by Ian Heller

Created on: June 01, 2008   Last Updated: June 02, 2008

SAVE THE LAST TRANCE FOR ME

I love trance. I hope that by the end of this article you are better educated, so that you are able to spend your money wisely.

Ever purchased a song from iTunes that was so hot that you had to pay 5.99 for it, only to find out you already owned that song as part of a compilation CD? Knowledge is power. Unfortunately, trance is a niche market, emanating from Central Europe. It is sometimes hard to figure out what is going on, what you are buying or where to get the best deal. So you pay iTunes whatever they ask. Over and over and over. Those unnecessary .99 downloads add up. And space is not endless, either, for those of us with smaller iPods who enjoy those sprawling Trance epics.

A TRANCE PRIMER

According to iTunes, the dance and electronic markets are divided into these subcategories: pop; drums and bass; house/disco; indie/electro; techno; trance; progressive house; ambient.

If you have trouble locating music, exercise creativity in web surfing. For example, you like Nick Warren but can only locate his last two CDs. Search iTunes by record label, too. These days he works with the Global Underground. Surf under this label. You might dig something up. If not on iTunes then on the net itself. The key to good results is the ability to think creatively.

Trance is divided into three categories. Uplifting, Vocal and Club.

Uplifting is atmospheric. If you have never heard, think back to "Rocky." Remember Rocky, training for the big fight against Carl Weathers in Philadelphia? He's running through Philly, throwing punches, while "Flying High" sings in the background. As a kid, I wanted to get up and jump for joy every time I heard this song. That's uplifting. And that's the goal of uplifting trance. Many hardcore fans hate it. They would rather be sweating on a dance floor with their shirts off.

Club trance is a much more "in your face" steady, aggressive beat. The best stuff seems saved for concerts and clubs. Or maybe I just have so many great memories.

THE HOWARD STERN EFFECT

Whenever you read a magazine article today about trance there is always a certain wistfulness on the part of the writer. He longs for the days when the market was smaller. When a concert brought out a small group of die-hards who held hands with the DJ. Today, many middling acts release music which sounds recycled (always a challenge in a genre which could theoretically survive on just a computer-generated dance beat). Or worse, DJs are making music with vocalists ("vocal

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