(Why) are there no new ideas in trance?

[proxi]

What's been shoved down our throats for years? Accepting people, accepting things - we are "all as one". The mental repercussion is that we are less divisive, more "together" and that risk is wrong and not worth the "hassle".

Everything creative is dumbed down for the masses who mostly play it safe. Those who don't play it safe are illuminated as "extreme" or "wild", and end up backing down, outcast or brown bread.

It's easier to be liked than to be different.

 

[Jetflag]

^good point worth contemplating.

Wholesome as things like "Plur" or "Trance family" might be, I don't think its a far stretch to assume that its also in part a bottle neck for creativity.

 

[Enlusion]

Major labels and major Trance radio shows are to blame. Creative music isn't signed and isn't played by major DJs, hence we have guys like Allen Watts releasing the same track every 2 weeks on major labels for the last 5 years or something.

How desperately guys like Bryan Kearney or Ben Gold are trying to make exact copies of Concrete Angel every year just to get their annual fix of ASOT TOTY TOP 10 achievement ego is simply ridiculous.

 

[dmgtz96]

Most modern trance producers aren't actually that good or even musically-inclined/talented, and would be crushed in a genre with real competition.

 

[Recharge]

I think you are also overlooking the fact that we mainly listen the same producers we listened 10/15/20 years ago. Atb progressed his music more towards dance music in the last 10 years and was a good example of being eaten alive by the fans.

 

[IZE]

Most modern trance producers aren't actually that good or even musically-inclined/talented, and would be crushed in a genre with real competition.

Unfortunately, talent is nothing if you can't get your music enough ear time and to the right people. Thats the sad reality of it. I've seen it in the late 90s. So many obscure Trance labels that oozes talent but hardly get featured anywhere or get any air time outside their shoddy record store. On the other hand we get Darude sanstorm still kickin a storm today because of...?

 

[dmgtz96]

Like, why are we not seeing ethnic crossovers with trance? Like what Ukraine did, combined rap with folk. It might be a bit polarizing and risky, but I liked it... There's so many wonderful cultures, instruments out there, why are strings and pianos mostly used in trance, and why only western/classical style? Are we all just stuck in the mentality that trance is the extension of classical music, and do we not realize how absolutely insulting that sounds? Why are the vocals all the same? We sometimes hear some Arabic influences, but everything else is in the Western style. Can we have some religious chants, for instance (like in Hosanna)? I won't even waste any time on talk of drums and basslines, it's absurd and we know it.

I've been saying the same for months!
Not the specific Ukraine example, but in general influences from other parts of the world outside of Europe and the Middle East. But as you mentioned, no one wants that, and no one can provide it.

 

[dmgtz96]

Unfortunately, talent is nothing if you can't get your music enough ear time and to the right people. Thats the sad reality of it. I've seen it in the late 90s. So many obscure Trance labels that oozes talent but hardly get featured anywhere or get any air time outside their shoddy record store. On the other hand we get Darude sanstorm still kickin a storm today because of...?

Oh, I agree with you. I'm just saying, trance producers (for the most part) are much less talented than producers of other genres.

 

[Jetflag]

But as you mentioned, no one wants that, and no one can provide it.

Challenge accepted, I always wanted to do something with Peru to be honest.

 

[Manofearth]

I find some of the tracks on Bandcamp/soundcloud to be interesting new takes on trance, with ideas not heard before. Granted they are strongly linked with house and techno but thats the difficulty when a sound is defined within a relatively narrow range of BPMS and arrangements. Things can very easily become house or techno before you know it. The style of JOOF recordings for the last few years is new, it's just not very interesting.

trance producers (for the most part) are much less talented than producers of other genres.

Says who exactly? Based on what? The genre itself doesn't dictate talent, it's just the output. Every genre in existence is filled with talented and untalented. Silly statememt

 

[TRANCEBLASTER]

I've been saying the same for months!
Not the specific Ukraine example, but in general influences from other parts of the world outside of Europe and the Middle East. But as you mentioned, no one wants that, and no one can provide it.

That would be rude ..tracks like 'Mauro Picotto & Mario Piu - Arabian Pleasure' were really a nightmare back in the late 90's.. pls not.

I would love to hear some dubby or grimey Trance stuff, definitely more breaks.. and also maybe more deep, hazy and spaced out sound would be appreciated from my side. No needs for big things.

 

[dmgtz96]

Says who exactly? Based on what? The genre itself doesn't dictate talent, it's just the output. Every genre in existence is filled with talented and untalented. Silly statememt

Your statement is not mutually exclusive with mine.
I'm basing my opinion on the types of producers that go into trance vs other genres (whatever is trendy at the moment, OR whatever is attracting more underground attention like techno). Very few producers go into trance in general, so the chances of them being good/exceptional are low. Meanwhile, in a different genre that attracts many new producers, you have higher chances of finding a good/exceptional producer. Both will have their share of bad producers, but eh.

 

[dmgtz96]

I've been saying the same for months!
Not the specific Ukraine example, but in general influences from other parts of the world outside of Europe and the Middle East. But as you mentioned, no one wants that, and no one can provide it.

That would be rude ..tracks like 'Mauro Picotto & Mario Piu - Arabian Pleasure' were really a nightmare back in the late 90's.. pls not.

I would love to hear some dubby or grimey Trance stuff, definitely more breaks.. and also maybe more deep, hazy and spaced out sound would be appreciated from my side. No needs for big things.

But we can have both of those things! The wacky "world"-oriented trance, and the deep/spacey technolike trance. The key is in not stagnating, which unfortunately is what happened to the genre.

 

[Magdelayna]

Weve been saying this for some years now....the thing is,everything started sounding very 'samey' as producers are playing it safe to get into the BP charts and have a ASOT play. Producers using the same synths,melody styles,snare buildups...and the main thing id say - the melodies just arnt good enough or memorable enough. They want to make these 'banging' tracks so they can stand behind the decks in clubs, playing their own tracks with their fist pumping in the air - every DJ seems to do the same thing lol. Make some memorable,unique tracks!

I find it quite sad that ive totally lost interest in the modern Trance scene now - yes,a few tracks stick out every year - but that number used to be 30 to 40.

Even the vocal Trance tracks nowadays sound so much 'pop' like and just really have lowered in standards. I used to love the individual styles of artists in the last 10 years or so - guys like Ottaviani,Aly & Fila,Stoneface & Terminal,Cold Blue,Darren Porter...but even they are just making tracks by numbers now to keep charting - ive lost interest,its just the same stuff recycled over and over.

 

[Jetflag]

just sayin' ?

I also don't consider myself artistic. So I'm unfortunately limited to ranting on and managing the forum

Sorry for getting back late at this and/or for turning this about @Gagi 's music once more (I swear it'll be the last time here),

But that there above^ is a shit excuse, considering this: (Especially the bottom one) creativly speaking this tops the latest ben gold by about a mile orso

https://soundcloud.com/gagi_music%2Fgaia-status-excessu-d-gagis-ice-cold-remix
https://soundcloud.com/gagi_music%2Fgagi-id-tech-mix

 

[dmgtz96]

For the record, there's nothing wrong with pop per se. The problem with trance is that it tries to emulate one very specific, outdated form of pop with, frankly, boring vocalists that are just as good as the producers themselves.

If trance were more like *good* pop or followed mainstream trends betters, with vocalists that have actual range and that aren't your typical diva (or, in some cases, very boring guy that sings with too high notes) it would honestly be more interesting than it is at the moment.

 

[Hoahoa]

Are new idea's overrated? Look at @EnigmaState and his original tracks, it was the no1 track of the forum but it is completely reproducing old ideas. I was so happy to here it, and so was everyone else. So what does that tell us about the desire for new? I honestly don't care if ideas are new or not, I just want quality tracks that have a level of production that sounds as nice as he is making.

 

[dmgtz96]

Are new idea's overrated? Look at @EnigmaState and his original tracks, it was the no1 track of the forum but it is completely reproducing old ideas. I was so happy to here it, and so was everyone else. So what does that tell us about the desire for new? I honestly don't care if ideas are new or not, I just want quality tracks that have a level of production that sounds as nice as he is making.

I see what you're saying, but I still disagree with you. In a weird way, although Enigma State's productions mostly replicate the past, they're still novel because not many have produced "old trance" in recent times.

 

[Hoahoa]

Novel is not new, which is what we are talking about.

 

[dmgtz96]

Novel is not new, which is what we are talking about.

My opinion doesn't change, lmao