trance
what it is
Trance is a genre of electronic music that emerged from the British new-age music scene and the early 1990s German techno and hardcore scenes. Trance music is characterized by a tempo lying between 135–150 bpm (BPM), repeating melodic phrases and a musical form that distinctly builds tension and elements throughout a track often culminating in 1 to 2 "peaks" or "drops". Although trance is a genre of its own, it liberally incorporates influences from other musical styles such as techno, house, pop, chill-out, classical music, tech house, ambient and film music.
✦ start here: albums
✦ who's making it, level by level
level 2 · the door
big names with a sharper edge
level 3 · one step out
cult favorites and indie darlings
level 4 · further
art pop, hyperpop, and the underground
level 5 · all the way
deep experimental
✦ make trance a playlist
turn these 40 artists into something you can press play on.
✦ nearby genres
questions
What is trance?
Trance is a genre of electronic music that emerged from the British new-age music scene and the early 1990s German techno and hardcore scenes. Trance music is characterized by a tempo lying between 135–150 bpm (BPM), repeating melodic phrases and a musical form that distinctly builds tension and elements throughout a track often culminating in 1 to 2 "peaks" or "drops". Although trance is a genre of its own, it liberally incorporates influences from other musical styles such as techno, house, pop, chill-out, classical music, tech house, ambient and film music.
What are good trance albums to start with?
Try Everytime We Touch by Cascada, Elements of Life by Tiësto, Intense by Armin van Buuren, and Vicious Delicious by Infected Mushroom.
Who are some women making trance?
musicisforgirls.com/genres/trance/girls lists women, non-binary artists, and bands with women making trance, from mainstream to underground.
genre notes from last.fm listeners · artists and albums from last.fm, updated 2026-10-20