What is Trance music? Understanding a new sound… [February 1996]

Spurred on by the success of DJ Misjah & Tim’s Access, one of the standout tracks of 1995, MUZIK magazine sought to explore the emerging ‘trance’ movement, as it began to replace ‘handbag’ as the UK’s fastest growing club sound…

This article, written by Camilo Rocha and dating from February 1996, speaks to several trance luminaries such as Paul van Dyk, MFS Records’ Mark Reeder, Cygnus X’s Matthias Hoffmann, and Eye-Q’s Ralph Hildenbeutel, and examines the emerging sound pioneered by tracks such as Humate’s Love Stimulation and Vision of Shiva’s Perfect Day.

Chris Liberator, perhaps better known for hardcore acid techno, is effusive in his praise of this ‘new’ sound, saying, “Trance has totally taken over. It’s rapidly becoming the mainstay of the dance scene. There’s a big underground out there.

“Trance music is accessible, but it’s not commercial. It’s drug music, but it can be heard without any drugs. It’s basically the perfect uplifting sound.”

Within a few years, in the hands of van Dyk, BT, Ferry Corsten, Tiesto and others, trance would very much be thrust into the mainstream.

[Picture by Matt Bright]