10 TRANCE MAINSTAYS
There are a range of elements that might be best described as ‘trance tropes’. These are not essential to all trance tracks, but have come to be known as signifiers of the genre. Here are the main ones…
01 SUPERSAW SYNTHS
At this point, the supersaw synth is probably the single most recognisable sound of trance, dominating everything from psytrance to EDM. The Roland JP-8000’s supersaw sound is the granddaddy of them all, essentially an attempt to replicate the fuzzy, thick sound of seven sawtooth oscillators detuned against each other. The sound quickly became a staple of dance music generally, but trance producers adopted it as a mainstay, using it for pads, leads and even bass. The original point of the supersaw was to achieve something that would be difficult on a true analogue synth (you’d need dozens of oscillators to play a truly analogue supersaw pad). Nowadays, in software, that’s not a problem; most synths can do multi-oscillator supersaw-style sounds, whether via a dedicated supersaw oscillator or an oscillator detune/ unison option. The closest thing to the 90s virtual analogue original comes in u-he’s Diva, courtesy of the digital oscillator, modelled on the original Roland sound.
02 BUILD-UP/ BREAKDOWN
Speaking of the arrangement, trance is all about the slow build and sudden breakdown. It’s a common formula across plenty of other genres, but trance does it better than anyone. Some subgenres emphasise the drop, where the reintroduction of a heavy kick drum and bassline is the focal point, but in other styles it’s almost the exact opposite, with the hands-in-the-air breakdown being the key moment, and the reintroduction of other elements being downplayed by comparison. Ebb and flow, tension and release: trance celebrates the contrast.
03 PADS AND CHORDS
Minor key progressions and synth pads are the bedrock of trance’s epic sound. Although plenty of trance tracks could be described as two-chord wonders, there’s also room to get a lot more complex than you typically might in house or techno, with constantly changing chords, contrasting verse and chorus sections. But you shouldn’t be scared to experiment, even if you’re not extremely clued up on music theory. Anything goes.
04 TRANCE DRUM RUDIMENTS
The 909 is a staple of trance, thanks to the genre’s late 80s/early 90s roots. A simple four-to-the-floor kick and offbeat hats will get you started, but long snare rolls are also common. 16th- or 32ndnote rolls are good but will sound robotic without some variation in velocity and/or pitch, so try building up or emphasising beats to avoid a machine gun effect. Once you’ve cracked the technique with a 909 snare, experiment with layered acoustic hits, other drum machines and even white noise.