Schweizer
• Davey Asprey
• Fatum
• Ferry Corsten
• Giuseppe Ottaviani
• Husman
• Luke Bond
• Maarten de Jong
• Mark Sixma
• Orjan Nilsen
• Protoculture
• ReOrder
• Ruben de Ronde
• STANDERWICK
• Super8 & Tab
• Tempo Giusto

What Is Trance Music - The Full Story

Find out what Trance music is, what the classics are and where to find a steady supply of new Trance music. Visit this page for the full story.

www.armadamusic.com

There we have it folks Progressive House was really trance- What a shock

 

[tranceissomewhatalive]

According to Armada

What Is Trance Music - The Full Story​

Trance music is perhaps one of the most recognizable genres within electronic dance music. There is a lot to discover about this style of music, so we made sure you can find all of that on this page. Read on to find out where Trance comes from, what the classics are, how it sounds and more!
Table of Contents
A (brief) Trance Music History
Twenty Must-Listen Trance Classics
The Characteristics of Trance Music
The Sub Genres of Trance Music
Uplifting Trance
Progressive Trance
Vocal Trance
Epic Trance / Orchestral Trance
Goa Trance / Psy Trance
Our Trance Music Artists
You need to accept cookies to view this Spotify content.
Manage cookies

A (BRIEF) TRANCE MUSIC HISTORY​

The first tracks that could be classified as Trance music popped up in the late 1980s, so it’s safe to say that the genre was fully up and running by the early 1990s. After a few years of dominating the club scene in Germany, Trance music spread to the rest of Europe, where it remained the leading sound in the club scene for about a decade long.
A list of notable Trance music pioneers should always include the likes of Chicane, Ferry Corsten, Paul van Dyk, Rank 1, Tiësto and Armin van Buuren, whose A State Of Trance radio show is still one of the most popular outlets for Trance music today.
A paragraph from 'The History Of Dance Music':
"Spurred onward by the melodic tendencies of Ferry Corsten, DJ Tiësto and later Armin van Buuren, trance music gradually developed into the newest dominant style of dance music. Armin van Buuren became the first of the three to fully exploit the reach of the Internet. His A State Of Trance radio show, which was launched in 2001 and remained a mostly national show for its first four years, suddenly rose to global importance when a U.K. company called Radio Department snatched up the show and started broadcasting it worldwide. The globalization of dance music, and in particular trance, proved a huge turning point."
Back to Table of Contents
You need to accept cookies to view this Spotify content.
Manage cookies

TWENTY MUST-LISTEN TRANCE CLASSICS​

Most of the absolute classics of the genre can be found throughout the 1990s. Those were the years when Trance music really started to gain a foothold, and many of the tracks that were released back then helped shape the genre.
Even though our ’60 Best Trance Hits Ever’ article comes a long way, naming all of these classics would be next to impossible. Instead, we listed twenty iconic Trance classics to show you what Trance music was like in its early days and how the its sound evolved throughout the 1990s. A lot of these tracks can also be found in our Trance & Melodic Techno Top 1000 playlist on Spotify, and there's also our article about the Top 100 Vocal Trance classics!
Age Of Love - Age Of Love (Jam & Spoon Remix) (1992)
Dance 2 Trance - Power Of American Native (1992)
Humate - Love Stimulation (Paul van Dyk Remix) (1993)
Energy 52 - Café Del Mar (1993)
Robert Miles - Children (1994)
Paul van Dyk - For An Angel (1994)
Underworld - Born Slippy (1995)
B.B.E. - Seven Days And One Week (1996)
Chicane - Offshore (1996)
Armin van Buuren - Blue Fear (1997)
Art Of Trance - Madagascar (1998)
Push - Universal Nation (1998)
Armin van Buuren - Communication (1999)
Chicane - Saltwater (1999)
Gouryella - Gouryella (1999)
Rank 1 - Airwave (1999)
Sasha - Xpander (1999)
Solarstone - Seven Cities (1999)
System F - Out Of The Blue (1999)
Veracocha - Carte Blanche (1999)
Back to Table of Contents
You need to accept cookies to view this Spotify content.
Manage cookies

THE CHARACTERISTICS OF TRANCE MUSIC​

Sometimes described as a mix between Techno and House music, Trance music stands out from those genres due to a heavy focus on melodies, harmonies and rich atmospheres. Its tempo (or beats per minute) generally ranges from 128 BPM to 140 BPM, although some of its sub genres exceed that range. Trance music is known for its enduring breakdowns and build-ups (which tend to leave people in a "trance") and is often found to be closely related to classical music, often adopting similar string patterns, harmonies and melodies.

Digging into the more technical aspects of Trance music, delay and reverb effects are used frequently and heavily to strengthen the atmospheric feel of the music. Traditional instruments are sometimes used alongside the electronically produced sounds, but this rarely goes beyond piano, guitar and strings. There are exceptions of course. Trance pioneer Armin van Buuren used some non-traditional instruments in a number of songs on his sixth studio album ('Embrace'). Title track ‘Embrace’, which features Jazz trumpeter Eric Vloeimans, is a great example of that.
Back to Table of Contents

THE SUB GENRES OF TRANCE MUSIC​

Trance music draws from various genres and influences, so it’s no wonder that there are so many Trance sub genres around. Throughout the years, many of those sub styles have evolved in their own way, which is why they can sound so different. As it is not always clear which records 'fit' into a certain sub genre, you'll find a breakdown of the most notable sub genres below, including a few examples of what that specific style of Trance music sounds like.

UPLIFTING TRANCE​

Uplifting Trance is the sub genre lovingly referred to as ‘pure Trance’ by most Trance music enthusiasts. The style was born around the year of 1996 and has never strayed too far from its initial sound. Compared to other sub genres, Uplifting Trance is more energetic and faster (in tempo/BPM), and largely focuses on one or two lead melodies. These specific characteristics allow for an energetic build-up while simultaneously making room for an extended breakdown that grows toward a powerful beat drop.

Uplifting Trance nowadays seems to be the sole preserve of the (arguably) more credible Trance events. Its energy, tempo and build-up style seem tailored to large-scale events at massive venues, stadiums and festivals. A great example of that are the quintessential A State Of Trance events, which attract tens of thousands of Trance fans with each edition (such as A State Of Trance 950).

​

PROGRESSIVE TRANCE​

Progressive Trance has had many names, often being called Progressive or Progressive House. But no matter the fuzz about the name and the different musical interpretations that come with it, the genre is very melodically oriented. It does not focus solely on one lead melody like Uplifting Trance, but instead uses multiple melodic elements to “progressively” build out the atmosphere of the track.

Progressive Trance generally ranges from 126 BPM to 132 BPM and is often groovier (or at least less straightforward beat-wise) than its uplifting counterpart. Ranging from smooth Trance vibes to the somewhat rawer Electro-inspired implementations of Trance music, Progressive Trance often seems to be the more mainstream outlet of Trance music. It is definitely one of the more diverse sub genres, and therefore could be regarded as the sub genre with the broadest appeal.
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Manage cookies

VOCAL TRANCE​

Even though combining vocals with instrumental music is all but uncommon, Vocal Trance managed to become an actual sub genre. Since Trance music mostly took on a fully instrumental form in its early days, introducing a full set of lyrics was something new and surprising that gained a lot of popularity in a small amount of time.

The dreamy vocals tones in Vocal Trance are often overflowing with delay and reverb effects, which strengthens the emotional feel of Trance music. A great playlist to check out is the Vocal Trance Hits playlist on Spotify. You could also read our in-depth article of the Top 100 Vocal Trance Classics, which also comes with a bespoke playlist.

EPIC TRANCE / ORCHESTRAL TRANCE​

Although very similar to Uplifting Trance, Epic Trance (or Orchestral Trance) is often seen as a separate sub genre. This is mainly because of its strong connection to classical music and even film music. Its breakdowns are often much longer and built on a bedrock of string harmonies and melodies, sharing a headspace with orchestral film scores. It’s where both worlds collide, and this combination of Uplifting Trance and classical music/film music has been proven to entrance a lot of people more than anything else.

Another thing worth mentioning is that the link between Trance Music and classical music is often shown through other ways as well. There is, for instance, a three-part album series called 'Classical Trancelations', composed by Finnish producer Petri Alanko under his Lowland alias. The three albums feature orchestral versions of some of the biggest Trance classics of all time, which we highly recommend for anyone who’s into Trance, orchestral music or both.

GOA TRANCE / PSY TRANCE​

Ever since its inception in Goa – a lovely state in the western region of India – Goa Trance (or Psy Trance) has been one of the most recognizable sub genres in Trance music. It is highly melodic like essentially any Trance sub genre, but its sound is also very complex and hard to rival. Originally used to invoke some sort of outer-body experience to the ones dancing to it, Goa Trance's hypnotizing effect comes from its palpitating melodies, super-fast tempo and high-pitched (or spacey) sound effects. Taking that into consideration, Goa Trance is the sub genre that comes closest to the literal meaning of the word 'Trance'.

OUR TRANCE MUSIC ARTISTS​

We have been releasing our fair share of Trance music since Armada Music was founded in 2003, often through some of the genre’s most reputable artists. Apart from the legions of Trance acts releasing their music on Armada Music-operated labels such as Armada Captivating, Armind, A State Of Trance, Flashover Recordings, InHarmony Music and Who’s Afraid Of 138?!, the label exclusively represents Trance titans such as:
You need to accept cookies to view this Spotify content.
Manage cookies

• Allen Watts
• Andrew Rayel
• Armin van Buuren
• Ben Gold
• Chicane
• Chris Schweizer
• Davey Asprey
• Fatum
• Ferry Corsten
• Giuseppe Ottaviani
• Husman
• Luke Bond
• Maarten de Jong
• Mark Sixma
• Orjan Nilsen
• Protoculture
• ReOrder
• Ruben de Ronde
• STANDERWICK
• Super8 & Tab
• Tempo Giusto

What Is Trance Music - The Full Story

Find out what Trance music is, what the classics are and where to find a steady supply of new Trance music. Visit this page for the full story.

www.armadamusic.com

There we have it folks Progressive House was really trance- What a shock

cringy article, some random pointers picked and presented as essentials. smells ChatGPT by a mile

 

[trancefan2020]

Uplifting trance was great before it was called " Uplifting trance" . Afterwards, not at all.

 

[JohnnyBarefoot1992]

Up until 2006 I believe the term Uplifting trance did not exist. Everything was just Trance or maybe Progressive Trance. All the big records, no matter how much super-saw goodness or BPM epicness was injected, it was all just 'Trance'.

So when did all the big melodic stuff stop becoming Trance and start becoming Uplifting? Was it a track or labels doing? What actually makes a track like Synaesthesia separate from tracks labelled as Uplifting Trance in 2008?

Just for fun discussion...

It was not called Upliting Trance back then, it was called Epic Trance or Anthem Trance, and its origins trace to 1998, at the very least, although there were some tracks that could be considered Epic Trance already released before 1998, of course.

The reality is much more complex actually. The first real wave of Epic Trance lasted from 1998 to 2003 and it's usually considered the golden age of Epic, Anthem and Vocal Trance music. That kind of music was produced by artists like Ferry Corsten, Rank 1, The Thrillseekers, Lange, Pulser, Vincent de Moor and many others, although these six producers in particular encapsulate really well that sound.

Then in 2003-2006 we had a new of wave of Epic Trance produces adding a new depth to the sound which was clearer, had more breath, more depth and had a really good production there. Producers who were pivotal for this sound in particular were: Above & Beyond, Carl B, Midway, Signum, but above all it was mostly a label-based movement, not so much a specific producer-based movement. We had labels like Anjunabeats, A.S.O.T., Monster Tunes, Black Hole, its sublabel In Music We Trust, and many others releasing music with this kind of sound, for example.

In 2006-2009 we saw the emerge of Steroidlifting which is a kind of Uplifting Trance sound which was rawer, louder and less polished than previous incarnations. Artists who were pivotal in this kind of sound were Sean Tyas, Aly & Fila, Nitrous Oxide, Tom Collontonio, Paul Miller and a few others.

Then we had lots of other versions of Epic/Uplifting Trance like the Photographer-style of 2012, the really annoying Allen Watts sound which peaked in 2017, and the current horrible poplifting produced by Bryan Kearney almost always with Plumb on vocals.

If anything what we're seeing nowadays, especially since last year is a return to the good old Epic/Anthem Trance of the late 90's and early 2000's and also a lot of the good old German Hard Trance sound of the mid-90's, although in the Epic/Anthem Trance revival the tracks are actually much faster than what used to be the norm back in that era. In 1998-2003, Epic Trance would usually run at 138-143 BPM with a few exceptions here and there. There were many slower tracks back that could as slow as 132 BPM, for example, Armin's remix of Rapture runs at 129 BPM, for example. Current Epic Trance revival has its tracks run at 140-150 BPM.

Progressive Trance on the other hand is a bit harder to define because it has evolved so much that Progressive can be a lot of stuff, although I wouldn't consider Big Room-based Trance or the strongly Electro-driven Trance 2.0. sound as "progressive", it's a specific sound on its own with very little to no prog there. What I find interesting is that many Melodic Techno tracks released nowadays and for a while now could easily be considered Progressive Trance in a way.

But yeah, regarding Epic Trance, which has always been the name I personally preferred to give this genre, its origins trace to 1996 with Moonman and DJ Taucher Rermix of Ayla, yes.

Saltwater is somewhat uplifting but it's Balearic Trance in reality.

Also, Armada is not a good guide for Trance Music at all.

As for Ishkur's Guide, I think overall is a good guide. Of course it's somewhat opinionated and somewhat biased, but, in general, it's by no means a bad guide.