Where's the escalation in todays trancemusic?

[Guest Kristian]

I just came to wonder where all thoose wonderful trance tracks has gone. Some years ago a full-on mayhem track were created on making the track soft in the beginning and escalating the more the track proceeded. A typical example: Cosmosis - Howling at the moon.

 

This track and all the other similar (which were quite a few thoose days) were explosive guaranteed on feasts when played!

 

Nowadays there seemes to be no direction in the stuff made. There are some squishes and squashes and later the tracks takes a completely different turn starting "the escalation" from zero again. That's not very funny when you're out dancing and want to strive for more, more, more, more, building, building, more intense - chaos!

 

Bring back the old shit again!

[Guest D-Dave]

Yes music was building and building in the good old days.

Why it changed? Well this is what happened FROM MY POINT OF VIEW:

There has been, speaking in BROAD GENERAL TERMS, a change in drugs and a change in the format the music has been played on.

 

First, psytrance IMHO stopped being about psychedelic states of mind in general around 1998, when alcohol entered the scene together with cocaine. The most obvious example in the change of music this stood for would be Juno Reactor. Compare God is God with Beyond the Infinite for instance.

This is merely an example but as I was involved in the scene and met a lot of DJs and producers I could feel the difference. A few years earlier all the DJs were tripping on the parties, together with the dancers, not so anymore. Now people were getting drunk and snorting coke backstage. A lot more egos, bigger events, more stardom, more money.

 

But the most important aspect is that music changed from being played from DAT to CD and vinyl. Why is this?

 

If you DJ from DAT you need strong tracks that stand out by themselves from the beginning to the end and since you cant beatmix unless the tracks have exactly the same bpm.

 

As a musician in the DAT-days you strived to make good building tracks for the DJs that ended abruptly after a climax, with a bang and a crash and then no rhytms. The intro would also be without rhytms so you could fade in the intro during the climax of the first track and then bang the drums stopped and then you´d have the next track starting all over again. (Or you´d fastforward a bit so you started the next track with the beat, but only after the first beat stopped).

 

Now with CD and vinyl you can mix the tracks and its a lot more about mixing so the track doesnt have to have a climax, it can be strong in the middle and then you mix another track in. I dislike when the mixing is the most important, its like in techno or house.

 

So, I think what happened was a change of intentions. Why the music was made and under what circumstances and how it was played.

 

And lets not forget there was this progression from night to morning in the parties earlier as well. A thought behind which I rarely find these days.

 

I also agree that there is hardly no direction in the music anymore.

 

There are exceptions though.

[Guest Slidingtrancer]

I disagree to the whole point

 

Psycraft-Muse for instance has a climaxing build-up ( two even) and in some way most of Fractals songs have the long climax you mean...

[Basilisk]

alcohol sure seems to have played a big part in lowering the energy levels, but there'll always be pockets of people craving the maximal sounds despite what the trend-setters will have you believe...

 

if you're a vinyl buyer, be sure to check out the new CHI-A.D. 12"! both tracks from the record are full on & melodic like they used to be... the music certainly isn't made for cookie cutter dj mixing!! its something for any time of the day or night to ignite some smiles on anyone listening... hopefully the records will be in the online stores soon.. until then you can contact me for purchasing info...! peaze

[Guest --==1400MiLeS==--]

Its there but you may have to dig deeper for it...

 

Its not Pleiadians-Maia persee but still ultra melodic and very twisted(not as chaotic as most Finnish stuff). Some track names:

 

TeaChairs-Chillingham Cheese(triple album coming according to the rumours)

James Reipas-Midnight Jenkka (album: this is not in fashion)

Benza-Just ask the Axis(new album coming)

Weird Alchemy-Mother Funker and Rave Now(album: self titled, my pick for best of 2002)

Tapla - Halashari and Mandragor(album: VA-Vibraspirit23)

 

I agree that it are tough times if you dislike progressive house/minimal/techtrance on the one hand and the GMS clones on the other hand (about 90% of psytrance nowadays) but there is a lot of that 10% that is still worth it...

[Guest --==1400MiLeS==--]

Its there but you may have to dig deeper for it...

 

Its not Pleiadians-Maia persee but still ultra melodic and very twisted(not as chaotic as most Finnish stuff). Some track names:

 

TeaChairs-Chillingham Cheese(triple album coming according to the rumours)

James Reipas-Midnight Jenkka (album: this is not in fashion)

Benza-Just ask the Axis(new album coming)

Weird Alchemy-Mother Funker and Rave Now(album: self titled, my pick for best of 2002)

Tapla - Halashari and Mandragor(album: VA-Vibraspirit23)

 

I agree that it are tough times if you dislike progressive house/minimal/techtrance on the one hand and the GMS clones on the other hand (about 90% of psytrance nowadays) but there is a lot of that 10% that is still worth it...

[Guest D-Dave]

No way Slidingtrancer, Psycraft is not even close to old skool madness!

Psycraft - Muse is a very soft track and it is building a bit but it doesnt end in anything close to a climax. Its not explosive at all.

 

Compare this to Brain - Special Go Man, Psyko Disko - Nobody, Snake Thing - Shango, The Visitors - Tiny Little Engines, uh I guess most australian madness does the trick.

 

Fractals? If you mean Fractal Glider he´s doing a good job and captures the good old feeling.

 

I´ll check out the rest of the stuff mentioned cause Im really interested in hearing building stuff too.

[Guest Slidingtrancer]

I think Psycraft does have one big buildup climax in that song, maybe you should take the bananas out of your ears. Maybe it's not the 'pleiadians'-build-up you are waiting for. There is stuff out there that evolves into a complete climax though...

 

Wizzy Noise- Master of Disaster

 

 

As to Psycraft-Muse, check out this line from Kristian: "Some years ago a full-on mayhem track were created on making the track soft in the beginning and escalating the more the track proceeded".

 

Fractal Glider still does it, Fractal Glider- Skanda's Tail.

 

Somewhat older Toi Doi -Nuage D'Encens

[Guest Slidingtrancer]

I think Psycraft does have one big bars. Maybe it's not the 'pleiadians'-build-up you are waiting for. There is stuff out there that evolves into a complete climax though...

 

Wizzy Noise- Master of Disaster

 

 

As to Psycraft-Muse, check out this line from Kristian: "Some years ago a full-on mayhem track were created on making the track soft in the beginning and escalating the more the track proceeded".

 

Fractal Glider still does it, Fractal Glider- Skanda's Tail.

 

Somewhat older Toi Doi -Nuage D'Encensuildup climax in that song, maybe you should take the bananas out of your e

[Guest Slidingtrancer]

I think Psycraft does have one big climax (escalation). Maybe it's not the 'pleiadians'-build-up you are waiting for. There is stuff out there that evolves into a complete climax though...

 

Wizzy Noise- Master of Disaster

 

 

As to Psycraft-Muse, check out this line from Kristian: "Some years ago a full-on mayhem track were created on making the track soft in the beginning and escalating the more the track proceeded". I think the song quite follows that line.

 

Fractal Glider still does it, Fractal Glider- Skanda's Tail.

 

Somewhat older Toi Doi -Nuage D'Encensuildup climax in that song, maybe you should take the bananas out of your ears ;)

[Guest Slidingtrancer]

I think Psycraft does have one big climax (escalation). Maybe it's not the 'pleiadians'-build-up you are waiting for. There is stuff out there that evolves into a complete climax though...

 

Wizzy Noise- Master of Disaster

 

 

As to Psycraft-Muse, check out this line from Kristian: "Some years ago a full-on mayhem track were created on making the track soft in the beginning and escalating the more the track proceeded". I think the song quite follows that line.

 

Fractal Glider still does it, Fractal Glider- Skanda's Tail.

 

Somewhat older Toi Doi -Nuage D'Encensuildup climax in that song, maybe you should take the bananas out of your ears ;)

[Guest D-Dave]

"As to Psycraft-Muse, check out this line from Kristian: "Some years ago a full-on mayhem track were created on making the track soft in the beginning and escalating the more the track proceeded". I think the song quite follows that line."

 

Eh, yes, its soft in the beginning, but not very dramatic in the end.

Where´s the mayhem? There is none! Not compared to the tracks I listed. Its not a matter of taste here hehehe, those (australian) tracks simply sound a lot more than Muse, go listen for yourself. They ARE stronger moahaha.

 

Bananas in my ears? Maybe. How would I know? ;p

[Guest Slidingtrancer]

And what about Wizzy Noise and Toi Doi. It seems we differ about Psycraft, but then again when you keep saying that with bananapierced ears....

 

anyway, listen to the wizzy track...

[Guest Slidingtrancer]

And what about Wizzy Noise and Toi Doi. It seems we differ about Psycraft, but then again when you keep saying that with bananapierced ears....

 

anyway, listen to the wizzy track...

[Guest Sli]

And what about Wizzy Noise and Toi Doi. It seems we differ about Psycraft, but then again when you keep saying that with bananapierced ears....

 

anyway, listen to the wizzy track...

[Guest Slidingtrancer]

I hate this Multiple Personality Syndrome

[Guest nomatrixx]

the only way is to make the music you like

[Guest Kristian]

Thanks for all the feedback!

 

I mostly symphatise and agree with D-Dave!

 

Cosmosis: Howling at the moon is at ANOTHER MUCH HIGHER level compared to todays shit trance, just listen to it, LOUD!

 

Ok, Toï Doï: Updays is great but Wizzy noise or Psycraft... C'mon!

 

Fractal Glider is ok, but -HELLO- why using the same basssequence in every track -boring-!

 

And why does all theese artists use the same synthsounds theese days? Is it the Nord Modular??

 

NO! We need more highpitched, 20+ synths and 140+ BPM! That's the way! Just as in the good old days.

[5-HT2]

I've gotta agree with Kristian and D-Dave on this one.

Now, I think a lot of escalation has to do with melodies, in that they are not present at the beginning and then slowly build and grow more complex until the end of the track is an orgasmic climax where you can't stop dancing even if you want to. Of course, it is definitely possible to have escalation without melodies, but it is harder IMO (of course I'm not a producer so I wouldn't know).

One problem is that a lot of people think twisted acid melodies are a thing of the past This is NOT true. Just because somebody puts extended melodies in their music does not mean they are stuck in 1996 or whores to cheesy clubby progressive trance. It's all about making new types of melodies that aren't AP/Hallucinogen/Cosmosis/IM ripoffs

Don't get me wrong, the GMS-style shit is good for dancing, but it gets boring pretty fast, and its not that good for listening outside of the dancefloor. Most of the progressive-style shit is simply not psychedelic enough for my tastes, with some exceptions (Human Blue for example).

What we need right now is for melodic trance to transcend its Goa roots while at the same time integrating them into a larger more varied musical picture.

[5-HT2]

I've gotta agree with Kristian and D-Dave on this one.

Now, I think a lot of escalation has to do with melodies, in that they are not present at the beginning and then slowly build and grow more complex until the end of the track is an orgasmic climax where you can't stop dancing even if you want to. Of course, it is definitely possible to have escalation without melodies, but it is harder IMO (of course I'm not a producer so I wouldn't know).

One problem is that a lot of people think twisted acid melodies are a thing of the past This is NOT true. Just because somebody puts extended melodies in their music does not mean they are stuck in 1996 or whores to cheesy clubby progressive trance. It's all about making new types of melodies that aren't AP/Hallucinogen/Cosmosis/IM ripoffs

Don't get me wrong, the GMS-style shit is good for dancing, but it gets boring pretty fast, and its not that good for listening outside of the dancefloor. Most of the progressive-style shit is simply not psychedelic enough for my tastes, with some exceptions (Human Blue for example).

What we need right now is for melodic trance to transcend its Goa roots while at the same time integrating them into a larger more varied musical picture.

[5-HT2]

I've gotta agree with Kristian and D-Dave on this one.

Now, I think a lot of escalation has to do with melodies, in that they are not present at the beginning and then slowly build and grow more complex until the end of the track is an orgasmic climax where you can't stop dancing even if you want to. Of course, it is definitely possible to have escalation without melodies, but it is harder IMO (of course I'm not a producer so I wouldn't know).

One problem is that a lot of people think twisted acid melodies are a thing of the past This is NOT true. Just because somebody puts extended melodies in their music does not mean they are stuck in 1996 or whores to cheesy clubby progressive trance. It's all about making new types of melodies that aren't AP/Hallucinogen/Cosmosis/IM ripoffs

Don't get me wrong, the GMS-style shit is good for dancing, but it gets boring pretty fast, and its not that good for listening outside of the dancefloor. Most of the progressive-style shit is simply not psychedelic enough for my tastes, with some exceptions (Human Blue for example).

What we need right now is for melodic trance to transcend its Goa roots while at the same time integrating them into a larger more varied musical picture.