Dream Trance
Soft Italian trance led by piano melodies, popular in the mid-1990s.
History
Dream trance is a soft, melodic form of trance that began in Italy in the mid-1990s s3. It is also called dream house or ambient trance s3. The music is slower than other trance and is often led by a piano melody s3. It was created partly in response to a problem in Italy, where young people fell asleep while driving home from clubs and had accidents s1. The music aimed to calm dancers down at the end of the night s1. Robert Miles released 'Children' in 1995, which sold millions of copies and made the style famous s1. He followed it with 'Fable' in 1996 s2. Other Italian producers, such as DJ Dado, Mauro Picotto and W.P. Alex Remark, made similar records s2. Dream trance usually stays around 130 beats per minute s2. Some tracks have strings and a gentle, dream-like mood s3. Producers also made slower, ambient remixes of trance tracks for chillout rooms s1. The style was most popular in the late 1990s, but its piano sound is still recognised today s1.
Sound
- A soft piano or string melody
- A simple four-to-the-floor beat
- A slow, gentle mood
- Long, melodic sections
- Few or no vocals
Key figures
- Robert Miles — Italian producer behind 'Children'
- DJ Dado — Italian producer of dream trance
- Mauro Picotto — Italian producer linked to the style
- W.P. Alex Remark — Italian act behind 'Pyramid'
Labels
- DBX Records — Milan , 1995
- Deconstruction — London , 1993
- ZYX Music — Merenberg , 1971
Defining tracks
Connections
Came from: Trance , Ambient , Deep House
Sources
- Trance Music History - From The Early 1990s Till Today — Beatportal (2023)
- 10 Trance Subgenres You Need to Know — Insomniac (2015)
- List of trance genres — Wikipedia