Trance
Trance was named in Frankfurt around 1990, when a handful of producers working out of Eye Q and Harthouse found that a single arpeggio held long enough stopped being a riff and became something else. It spent the nineties turning into the biggest dance music on earth: Robert Miles slowing it down, Oakenfold and Sasha carrying it through the superclubs, Gatecrasher and Cream and Amnesia filling every weekend, and a run of records, Café del Mar, For An Angel, Out Of The Blue, Sandstorm, 9pm, that a generation can still hum. By 2003 a Dutch DJ filled a football stadium on his own and then played the Olympics. Then it crashed, split into uplifting and progressive and tech, lost the mainstream to electro house, and kept going anyway, on the festival circuit and the radio show that never stopped. This is the whole arc: the records, the sets, the clubs and the people.
A chronological documentary of 771 moments spanning 1984–2026 on Loreline.
Curated by Olivier · last updated 2026-08-22
Eras
- Frankfurt and the First Records, Where the word came from. Dance 2 Trance, Age Of Love, Jam & Spoon and Sven Väth working out of Frankfurt at the turn of the nineties, the Eye Q and Harthouse catalogue, and the records that were called trance before anyone was sure what that meant.
- Classics, The canon, the records that still get played. Café del Mar, Children, For An Angel, Greece 2000, Out Of The Blue, 9pm, Sandstorm, Silence. Some were underground twelve-inches and some went to number one, and the scene has never entirely agreed about which of those is the compliment.
- Uplifting, The euphoric strand: the long build, the breakdown, the drop that the whole room is waiting for. Armin van Buuren, Aly & Fila, Ferry Tayle and the producers who kept the 138 BPM faith through every year it was unfashionable.
- Progressive, The patient branch. Sasha and Digweed, Above & Beyond and Anjunabeats, the deeper and slower end that traded the drop for the long arc, and which is where most of trance quietly went after 2004.
- Sets, Nights that people still watch back. Tiësto alone in the GelreDome on 10 May 2003, the first time a solo DJ headlined a stadium, and the Athens Olympic ceremony fifteen months later. Above & Beyond at Madison Square Garden for Group Therapy 100 in October 2014. The ASOT milestone broadcasts, the Essential Mixes, and the long Ibiza sets, kept at the length they were actually played.
- Clubs and Festivals, Where it happened. Gatecrasher in Sheffield and Cream in Liverpool, Amnesia and Privilege on Ibiza, Trance Energy and Sensation in the Netherlands, the Love Parade at its peak, and the festival circuit, ASOT, Luminosity, Transmission, Dreamstate, that the music moved onto when the superclubs faded.
- Radio and the Labels, A State of Trance began as a radio show on 1 June 2001, became a record label in 2003 and a touring festival in 2012, three different things that share a name and get conflated constantly. Around it: Armada, Anjunabeats and Anjunadeep, Black Hole, Vandit and Perfecto, the compilation series that taught people the canon, and the DJ Mag poll that everyone claims not to care about.
- Scene, How it was reported, argued over and remembered, the television coverage, the documentaries, the interviews, the long argument about whether trance was ever any good, and the 2010 Love Parade disaster that ended the parade for good.
- - Armin van Buuren - This Is Me: Feel Again (Ziggo Dome - Amsterdam, The Netherlands) [Highlights]. Highlights from Armin van Buuren's This Is Me: Feel Again show at Ziggo Dome, his first arena show after major surgery.
- - Cold Blue - Live from the Luminosity Beach Festival 2022 #LBF22. Cold Blue's set at Luminosity Beach Festival 2022.
- - Super8 & Tab (3 Hour Anjunabeats Classics) - Live from the Luminosity Beach Festival 2022 #LBF22. Super8 & Tab's 3-hour Anjunabeats Classics set at Luminosity Beach Festival 2022.
- - Essential Guide To MFS (1992-1995) - Johan N. Lecander. Near-3-hour documentary guide to MFS Records covering its 1992-1995 catalogue track by track, directly addresses the archives complete absence of MFS content.
- - Talla 2XLC - 1984, The Very First Techno-Club. Short archival clip about the very first Technoclub night in 1984, establishing the pre-history of the scene that led to Eye Q and Harthouse.
- - What is Hooj Choons? (2022 retrospective feature). Retrospective feature explaining Hooj Choons' history and significance in the UK progressive/trance scene, SCENE-facet context for an otherwise thin label.
- - Armin van Buuren live at A State Of Trance 1000 (Krakow - Poland) #danceforukraine. Armin van Buuren's ASOT1000 Krakow set, held as a benefit shortly after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
- - Love Parade: How Berlin's techno event became a phenomenon - and a disaster | History Stories. DW retrospective documentary tracing the Love Parade from 1989 phenomenon to the 2010 disaster.
- - Electric Love Festival main stage, 2022. The main stage at Electric Love Festival, Salzburgring, Austria, July 2022.
- - The man who brought the party to Ibiza - Witness History, BBC World Service. BBC World Service Witness History episode on the origins of Ibiza's club scene that trance culture later colonized.
- - Gatecrasher Sheffield Interview - Memories From A Superclub 96-2000. Modern retrospective interview with figures from Gatecrasher Sheffield recalling the trance superclub's 1996-2000 peak.
- - Electric Daisy Carnival Mexico, main stage 2023. The Kinetic Bloom main stage at Electric Daisy Carnival Mexico, February 2023.
- - A Non-Stop Party: The Dark Side of Ibiza (Full Film) | High Society. VICE documentary examining the excess and dark side of Ibiza's modern superclub culture, a lineal descendant of the trance-era club scene.
- - Markus Schulz 4 Hour Set for Coldharbour Day 2023. Markus Schulz's 4-hour set for Coldharbour Day 2023, his long-running label showcase.
- - Ilan Bluestone live at Ultra Music Festival Miami 2023 | ASOT Stage. ilan Bluestone's set at Ultra Music Festival Miami 2023's ASOT Stage.
- - Eye Q and Harthouse - 4h Nonstop Hard-Trance Mix with timeless masterpieces. Four-hour nonstop tribute mix devoted specifically to Eye Q and Harthouse hard-trance material.
- - The story behind "Calling Earth" by Yves Deruyter - Muzikxpress 180. Muzikxpress documentary episode on the making of Bonzai Records' 'Calling Earth', direct label-artist retrospective interview.
- - Bryan Kearney LIVE @ A State Of Trance 1000 Festival 2023. Bryan Kearney's set at the milestone A State Of Trance 1000 Festival in Utrecht.
- - Paul van Dyk (3 Hour Set) live at Luminosity Beach Festival 2023 #LBF23. Paul van Dyk's 3-hour set at Luminosity Beach Festival 2023, a leading trance-specific festival.
- - Aly & Fila (3 Hour Set) live at Luminosity Beach Festival 2023 #LBF23. Aly & Fila's 3-hour set at Luminosity Beach Festival 2023.
- - Ben Gold live at Luminosity Beach Festival 2023 #LBF23. Ben Gold's set at Luminosity Beach Festival 2023.
- - Parookaville festival main stage, 2023. The main stage at Parookaville electronic music festival, Weeze, Germany, 2023.
- - How Techno was born: From Detroit to Berlin and back. DW documentary on techno's Detroit-to-Berlin lineage, the scene from which German trance and the Love Parade emerged.
- - Kevin & Perry Go Large trance event, Amnesia Ibiza. The Amnesia nightclub, Ibiza, hosting the 'Kevin & Perry Go Large' trance party, September 2023.
- - Inside Gatecrasher | How Sheffield's Crasher Kids Changed Rave Culture. Modern short documentary on Gatecrasher Sheffield's cultural impact on UK rave/trance culture.
- - Cosmic Gate - Mirador (Official Music Video). Cosmic Gate's Mirador, a modern-revival-era official single continuing their long-running trance output.
- - Top 100 DJs: The World's Biggest Music Poll | A DJ Mag Original Documentary. DJ Mag's own feature documentary on the history and influence of its Top 100 DJs poll, which trance DJs (Tiesto, van Buuren, Oakenfold) dominated for years.
- - GVN | The Story So Far (Documentary). Anjunabeats label documentary on artist GVN's career trajectory within the trance/progressive scene.
- - Paul Oakenfold at Electric Daisy Carnival 2024. Paul Oakenfold performing on the Quantum Valley stage, Electric Daisy Carnival, Las Vegas, May 2024.
- - ASOT 2024 - Allen Watts presents "AWaken". Allen Watts' AWaken set at the A State of Trance 2024 festival.
- - Markus Schulz - Coldharbour Day 2024 (4-Hour Mix). Markus Schulz's 4-hour mix for Coldharbour Day 2024.
- - PAUL VAN DYK - TRANSMISSION FESTIVAL PRAGUE 2024: Prague [FULL 4K SET]. Paul van Dyk's full 4K set at Transmission Festival Prague 2024, showing his continued festival presence post-accident.
- - MARKUS SCHULZ - TRANSMISSION FESTIVAL PRAGUE 2024: Elysium [FULL 4K SET]. Markus Schulz's full 4K set at Transmission Festival Prague 2024.
- - COSMIC GATE - TRANSMISSION PRAGUE 2024: Elysium [FULL 4K SET]. Cosmic Gate's full 4K set at Transmission Festival Prague 2024.
- - Vini Vici @ Tomorrowland Winter 2024 | Official Video. Vini Vici's official video from Tomorrowland Winter 2024, a psy-trance act crossing onto mainstage trance-adjacent festival bills.
- - Vini Vici @ Tomorrowland Brazil 2024. Vini Vici's set at Tomorrowland Brazil 2024.
- - Vini Vici B2B Infected Mushroom live at A State of Trance 2024 Mainstage. Vini Vici B2B Infected Mushroom at A State of Trance 2024 mainstage, a genuine psy-trance/trance crossover booking.
- - Ben Gold Live at Dreamstate Europe, 2024 [4K]. Ben Gold's 4K set at Dreamstate Europe 2024.
- - Ben Gold live at Luminosity Beach Festival 2024 #LBF24. Ben Gold's set at Luminosity Beach Festival 2024.
- - Andrew Rayel - Find Your Harmony Year Mix 2024. Andrew Rayel's Find Your Harmony Year Mix 2024, an annual retrospective of his radio show's biggest tracks.
- - Andrew Rayel B2B Giuseppe Ottaviani live at Find Your Harmony Kuala Lumpur 2024. Andrew Rayel and Giuseppe Ottaviani's back-to-back set at Find Your Harmony Kuala Lumpur 2024.
- - Mark Sixma @ Dreamstate, Las Vegas 2024. Mark Sixma's set at Dreamstate Las Vegas 2024.
- - Orjan Nilsen & Mark Sixma pres. nilsix @ EDC Las Vegas 2024. Ørjan Nilsen and Mark Sixma's nilsix collaborative project at EDC Las Vegas 2024, showing genre-blending in the modern revival.
- - Giuseppe Ottaviani @ Dreamstate Europe 2024. Giuseppe Ottaviani's set at Dreamstate Europe 2024.
- - Giuseppe Ottaviani at Ultra Music Festival 2024. Giuseppe Ottaviani's set at Ultra Music Festival 2024.
- - Ruben de Ronde live at A State of Trance 2024 (Saturday | Area 1). Ruben de Ronde's set at the A State of Trance 2024 festival.
- - Craig Connelly live at Luminosity Beach Festival 2024 #LBF24. Craig Connelly's set at Luminosity Beach Festival 2024.
- - CRAIG CONNELLY - TRANSMISSION FESTIVAL PRAGUE 2024: Elysium [FULL 4K SET]. Craig Connelly's full 4K set at Transmission Festival Prague 2024.
- - Above & Beyond: Group Therapy 600 live at Hipódromo de las Américas, Mexico City (Official) #ABGT600. Above & Beyond's Group Therapy 600 milestone show in Mexico City.
- - TRANCEFORMATIONS 2024 - GENIX | TF24, Poland. Genix's set at Tranceformations festival in Poland 2024.
- - Cold Blue - Live at Luminosity 2024. Cold Blue's set at Luminosity 2024.
- - Factor B - Live @ Luminosity Beach Festival Mainstage 2024. Factor B's mainstage set at Luminosity Beach Festival 2024.
- - Sneijder pres. ALT1 live at Luminosity Beach Festival 2024 #LBF24. Sneijder's ALT1 project set at Luminosity Beach Festival 2024.
- - Ferry Tayle & Tonks pres. Mirage live at Luminosity Beach Festival 2024 #LBF24. Ferry Tayle and Tonks' Mirage project set at Luminosity Beach Festival 2024.
- - Stoneface & Terminal (Hybrid Live) live at Luminosity Beach Festival 2024 #LBF24. Stoneface & Terminal's hybrid live set at Luminosity Beach Festival 2024.
- - Nourey: Group Therapy 600 live at Hipódromo de las Américas, Mexico City (Official) #ABGT600. Nourey's set at Above & Beyond's Group Therapy 600 milestone show in Mexico City.
- - nilsix LIVE @ Dreamstate SoCal @Insomniac 2024 | Trance | Techno | Rave | Mainstage. Ørjan Nilsen and Mark Sixma's nilsix project set at Dreamstate SoCal 2024.
- - EYE Q Records Classics II - pr3 clubnight Special Mix von beParker, 90er Frankfurter Trance. German clubnight special mix devoted specifically to Eye Q Records and 90s Frankfurt trance including Sven Vath, corroborating scene coverage.
- - Electric Love Festival main stage, opening ceremony 2024. The main stage during the opening ceremony at Electric Love Festival, Austria, July 2024.
- - Tiësto at Airbeat One 2024. Tiësto performing at Airbeat One festival, Neustadt-Glewe, Germany, July 2024.
- - Airbeat One festival main stage, 2024. The main stage at Airbeat One trance/dance festival, Neustadt-Glewe, Germany, July 2024.
- - Parookaville festival main stage, 2024. The main stage at Parookaville electronic music festival, Weeze, Germany, July 2024.
- - Jahrestag der Loveparade-Katastrophe: Das kollektive Trauma | Focus TV Reportage. German long-form TV reportage on the collective trauma left by the 2010 Duisburg disaster, marking an anniversary.
- - Tomorrowland festival grounds, 2024. The De Schorre festival grounds during Tomorrowland, Boom, Belgium, July 2024.
- - Cosmic Gate & Arnej - Trifecta (Official Music Video). Cosmic Gate and Arnej's Trifecta, a recent official single.
- - ATB '9 PM (TILL I COME)' | The Making Of A Dance Anthem. DJ Mag studio-breakdown interview with ATB on the making of '9pm (Till I Come)', a defining trance chart hit.
- - Darude 'Sandstorm' | The Making Of A Dance Anthem. DJ Mag studio-breakdown interview with Darude on how 'Sandstorm' was made, one of trance's most-memed global anthems.
- - 30 Jaar Dutch Dance #1: Pionieren. Dutch public-broadcaster documentary series on 30 years of Dutch dance music, covering trance's Netherlands stronghold.
- - 30 Jaar Dutch Dance #3: De wijde wereld. Third installment of the Dutch public-broadcaster series on Dutch dance music's global reach, including trance's export.
- - Armin van Buuren live, April 2025. Armin van Buuren performing live, April 2025.
- - The Comeback of Hard House (Full Documentary). Modern Armada Music documentary on the resurgence of hard house/hard trance sounds within the scene.
- - Ben Gold live at A State of Trance 2025 (Saturday | Area 2). Ben Gold's set at the A State of Trance 2025 festival.
…651 further moments continue the chronology here. Full text archive: /loreline-text/trance.md
- - Ruben de Ronde B2B Ferry Corsten live at A State of Trance 2025 (Friday | Area 1). Ruben de Ronde and Ferry Corsten's back-to-back set at A State of Trance 2025.
- - Above & Beyond: Live from Coachella 2025 (Official Full Set). Above & Beyond's official full set from Coachella 2025, a rare trance/progressive booking at a major US festival.
- - Armin van Buuren live at AMF 2025. Armin van Buuren's set at Amsterdam Music Festival 2025.
- - Armin van Buuren live at Tomorrowland 2025 (Mainstage, Weekend 2). Armin van Buuren's mainstage set at Tomorrowland 2025.
- - Armin van Buuren live at A State of Trance 2025 (Saturday | Area 1). Armin van Buuren's set at the A State of Trance 2025 festival.
- - The Best of Eye Q and Harthouse - mixed by Steve Eagle. Modern 4-hour DJ retrospective mix covering the Eye Q and Harthouse catalogues back to back, useful SCENE-facet survey of the labels output, correctly dated to its real upload not the era it surveys.
- - Dreamstate SoCal 2025 Official Recap. Official recap video of Dreamstate SoCal 2025, the flagship US trance festival.
- - PREMIERE Will Atkinson, Gliwice Arena, Dreamstate Poland 2025 (Full Multi Cam Set). Will Atkinson's full multi-cam set at Dreamstate Poland 2025.
- - Nifra at Dreamstate SoCal 2025. Nifra's set at Dreamstate SoCal 2025.
- - Factor B live at A State of Trance 2025 (Friday | Area 2). Factor B's set at A State of Trance 2025.
- - Alex M.O.R.P.H. live from Trance Sanctuary presents FSOE London 2025. Alex M.O.R.P.H.'s set at Trance Sanctuary presents FSOE London 2025.
- - Allen Watts live @ Luminosity 2025. Allen Watts' set at Luminosity 2025.
- - Orjan Nilsen live @ Buenos Aires, Argentina 2025 | 20 Years of Legacy | Trance Classics. Ørjan Nilsen's 20 Years of Legacy set in Buenos Aires, spotlighting trance classics.
- - Bryan Kearney B2B Mauro Picotto LIVE @ The Arches Glasgow, October 2025 (4K DJ SET). Bryan Kearney back-to-back with Mauro Picotto, a 4K DJ set at The Arches, Glasgow.
- - Armin van Buuren - Breathe (Full Album Mix). Armin van Buuren's Breathe, a full album mix documenting his most recent studio album.
- - How Judge Jules Got His Name at London's Unlicensed Raves. Extended modern interview with Judge Jules recounting his origins in London's unlicensed rave scene.
- - Sasha & John Digweed, Bristol 2025. Sasha and John Digweed performing live at the Bristol Amphitheatre, July 2025.
- - Armin van Buuren: Piano, Classical Music, and the Evolution of Trance | The Zane Lowe Interview. Substantial Zane Lowe interview with Armin van Buuren discussing trance's musical evolution and his classical roots.
- - Above & Beyond | Stepping In: The Making of 'Bigger Than All Of Us' (Official Documentary). Official documentary on Above & Beyond's landmark album, the trio central to the Anjunabeats progressive-trance label.
- - Armin van Buuren, Web Summit 2025. Armin van Buuren on Centre Stage during Web Summit 2025, MEO Arena, Lisbon, Portugal, November 2025.
- - Gareth Emery pres. CYBERPUNK @ Dreamstate Los Angeles (11/21/25) 4K. Gareth Emery's Cyberpunk-themed set at Dreamstate Los Angeles 2025.
- - Anjunabeats The Yearbook 2025 (Mix 1). Anjunabeats' annual Yearbook mix for 2025, showcasing the label's current output.
- - Anjunadeep The Yearbook 2025 (Continuous Mix). Anjunadeep's annual Yearbook mix for 2025, the progressive/deep-trance-adjacent sister label.
- - A State of Trance Episode 1257 - Year Mix 2025 (@astateoftrance). A State of Trance's Year Mix 2025 episode, an annual retrospective of the year's biggest trance tracks.
- - Electronic Malfunction Documentary - The Story Behind A Trance Classic. Label documentary on the making of a trance classic released by Black Hole Recordings.
- - Armin van Buuren live, May 2026. Armin van Buuren performing live, May 2026.
- - Armin van Buuren live, May 2026 (2). Armin van Buuren performing live, May 2026.
- - Above & Beyond: Anjunabeats Volume 17 Live from London (Official Full Set). Above & Beyond's Anjunabeats Volume 17 live launch set from London.
- - John O'Callaghan live at Luminosity Beach Festival 2026 #LBF26. John O'Callaghan's set at Luminosity Beach Festival 2026, documenting the festival's continued modern-revival run.
- - Above & Beyond: Live from EDC Las Vegas 2026 (Official Full Set). Above & Beyond's official full set from EDC Las Vegas 2026.
- - Armin van Buuren live at A State of Trance 2026 (Saturday | Area 1). Armin van Buuren's set at the A State of Trance 2026 festival.
- - Armin van Buuren - 25 Years Celebration Set live at A State of Trance 2026. Armin van Buuren's 25 Years Celebration set at A State of Trance 2026, marking ASOT's quarter-century anniversary.
- - Armin van Buuren live at A State of Trance Vietnam 2026. Armin van Buuren's set at A State of Trance Vietnam 2026, showing the franchise's continued global expansion.
- - Aly & Fila live at A State of Trance 2026 (Friday | Area 2). Aly & Fila's set at the A State of Trance 2026 festival.
- - Armin van Buuren F2F John Summit live at A State of Trance Poland 2026. Armin van Buuren face-to-face with house DJ John Summit at A State of Trance Poland 2026, a genre-crossing booking.
- - Grum | Live From London 2026. Grum's live set from London 2026, part of Anjunabeats' current touring output.
- - David Forbes live at A State of Trance 2026 (Saturday | Area 2). David Forbes' set at the A State of Trance 2026 festival.
- - Armin van Buuren WE1 | Tomorrowland 2026. Armin van Buuren's mainstage set at Tomorrowland 2026.
- - Andrew Rayel Live at EDC Las Vegas 2026 (Official Full Set). Andrew Rayel's official full set from EDC Las Vegas 2026.
- - Armin van Buuren live at EDC Las Vegas 2026. Armin van Buuren's set at EDC Las Vegas 2026.
- - SUPERSTRINGS LIVE AT ULTRA MIAMI 2026 (ASOT WORLDWIDE STAGE). Superstrings' set at the ASOT Worldwide Stage, Ultra Miami 2026.
- - ARMIN VAN BUUREN LIVE AT ULTRA MIAMI 2026 ASOT WORLDWIDE STAGE. Armin van Buuren's set at the ASOT Worldwide Stage, Ultra Miami 2026.
- - Orjan Nilsen - Live in Sacramento 2026 | Trance | Progressive | House | EDM. Ørjan Nilsen's live set in Sacramento, 2026.
- - Cosmic Gate Live at EDC Las Vegas 2026. Cosmic Gate's set at EDC Las Vegas 2026.
- - Andrew Rayel - Live @ Find Your Harmony 500, Avalon Hollywood, Los Angeles. Andrew Rayel's set marking Find Your Harmony episode 500 at Avalon Hollywood, Los Angeles.
- - Bryan Kearney LIVE @ Dreamstate Sydney 2026. Bryan Kearney's set at Dreamstate Sydney 2026.
- - MaRLo live at A State of Trance 2026 (Saturday | Area 2). MaRLo's set at the A State of Trance 2026 festival.
- - Paul Oakenfold - late 80s UK rave movement first Ibiza residency the Balearic sound and remixing U2. Modern extended interview in which Paul Oakenfold recounts the birth of the Balearic/Ibiza sound and the UK rave movement's roots.
Full text archive: /loreline-text/trance.md
