Trance tunes 1992 to the present day. Here you will find some of the best underground cuts from the era. To listen as a real audio stream click on the links to ‘play’, alternatively you can download the tracks and play them directly from your hard disk, to do this click on the ‘download’ links.

1999 (PvD Remix)

Binary Finary

1999

Positiva

The well known and well loved Paul Van Dyk remix of Binary Finary's classic cut 1999. Banging beats and layer upon layer of building synth work make this one of my favourite PvD remixes to date. The uplifting, powerful trance chorus drops to a smooth plateau before an eerie saw wave carries the tune back into its hard main synth arp and bassline. Fantastic production here as everything melts together flawlessly in a perfectly rounded trance anthem. It just has to feature in this archive.

3.2 (Bedrock Mix)

Humate

1998

Platipus

John Digweed on the mix of a classic prog. trance tune by Humate. The PvD mix of 'Love Stimulation' was outstanding and this one's just as good IMO. Dark, progressive vibes and soothing melancholy pads blend together effortlessly in this 12 minute long masterpiece. Takes ages for the beat to drop in giving you time to appreciate the build up but in a 12 minute long track that's not really a problem.

A Prayer to the Music

Marco Polo

1995

Hi Life

Progressive trance taken to a new level in this 11 minute long masterpiece. Complex phasing arps and fanfares overlay tribal rhythms and subtle chanting sounds in a unique and timeless way. The track builds slowly and loosely up until 8.21 when a solid organ riff comes in and the tune is complete. With tunes like this it seems that the progression in audio technology since 1995 is nonessential when it comes to production.

Age of Love

Age of Love

1992

React

One of the first ever trance anthems in the UK. You cannot help but adore this track, so uplifting and ethereal with those heavenly choir vocals and arpeggios. Quite a famous anthem on the trance scene, this one has been revived and remixed in more recent times. Though IMO you can never beat the original mix with all its flair and innovation. Pure, euphoric oldskool trance, nothing less. Listen and re-live.

John '00' Flemming

1999

React

From what I've heard of John '00' Flemming interms of djing and production I have to say that I definitely like his style. Pounding nrg trance with depth and emotion that never gets too cheesy or on the other hand harsh and tuneless. This one is a good example of this type of uplifting progressive trance, plenty of power and energy and uplifting breakdowns to satisfy the thirst for those smiley faced euphoric moments. If you're into the better side of modern trance then this one's definitely worth checking out. Nine stars and a supernova!

Amber (Silk Remix)

Natious

1999

Amato

A very long, slow build up with a chunky off-beat bassline slowly fades into a lush melodic breakdown and then the main melody kicks in! Need I say more. This one flows and progresses superlatively and before you know it you have an anthem on your hands. Quite a simple tune in terms of trance but as BT once said, it’s the melodic quality not the complexity that makes a tune great.

Ancient Forest (Mantra Mix)

Sungod

1996

Chakras

Melodic trance with oldskool pianos, what a cracking combination! Something that PvD has done on several of his tracks and remixes to great effect. I don't know much about the artist 'Sungod' but I reckon that if they continue to produce tracks like this then they are destined for big things. Tunes like this should be played out more often, nuff said!

Andalucia (Natious Mix)

Amethyst

1998

Jackpot

More recent trance this time from back in 1998 when the scene was changing. This has some beautiful pads and melodies but without ever getting too cheesy. Classic, driving analog basslines and riffs kick in abruptly after an ambient style intro and the tune pumps along powerfully until the main melody comes in for that perfect hands in the air moment. Sweet progressive trance, hypnotic and uplifting.

Anomaly - Calling Your Name (Ferry Corsten Remix)

Libra Presents Taylor

2000

Platipus

A sweet, sultry remix of a big trance anthem from the mid '90s revived and re-released thanks to the superb production of current trance master 'Ferry Corsten'. The man behind Moonman & System F has turned out a blinder with this remix and I think I even prefer it to the original. Beautiful liquid vocals sung by the incredibly talented Jan Johnson who had big trance releases in 2000/1 with the tracks 'Skydive' and 'Flesh'. To top it off this was actually produced by Brian Transeau (BT) so with a combination of talent like this it's virtually impossible to go far wrong.

Delta Lady

1993

Hard Hands

Time for another classic tune from Leftfield's Hard Hands label. This one was huge on the 1993 progressive house/trance circuit and brought a harder edge to the sound bridging the gap between chilled tribal grooves and full on trance stompers. To be honest it took me quite a while to really appreciate the greatness of this tune as is the way with some classics, which just goes to show that it was somewhat ahead of its time. Similar in some respects to the kind of thing that top class progressive producers like Satoshi Tomie and Bedrock have done over the years.

Avalon

X-Cabs

1995

Hook

Not quite as good as the more famous ‘Neuro’ but still has quite a kick to it. Quality hard trance with pounding beats running at over 140bpm, a great tune for the latter hours of clubbing. Ok so it’s fairly simple and repetitive but still has one hell of a hook to it. Seriously stomping!

Beauty

Atlas

1995

Jackpot

Sweet, mellow ambient trance on the excellent 'Jackpot' label. Has a kind of 'Blue Amazon' progressive type feel to it which is definitely no bad thing. Great music for chilling out and clubbing alike, I could definitely hear a beatless, ambient mix of this going down very well.

Camargue

CJ Bolland

1993

R&S

I not a big fan of Christian Jay’s more techno oriented stuff but I love it when he does trance. Along with the classic techno-trancer ‘Mantra’ this was a big tune back in ’93. I prefer the vocal version but the melodies in this one are still sublime. Sweet strings and organ riffs and hard thumping techno beats come together to form quite an epic tune.

Curious (Inquisitive Remix)

Humate

1993

MFS

Paul Van Dyk on the mix of an early German release on MFS from back in 1993. More melodic trance with uplifting piano riffs and sunny, upbeat arpeggios. Very uplifting and pleasant to listen to with a definite oldskool house vibe. PvD once again works his magic over another anthem from Humate, one of the original trance artists from the origins of trance. Have a listen, I think you might like it!

Epic Monolith

Mirco De Govia

2001

Euphonic

Big German trancer released back in 2001 and was very popular with major Djs like Paul Van Dyk, Scott Bond etc. Very P.v.D. in style with those heavy, bassy analog synths and 303s and a mellow, dreamy piano breakdown followed by an uplifting chorus. This just goes to show why trance is still so popular on the continent, when producers keep turning out tracks of the highest quality like this one the scene will continue to thrive. Epic is the word!

Escape From Noise

Ultimate Life Experience

1994

KK

It's tunes like this which remind me why I got into trance in the first place. Totally dark and mysterious but featuring a distinctly atmospheric synth voice in that typically melancholy minor key trance vein. Very deep and very underground sounding with strong techno influences in the bass elements of the tune as was the case with the majority of early '90s progressive house & trance styled music. It's a shame that they've stopped making tunes like this nowadays but I don't feel that this would sound out of place in a number of modern day progressive mix sets.

Floor Essence

Man With No Name

1995

Perfecto

Slammin' hard trancer from '95, a year when goa had a major influence over the scene. A big tune with Paul Oakenfold at the time and came out on his Perfecto label later to be remixed for the subdivision of that label Perfecto Flouro. Every one of the tunes by this artist was spot on and I'll put 'Vavoom' and 'Teleport' up as well if I can get hold of them as they were equally as good. Watch out for that bleepy main riff!!!

Footprint (Original mix)

Disco Citizens

1995

Xtravaganza

Anthemic dream trance from the man behind the more well known trance act 'Chicane' and I can definitely see the similarity in styles with this track. While 'Don't Give Up' was a good commercial club tune this one is a total club anthem. Very stringy and melodic on all scores and a cool 303 acid section to add some ruffness to a beautifully sculptured piece of dance music. The '97 remix was a beauty as well adding a more modern feel to the original.

Forbidden Fruit

Paul Van Dyk

1997

MFS

A classic soothing ambient trancer from the king of German trance 'Paul Van Dyk'. This one had quite a few remixes including a more commercial 1999 release which lacked the flair of this superb original mix. Some beautiful harmonics and melodies build up to over 4 minutes when finally the beat drops in adding that vital trance energy to the track. This has to be one of my favourite works from PvD along with others like 'Seven Ways', 'Love From Above' and his slammin' mix of 'Binary Finary - 1999'.

France (Mars Mix)

THK

1992

Warp

One of those out and out classics that just refuses to go away. Timeless in every sense of the word. This just goes to show that hardcore wasn't the only thing doing the rounds back in 1992, the heavenly melodics of ambience and the powerful bass of European techno were combining and resulting in spine chillers such as this one. I don't speak a word of French so I haven't got a clue what the sample is about but it sounds very effective nonetheless. There were several mixes of this tune but I've always preferred this more commonly played 'Mars' mix due to its simplicity and perfect structure. Spot on!

Garden of Peace

Power Circle

1995

Polydor

Slower progressive trance from back in ’95, this was a big tune among Djs like Sasha and Digweed. Quite minimal throughout this one is driven along by a phat analog bassline and subtle FX and synths. Very deep and Sasha sounding and quite dark in places. Not an epic tune by all accounts but still a lovely slice of deep trance.

Heaven's Tears

Cosmic Baby

1993

MFS

Time for a nice melodic one from good old MFS and Cosmic Baby. Sweet & starry eyed with a stunning yet extremely simple main piano riff. The majority of Cosmic Baby's early stuff was in this dreamy, ambient vein and was probably the precursor to the current dream trance sounds of most good UK clubs. Very clean sounding production for the time it was made showing that superior technology in German dance synths. Also check out 'Celestial Harmonies' for something equally as sublime.

Heliopolis (Eedupolis Dog Mix)

Banco de Gaia

1995

Planet Dog

Gorgeous mid-90s progressive trance which was featured on Ministy's epic Northern Exposure album mixed by Sasha & Digweed. Soothing, gentle vocals and arpeggios float dreamily over powerful acidic basslines and thumping progressive beats. Very beautiful eastern inspired music from a very talented artist. If you like this then also check out the title track from their album 'Last Train to Lhasa'.

Hondy (Nip & Tuck Mix)

Hondy

1997

Manifesto

A sexy little remix of a big commercial club anthem from a few years back. The original of this was definitely more cheesy despite being very popular so I've opted for this deeper, more intense trance version which takes the vocals of the original and puts them over a powerful beat & bassline with loads of uplifting pads and melodies. Very potent emotional trance from Italy.

Horizons

James Holden

2000

Silver Planet

Gorgeous deep trance from highly acclaimed new producer James Holden. Way Out West have commented that he's producing some of the best trance of the moment and when you hear tunes like this you can see why. Don't expect your typical cheesy chart trance breakdowns but a beautiful and intelligent melodic arrangement of the highest degree. A big favourite among many Djs and producers on the current trance curcuit.

Horsework

Vinyl Blair

1994

Hard Hands

Weird title but what a tune! Real oldskool trance with a hint of goa, galloping basslines, bleepy riffs and some tranquil, relaxing pads which come in later on in the tune. Quite repetitive (but that really seems to work here) and fairly simple but this is exceptional stuff. The kind of track which really grows on you. Let’s face it anything on Leftfield’s old Hard hands label has to be a winner.

Insigma

Insigma

2000

Trance Communications

Modern melodic trance, not oldskool stuff this time. I do like this one, very good stuff from a great new artist who made it big last year with the gorgeous anthem ‘Open Our Eyes’. Sweet sweeping pads and simple, yet beautiful melodies combine with a more driving, more complex bassline resulting in a very uplifting and calming vibe. If you like the more melodic side of trance then definitely check this one out!

Mahadeva

Astral Projection

1996

Transient

Deep, spiritual goa from one of the best psytrance acts around. Hard & tribal with a banging bassline and plenty of staccato arps and 303s. Very long, as is common with most goa, but I never lose interest because there’s so much going on over that bass. A tune that will totally suck you in and take you away.

LSG

1997

Hooj Choons

Not quite sure what it is about this one but it stands out for me above numerous goa style tracks as being one of the best. Very long in the mix, coming close to 10mins, but the intense hypnotic effect is almost amplified by the time it takes for the main melody to kick in, and when it hits you realise it's well worth the wait. Incidentally this was featured on Sasha & Digweed's second album of the excellent Northern Exposure series, a true mark of the track's greatness. Beautiful melodies and voices and clever breakbeat style percussion over a solid bass drum. Epic & massive!

Ooh I Like It

Jonny L

1993

XL

After having success on the 1992 rave scene with his uplifting roller 'Hurt You So' Jonny L turned his hand to producing some trance for '93 in the shape of tunes like this one. Hardcore fans might think that this is a tad cheesy but I'm loving it nonetheless, ok so it's not the breakbeat that he's renowned for but it's some gorgeous melodic trance with shades of oldskool. Yes, I certainly do like it!

Orcana (The Seductive Mix)

Void

1993

Void

An early Sasha style tune here which progresses deftly from being dark and moody to uplifting and light. This borders on progressive house really but I’ve put it in this section due to its prominent use of classic trance synths and arpeggiated sequences. Something of a rare trance classic which was very popular in the UK. The ultimate seduction!

Para Mi

Motivation

2001

Definitive

Nice uplifting trance tune from last year. Infectious samples and dirty basslines give the tune its trademark uniqueness while those uplifting synths, pads and organs never fail to take you high. The organ riff is in fact quite oldskool sounding, so even if you’re not a total trance head then you might get something out of this one. Very nice indeed!

Petite Etoile

Little Star

1999

Continental

All happy and melodic again now with this sweet little number from 1999. Very beautiful and very uplifting, a tune which seems to tell a story without using words. Some might say that this is cheesy but I love it, one of those stand out tracks from a year in which trance was very commercial. Auditory bliss!

Play the Game

Mindfeel

1997

Mindfeel

Original sounding trance from a lesser known and underrated dance act. This tune flows like liquid with filtered oldskool organ type riffs and a bubbly 303 bassline. The pads used are very similar to those in Sister Bliss’ ‘Sister Sister’ which came out back in 2000, but I prefer this one as it has more variation to it. Very well executed and produced, should’ve been a big tune back in its day.

Point Zero

Li Kwan

1994

Deconstruction

I don’t know about you but I find elements of this tune pretty scary, take a listen and see what you think. Amazing stuff really, sounding very much like the kind of thing Paul Oakenfold would play. Very deep and intense with lots of heavy filtersweeps, dark strings and passionate vocal melodies (which were used again more recently in Matt Darey’s ‘From Russia With Love’). This, incidentally, is the complete original mix in its entirety so you have 11 minutes worth of gorgeous, deep trance to space on.

Reincarnation

Country & Western

1993

The All Blacks

Slower, more progressive trance from 1993 this time. Hypnotic and dreamy with a dark, filtered bassline and bleepy, spacey arps. Country & Western had a massive underground hit with their anthem ‘Positive Energy’ at around the same time this was released. This one is much darker though and less housey in nature. Sounds of the trance underground with a hint of ambience.

Scorchio

Sasha & Emerson

2000

Deconstruction

Everyone who follows trance should know this one by now. A big summer anthem produced by the men like Alexander Coe and Darren Emerson this one tore it up across the UK dancefloors and out in Ibiza back in 2000. Quite simple in terms of melodics and arrangement but a classy, genre defying tune in its own right. There are elements of filtered detroit techno, progressive house and modern trance and that trademark flamenco guitar riff always pushes the right buttons.

Seven Cities (Solar Stone's Atlantis Mix)

Solar Stone

1999

Hooj Choons

A mellow, uplifting mix of one of the best trance moments from 1999. While a number of melodic trance tunes with a high cheese factor were coming out at the time, tracks like this one were springing up from the underground and injecting new life into the scene at large. For more gorgeous melodics and harmonics check out their ambient track 'Jabberwock'.

Sin City (Original Mix)

Three 'n' One

1997

Low Sense

A moody, emotional trancer from back in '97 played by a number of major Djs like 'Paul Oakenfold'. Pounding, hard techno beats and bass kick this one off with delicate yet persistent riffs then you get an explosive melodic breakdown using that infamous 'Faithless - Insomnia' style synth. I've alway been a fan of this track due to its sheer power and stomping quality.

Sinbad

System 7

1995

Butterfly/Big Life

Time for another long, spacey trance journey into another dimension. This is one to totally drift off to; hypnotic and meditative. No real chorus, build-up or cliched breakdowns, just pure, flowing dream trance which phases in and out of sections almost imperceptibly upon initial listening. If you want to hear more like this but in a more progressive house vein then check out their earlier tune ‘7:7 Expansion’, pure genius IMO.

Song of Life

Leftfield

1992

Hard Hands

Could this be best tune Leftfield ever produced? Well, virtually all of their stuff is outstanding so it's hard to make a judgement like that. On first hearing this back in '92 I thought that they were doing some kind of new, slower take on rave due to the solid chunkyness of that bassline and usage of phat breakbeats. However this has always been a progressive trance/house classic and quite unique in it's own right. You've got the full 8 minutes here in this extended mix as opposed to the radio version which cuts it short at around 4 mins. Enjoy!!!

Spiritualised

The Olmec Heads

1999

Neo

Lively, upbeat melodic trance from a few years back. I couldn't decide whether to put the this or the 'astral mix' up but I reckon this one is slightly better due to the way is progresses into an uplifting climax with some sweet piano melodies coming in towards the end. Quite a superb track with lots going on and a nice Faithless style breakdown about 2 mins in.

Jam & Spoon

1992

R&S

From the same pioneering duo behind the Age of Love came this poised, haunting seminal trancer back in the hectic days of hardcore. At the time I first heard it I really didn't know what sort of style it was only that it sounded in some way quite a magical piece of music. Some people at the time were saying that this was an ambient rave tune but it has become the touchstone for what is today termed 'trance'. For me, nothing has really surpassed this and for 1992 the production is out of this world, everything flowing along like silk, in perfect time and lush sweeping synth pads. No forgetting this one!

The Gift (Club Mix)

Way Out West

1996

Deconstruction

It was with tracks like this one and the unparalleled 'Domination' that Way Out West made their mark on the scene in the mid '90s. Their early progressive house offering 'Shoot' is listed over in the house section but this is more along the lines of what they've been doing more recently. Using a vocal line from an old soul classic by Roberta Flack (re-sung by Miss. Joanna Law) and placing over a swirling progressive trance meltdown and rolling breakbeat the duo came up with a major club hit.

The Teazer

Solitaire Gee

1994

Phat as Phuck

A driving, dark bassline driven trance cut with some eerie overtones and samples. No real breakdowns or chord changes in this as it's one of those more energy enhancing tunes played when the club is already buzzing. I love the overall vibe of this one due to it's pure energy and darkness and not to mention that solid percussive groove. Another tune to sample that 'Be-bop-a-loo' vox from Afrika Bambatta.

Turbulence

Sonic Solution

1992

R&S

I'm pretty sure that this one was produced by techno wizard CJ Bolland and was one of his many early techno-trance offerings from 1992. Some of his tracks were verging on hardcore with the classic 'Horsepower by Ravesignal 3' as an example, whereas he was delving into the new european sound of trance with hypnotic, dark analog synths and percussive techno beats such as those used in this particular track. This tune is primarily techno based but the psychedelic filtered stabs show a strong hint of early trance. A deep and seminal cut from a supreme talent in dance music.

Two Full Moons and a Trout

Union Jack

1993

Platipus

An awesome slab of early goa trance out on none other than Platipus. Some psychedelic 303s and arps here followed by airy chanting vox which continue to hypnotise up until about 6 minutes when a powerful string melody kicks in. This has got to be the ultimate build up track, and one of Platipus' best releases to date. Check out the Caspar Pound remix for a mellower take on this tune.

Vernon's Wonderland

Vernon

1993

Eye-Q

One of those seminal moody trance cuts from the pioneering Eye-Q label way back in 1993. To be honest this doesn't sound a bit dated to me and could be dropped in any current trance set without ever jarring the flow. Dark, brooding pads and basslines float seemlessly over the most rolling of drum loops with elements of breakbeat. This is what I would term as a trance symphony as it takes you on a musical journey from start to finish, building relentlessly throughout and never losing drive of energy. This had a remix about two years ago and although very good it didn't quite match up to this quality original mix.

Vicious Circles (Union Jack Remix)

Poltergeist

1995

Platipus

Gotta put something up here from one of my favourite trance labels ‘Platipus’ and what better than to start off with one of their all time classics. I think that this came out in its original form in 1993 but was re-released in ’95 along with a bunch of remixes. This is my favourite mix from ‘Union Jack’ Starting off quite hard with a harsh, rolling bassline (giving relevance to the title) and warped acid synths. The main melody which comes in later is very vigorous and potent, a million miles away from cheesy chart trance yet still manages to be uplifting.

Moogwai

2000

Platipus

You won't find any repetitive beats on this site, clause 24 not applicable! Nothing boring or repetitive about this one either, one of my favourite more recent trance tunes, probably the favourite of this decade so far. Constantly builds and melts into a powerful trance symphony journeying through space and time and never looking back. Extremely delicious basslines and perfect Platipus production, this one really is good enough to eat I would think (if sound was edible that is), plus the ending is pure treacle with a cherry on top. Anyway enough inane poetics from me, I'll just let the music do the talking. Just listen!

What is Soul

Rebel Youth

1993

Ongaku

Some pounding eastern influenced goa trance from way back when Paul Oakenfold was first championing this exciting sound. The initial warbling pad melody punches in quite abruptly and this sets the scene perfectly for a stomping 140bpm psytrance journey with chunky stacatto basslines and catchy hard house synths. My only complaint is that this version is a bit too short at only 4 mins 52 and it would be nice to hear an extended mix to fit the genre more accurately. Still, I do like this one as it has pure originality and sharp change ups which hold together perfectly.

Tenth Chapter

1995

Jackpot

Very good quality trance from many years back now, although for me it's quite hard to believe that this one was made in 1995. Time does seem to fly when you're having fun! Wicked, bouncy percussion and burbling liquid bass are overlaid by some sexy girlie vocals and pads and your tune is at it's peak! I'm not quite as keen on this as their moodier, more progressive offerings, e.g. Prologue, from back in the early '90s but there, that was the ultimate and this is still great stuff. Great vocals and strings, there's no release from the hook of this one.

World of Love (The Hayloft Mix)

Van Gott

2000

Alphabet City

More sublime uplifting German trance straight from the underground. This one is so good it's like bathing in a bath of Terry's Chocolate Orange with those lush, liquid pads and flanged vox samples sweeping away indulgently over deftly programmed arpeggios. As you would expect with German trance the production and composition here is second to none; ruling out any elements of cheese. Just pure euphoria all the way!

Xpander

Sasha

1999

Deconstruction

Cosmic Sasha progressive trance taking the tempo down slightly from the norm in this epic masterpiece from the man himself. I heard somewhere that Sasha is actually a trained pianist and it certainly shows here in some amazing, complex synth work and layer upon layer of dreamy analog bass sequences. Definitely one of Sasha's finest moments captured here in a full 11 and a half minutes of real audio, although the 28.8k clip simply doesn't do it justice. Also check out 'Belfunk' and 'Baja' from the same EP.