History
Tech trance mixes trance with techno s1. It appeared in the mid-1990s s1. The music keeps the melody and builds of trance, but uses harder drums, a steady bassline and a darker sound s1s2. Producers use delay and distortion effects, and there are few or no vocals s2. Oliver Lieb and Humate made early tech trance records in Germany s2. In the 2000s, DJs such as Marco V and Simon Patterson became known for the style s2. Marco V released 'Indicator' in 2002 s2. Simon Patterson released 'Bulldozer' in 2007 s2. Timo Maas also made records in this harder trance style s2. Tech trance sits between the big melodies of uplifting trance and the repetition of techno s1. It is often played late at night, when clubs want a harder sound s2. The style is still made by producers who also work in techno s2. Some tech trance records also borrow the short, repeated hooks of techno instead of a long trance melody s1.
Sound
- A hard, techno-style kick drum
- A dark, repeating bassline
- Delay and distortion effects
- Few or no vocals
- Short melodic hooks instead of long anthems
Key figures
- Marco V — Dutch DJ and producer; made 'Indicator'
- Simon Patterson — British producer and DJ; made 'Bulldozer'
- Timo Maas — German producer and DJ
- Oliver Lieb — German producer of early tech trance
Labels
- ID&T — Amsterdam , 1992
- Reset Records — London , 2006
- Vandit — Berlin , 2000
Defining tracks
Connections
Came from: Trance , Berlin Techno
Sources
- List of trance genres — Wikipedia
- 10 Trance Subgenres You Need to Know — Insomniac (2015)