Euro-Trance

Euro-Trance is a retrospective term first used in the UK, during The Spring of 2002, by UK's MTV Dance. It was used to describe all the "trance"-like European imports for the UK market, especially those recorded in Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. The term was never accepted by the rest of Europe, with the exception of Poland and parts of Italy (because of the popularity of MTV Italy).

Music styles considered "Euro-Trance"

Dream house

Dream house was a short-lived 90s European music style (Robert Miles, BBE, NyLon Moon, Zhi-Vago, Chicane). You couldn't dance it for real, it was more of a "dance with your mind" music style. It also had a speed up sub-genre, dream trance (a calm down version of aquasonic trance).

Progressive trance

Progressive trance (130 bpm+) & Euro progressive house (129 bpm or less). It's almost the same music style since about 2000, that's why many Europeans simply call it "Progressive". Well known artists are: ATB, Blank & Jones, Alice DeeJay, Sash!, Tiësto, Armin Van Buuren, Veracocha, Paul Van Dyk, Gabriel & Dresden, EX-PLOSION, Markus Schulz, Cressida, Deepsky, Manny Ward, and Lost Tribe. Progressive trance also combines many other mid / late 90s music styles, with more notable Epic Trance and Aquasonic Trance.

Vocal trance

Vocal trance: From 1997-2003, this music style was simply progressive trance with vocals. It dominated by German-based productions, spread all over Europe because of Viva, Onyx and MTV2 Pop satellite music channels. TMF Belgium/Holland (and JIM Belgium during the 00s) followed the "hype", by promoting their own vocal trance productions, that became more commercial successful on UK and Spain. UK also has a share on the vocal trance scene, but in a more underground level. Vocal Trance artists include: ATB, Ian Van Dahl, Lasgo, Sylver, Milk Inc, Cascada, Dj Sammy, Santamaria, Do, Dee Dee, Kate Ryan, Kelly Llorenna, Flip & Fill, and Jessy De Smet.

Uplifting house / Uplifting trance

Uplifting house / uplifting trance is a style very close to European progressive house/trance music style. It is less focused on melody and more focused on attitude. Vocals are usually present. It has influences from happy hardcore, breakbeat even techno. It was (and still is) very popular in German speaking countries and has a cult status among UK dance fans. Typical examples of this music style are: Brooklyn Bounce and Darude.

Heroic

Heroic is a style of Euro-Trance originating in the western part of the USA, that derives elements from Euro-Trance, Hardstyle, Psytrance, Opera, Hard Trance, and Classical music. A new subgenre of Trance, it is characterized by heavy kickdrums and deep basslines from the German Euro-Trance sound, driving arpeggiations from Psytrance, breakdowns utilizing classical music instrumentation and opera singing and wide, hard trance leads normally used in Epic Trance and German Euro-Trance productions. Melodies generally use chords typical of Middle Eastern styles of music, and minor keys, to create a darker, more dramatic "Heroic" feel. Dubbed "the dark side of Epic Trance," Heroic avoids the typical major chord progressions and happy vocals in favour of a more mystic and operatic approach to add to the mythical feel of the music. The only label that currently releases Heroic music is Ocean Drive Records, in Florida. Examples of this style are Dawnchaser.

Terminology conflicts and disputes

There are also some termninology conflicts with the underground psy/goa trance scenes. Many psychedelic trance artists moved during the 00s to a slower (125-138bpm) range, branding their style as progressive trance. Also, there is a powerful psy trance variation, called "uplifting trance". Those music gentres has no relation with the "Euro Trance" term.

In Poland, Italy and some parts of east Europe, "euro-trance" it is more commonly referred to as "Handz Up", due to the happy and uplifting atmosphere it creates when played live, which impels ravers to "throw their hands in the air". There are several record labels that specialize in this style of music, most notably Mental Madness Records and Zooland Records, of Germany, as well as Expanded Music of Italy. Those music styles are known as "eurodance" in the rest of Europe (including UK). It is notable to say, that the same term (eurodance), is used a lot by the Americans for the 90s European dance productions (mostly the early 90s eurohouse and newbeat music styles) and that situation creates yet another terminology conflict between Americans, Brits and Europeans.

Eurotrance is not always necessarily centered around a trance sound; some recent producers have explored using a more hardstyle basis for their productions (Deepforces a notable example, as well as Mikesh), and others lean more toward a purer trance sound, while retaining elements of the hard, energetic sound, as in the case of producers like K-System, and H2K. In the U.K. those experiments lead to Scouse house

Around mid/late 2005, the term "Eurotrance" used as the first name of the first Scouse house hits, a UK hybrid of an updated early 00s uplifting house and hard trance music. This music style incorporating hardstyle bass drums and trance elements. It is made with a much more commercial sound, using lots of major chords and generally very happy sounding melodies. The trance synths at times sound like techno hoovers with trancey effects and strings backing it up, and in the more recent productions has developed a synth sound of its own. The vocals are often pitched up for the most part, but sometimes they can be heard in normal pitch range. The lyrical content is usually simple, containing an introduction to the song with usually no or little drums, and sometimes includes renderings of classic happy hardcore anthems or melodies, mixed with uplifting house/trance sounds mostly originated from hits that came from Germany, Belgium and Nederlands. In this category falls groups like Cascada, Groove Coverage and Special D.. Most Europeans during 2005 - 2006, called this music style "mellow hardcore" (a variation of happy hardcore) or uplifting house, but after the commercial success of the gentre, the term Scouse house became to grow.

Euro-Trance artists

  • Alex Megane (Axel Jäger)
  • Basshunter (Jonas Altberg)
  • Bass-T (Sebastian Göckede)
  • Caater (Kalle Kukk & Markku Tidmaa)
  • Cascada (Manuel Reuter, Yann Pfeifer and Natalie Horler)
  • [...]-R (Roy den Hartog & Hannes Trooster)
  • Deepforces (Christian Blecha)
  • Deep Spirit (Dominik Cydlik, Bernhard Hochrainer & Roland Binder)
  • DJ Dean (Martin Schmidt)
  • DJ Manian (Manuel Reuter)
  • EuroTrance (DJ Romo)
  • Floorfilla (Gabriele Cerlini & Momo Bale)
  • Groove Coverage (Axel Konrad, DJ Novus/Markus Schafferzyk, Mell, Verena)
  • Jan Wayne (Jan Christiansen)
  • Mario Lopez (Thomas Schatz)
  • Mark'Oh (Marko Albrecht)
  • Neo Cortex (Lars Böge, Jan Miesner & Heiko Lempio)
  • Pulsedriver (Slobodan Petrovic Jr.)
  • Rob Mayth (Robin Brandes)
  • Rocco (Sven Gruhnwald)
  • Special D. (Dennis Horstmann)
  • Starsplash (Charly Lownoise & Franky Tunes)
  • Tune Up! (Manuel Reuter & Yann Pfeiffer)
  • Verano (Marco Stork, Stefan Richly and Dennis Nicholls)

Euro-Trance stations

nl:Eurotrance pl:Euro trance ru:Euro trance fi:Euro-trance sv:Eurotrance uk:Євротранс