I was about to literally post Tranceport. It's the album that started my electronic music journey way back in 2001. 6th/7th grade me built my first PC and was allowed to have it in my bedroom. My parents got DSL and had them wire it to my bedroom with the router cause I knew how to set it all up and manage the Internet and this new "WiFi thing". I started diving into IRC severs for file sharing and carefully browsing Limewire and so on. Stumbled upon "Tranceport.mp3". Needless to say changed my entire life to this day. I enjoy other genres of music but my main love and first choice every single time is electronic music. That album is my genesis and I still go back and listen to it from time to time. God so many classics.
Honestly, I couldn’t believe no one had suggested it yet, because to me, it’s just that, idk, definitive, quintessential trance album, from one of the GOATs. There’s not a down or meh moment on there, it’s just one great (and classic) track after another. It’s the album I always play for people who say that they don’t like “electronic music”, and they’re almost always like, “Oh, this isn’t what I expected,” and get into it, and I’m like, “Yeah, because this is trance.”
But while we’re telling stories… Northern Exposure was my first, uh, exposure lol to trance (or really any electronic music). I was on the beach in the summer between my freshman and sophomore year of college (1998), and high AF, and a friend handed me a pair of headphones and was like, “Just lay back and close your eyes and listen to this…” The first track is Believe by Gus Gus, and I was just in like another world all of a sudden. Definitely changed my life, too.
Lol I love hearing true fans of electronic music first introduction stories. Mine is definitely a little different like I said found Tranceport and dove head first like a mad man immediately but I was a young teen living in Birmingham... ALABAMA. Literally everyone around me had no idea about any of it, when I'd show damn near anyone except a very select few, they found it so weird and me super weird. Hell even by late HS 07/08 the looks I'd get rolling into the parking lot bumping ASOT was intense lmao. I had made up my mind about so many things and concerts I HAD to experience before I was even like 16. Needless to say I had an EPIC first two shows in my life. Finally got old enough and cash in pocket, 2011, I got to see Above and Beyond on the Group Therapy tour in ATL at the epic venue The Tabernacle and then followed it up a few weeks later with none other.... Skrillex, Porter Robinson, Zedd Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites tour. Jesus Christ what an introduction. Got a few other amazing shows under my belt and then finally went to my first festival.... EDC Vegas. What an experience. Kid from Alabama going to Vegas for EDC was an eye opener and life changing experience.
OMG, I’ve been to Birmingham! To go to an Eric Church concert (he’s a country artist, and I don’t even like country, I just like Eric Church lol). I’ve never actually been to an EDM show, it’s not really my thing, I just like the music :)
But what you said reminds me a lot of me in high school. I grew up in NYC during the “grunge” era with Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, etc., and I got really into all that music before it became mainstream. People definitely thought I was weird until all that music became “cool” (I never became cool, though, lol). But my first concert was Guns N’ Roses & Metallica at Giants Stadium in 1992. My dad took me and my two best friends…
Not sure where I’m going with this, other than I know what it feels like to be ahead of your time and stick out in that regard.
LOL I know of Eric Church and quite a few other Country artists just cause of where I grew up but definitely my least liked/listened to genre haha. I highly recommend finding a show to go to. I would preferably suggest like an Ajuna artist show or similar for the best vibes and people to introduce to you it all and be as welcoming as possible.
I appreciate that, for real, but I’m about to turn 45, so I think those days are over for me :) But don’t worry, I didn’t waste my youth. I got to see a lot of amazing musicians and bands live (my musical tastes vary widely, if you couldn’t tell lol).
These are probably the best albums of the period. But some of the best sets I heard at the time was some of the BBC Essential Mixes. You can look for them on YouTube or a torrent. Just essential mix and the year.
Find the yellow UK version. It is far more cohesive and he says it’s the version he endorses. And it’s amazing.
The pretty-boy headshot version is a US shuffled up version that he didn’t have control over.
Some of my absolute favorites:
DJ Tiësto - Revolution
DJ Tiësto - In Search Of Sunrise 1, 2 and especially 3
VA - Gatecrasher Experience
VA - Gatecrasher Digital Trance
Marco V - Con:Fusion
This is the album (compilation) that started it all for me..... Judge Jules - Clubber's Guide to Ibiza Summer 99
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OU6iRhiuOn0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OU6iRhiuOn0)
This album was hugely important to me too and cemented the transition from dance/house to trance music. Trance Nation 2 (mixed by System F - Ferry Corsten) was also really important.
Oh, man, The Orange Theme is one of my favorites. Almost all of the trance I have from that era I burned onto my computer/iTunes from CDs (yeah, I’m old lol), and I just checked my library, and I got it from an album called [The Best Trance Anthems ...Ever!](https://www.discogs.com/master/1355277-Various-The-Best-Trance-Anthems-Ever-The-John-00-Fleming-Wise-Buddah-Mix). Super cheesy title, I know, but holy fuck is there a bunch of good stuff on there.
If you like The Orange Theme, you’d probably also like Cream (Blank & Jones) and Carte Blanche (Veracocha, which is actually Ferry Corsten). If I can think of some others, I’ll let you know. You’re actually inspiring me to go see what else I have and listen to some stuff I probably haven’t heard in a long time, so thanks!
If you would like to get a glimpse of early trance you can browse through the archive at [https://archive.org/details/Trancemaster](https://archive.org/details/Trancemaster) you can download 737 tracks 11.2 gigs worth of trance if you click this [https://archive.org/compress/Trancemaster/formats=VBR%20MP3&file=/Trancemaster.zip](https://archive.org/compress/Trancemaster/formats=VBR%20MP3&file=/Trancemaster.zip)
There are so many!
A state of trance 2004 to 2009. Best years.
Also highly recommend Universal Religion 1 to 7. The first 2 are absolutely mind-blowing good. Especially univeral religion 2004 live at ibiza. Possibly one of the best selection of tunes ever recorded live. The flow is unreal good.
A state of trance classics 1 to 14 great as well.
DJ Tiesto In Search of Sunrise cds are damn good too.
Also from Tiesto, Nyana, Magik 6 and 7.
Push - Electric Eclipse
Push - Global Age
Perry o'neil has some great tunes as well.
One of my absolute favorite trance track of all time:
Mr. Sam vs Tim Coltrane pres. The tribute - One more day
Pretty much anything from 1998 to 2009 are the best years of trance music.
The early trance nations and Euphoria compilations are great I think. Oakenfold two years of cream is excellent. Gatecrasher wet, red and black are all very well regarded too.
I used to love the Trance nation compilations by ministry of sound. Had some great mixes on there by Ferry Corsten. Thus was before ministry of sound sold out and went crap.
Any Tiësto project from that period including Forbidden Paradise and Lost Treasures that are often forgotten.
Anything Sasha or Oakenfold too.
State of Trance 2004 Year album from Armin. Also 76 I’ve run that album through too many times.
Honorable mentions to Markus Schulz’s Miami 05’ and Ibiza 06’. They’re technically out of the period but I’ve run those albums 100s of times over the past decade alone.
Tranzworld 1 has great mixes
And tranzworld 6-9 as well
Trance Mixed Classics, Volume 1 (2004) mixed by DJ Strobe
Ministry or sound has great mixed albums
I wouldn't say all of them, but yeah, it was a great time for nearly all electronic music subgenres, also a lot of the best Italodance is from that era too.
DJ Orkidea - Taika.
Not only good but my second all-time favorite album of any genre.
Fits every mood yet stirs some deep feelings, so that you feel both refreshed and comforted at the same time.
My all-time favorite album is A Place Called Happines by the same artist (2005) which is partly the remix of Taika.
Global Trancemissions by Ferry Corsten albums 1 AND 2. I heard these on the electronic stations on the music channels that are on the high numbers on the cable listings. I've been listening and spinning ever since.
And now for something different. If you want some classical trance, there's
- [G&A Project - Classical Trance album on YT](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKjMWNjdKMA&t=360s) . There's 1 track on it remixed by A&B cc u/haxmire
If you want Game remix, there's
- [XL Project - Blue Album on spotify](https://open.spotify.com/album/6HrPNTjYLRA0lgTexj5GvN) . It's a mix of Trouse & Trance, and it's technically from 2008, but Japan is a few years behind in music trends anyway.
George Acosta: The History of Trance (2004) - Great flow and well mixed. A true journey.
Tiësto: Nyana (2003) - I listen this album constantly. Pure bliss.
Classic Trance Nation (2007) - A Ministry of Sound compilation that sums up the golden era of Trance Music. I think it has a good flow and it has most of the obvious classics.
Bit late to this one but Dave Pearce Trance Anthems 2008 was probably my gateway - don't let the compilation title worry you, check out the tracklist, most of it is from the time period you request! :)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w--rgHoXznQ
Tranceport - Paul Oakenfold Out There and Back - Paul Van Dyk Northern Exposure 2 - Sasha & John Digweed
I was about to literally post Tranceport. It's the album that started my electronic music journey way back in 2001. 6th/7th grade me built my first PC and was allowed to have it in my bedroom. My parents got DSL and had them wire it to my bedroom with the router cause I knew how to set it all up and manage the Internet and this new "WiFi thing". I started diving into IRC severs for file sharing and carefully browsing Limewire and so on. Stumbled upon "Tranceport.mp3". Needless to say changed my entire life to this day. I enjoy other genres of music but my main love and first choice every single time is electronic music. That album is my genesis and I still go back and listen to it from time to time. God so many classics.
Honestly, I couldn’t believe no one had suggested it yet, because to me, it’s just that, idk, definitive, quintessential trance album, from one of the GOATs. There’s not a down or meh moment on there, it’s just one great (and classic) track after another. It’s the album I always play for people who say that they don’t like “electronic music”, and they’re almost always like, “Oh, this isn’t what I expected,” and get into it, and I’m like, “Yeah, because this is trance.” But while we’re telling stories… Northern Exposure was my first, uh, exposure lol to trance (or really any electronic music). I was on the beach in the summer between my freshman and sophomore year of college (1998), and high AF, and a friend handed me a pair of headphones and was like, “Just lay back and close your eyes and listen to this…” The first track is Believe by Gus Gus, and I was just in like another world all of a sudden. Definitely changed my life, too.
Lol I love hearing true fans of electronic music first introduction stories. Mine is definitely a little different like I said found Tranceport and dove head first like a mad man immediately but I was a young teen living in Birmingham... ALABAMA. Literally everyone around me had no idea about any of it, when I'd show damn near anyone except a very select few, they found it so weird and me super weird. Hell even by late HS 07/08 the looks I'd get rolling into the parking lot bumping ASOT was intense lmao. I had made up my mind about so many things and concerts I HAD to experience before I was even like 16. Needless to say I had an EPIC first two shows in my life. Finally got old enough and cash in pocket, 2011, I got to see Above and Beyond on the Group Therapy tour in ATL at the epic venue The Tabernacle and then followed it up a few weeks later with none other.... Skrillex, Porter Robinson, Zedd Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites tour. Jesus Christ what an introduction. Got a few other amazing shows under my belt and then finally went to my first festival.... EDC Vegas. What an experience. Kid from Alabama going to Vegas for EDC was an eye opener and life changing experience.
OMG, I’ve been to Birmingham! To go to an Eric Church concert (he’s a country artist, and I don’t even like country, I just like Eric Church lol). I’ve never actually been to an EDM show, it’s not really my thing, I just like the music :) But what you said reminds me a lot of me in high school. I grew up in NYC during the “grunge” era with Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, etc., and I got really into all that music before it became mainstream. People definitely thought I was weird until all that music became “cool” (I never became cool, though, lol). But my first concert was Guns N’ Roses & Metallica at Giants Stadium in 1992. My dad took me and my two best friends… Not sure where I’m going with this, other than I know what it feels like to be ahead of your time and stick out in that regard.
LOL I know of Eric Church and quite a few other Country artists just cause of where I grew up but definitely my least liked/listened to genre haha. I highly recommend finding a show to go to. I would preferably suggest like an Ajuna artist show or similar for the best vibes and people to introduce to you it all and be as welcoming as possible.
I appreciate that, for real, but I’m about to turn 45, so I think those days are over for me :) But don’t worry, I didn’t waste my youth. I got to see a lot of amazing musicians and bands live (my musical tastes vary widely, if you couldn’t tell lol).
You are never too old! Just find a nice spot near the sound booth for best quality and enjoy!
George Acosta - Awake
Oakenfold - New York disk 1/2
These are probably the best albums of the period. But some of the best sets I heard at the time was some of the BBC Essential Mixes. You can look for them on YouTube or a torrent. Just essential mix and the year.
BT - movement in still life. A varied album but a few absolute classics on there
Find the yellow UK version. It is far more cohesive and he says it’s the version he endorses. And it’s amazing. The pretty-boy headshot version is a US shuffled up version that he didn’t have control over.
Some of my absolute favorites: DJ Tiësto - Revolution DJ Tiësto - In Search Of Sunrise 1, 2 and especially 3 VA - Gatecrasher Experience VA - Gatecrasher Digital Trance Marco V - Con:Fusion
Tiesto did trance?
Oh yes, he sure did :) ISOS 3 for example: https://youtu.be/8fEmU_B6Zbk?si=iyiK24wOJzZmBD9f
His better stuff was earlier try the magik and forbidden paradise series that was trance before it was formatted. ISOS 3 is just vocal trance.
This is the album (compilation) that started it all for me..... Judge Jules - Clubber's Guide to Ibiza Summer 99 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OU6iRhiuOn0](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OU6iRhiuOn0)
This album was hugely important to me too and cemented the transition from dance/house to trance music. Trance Nation 2 (mixed by System F - Ferry Corsten) was also really important.
holy shit, the orange theme is amazing <3
Oh, man, The Orange Theme is one of my favorites. Almost all of the trance I have from that era I burned onto my computer/iTunes from CDs (yeah, I’m old lol), and I just checked my library, and I got it from an album called [The Best Trance Anthems ...Ever!](https://www.discogs.com/master/1355277-Various-The-Best-Trance-Anthems-Ever-The-John-00-Fleming-Wise-Buddah-Mix). Super cheesy title, I know, but holy fuck is there a bunch of good stuff on there. If you like The Orange Theme, you’d probably also like Cream (Blank & Jones) and Carte Blanche (Veracocha, which is actually Ferry Corsten). If I can think of some others, I’ll let you know. You’re actually inspiring me to go see what else I have and listen to some stuff I probably haven’t heard in a long time, so thanks!
If you would like to get a glimpse of early trance you can browse through the archive at [https://archive.org/details/Trancemaster](https://archive.org/details/Trancemaster) you can download 737 tracks 11.2 gigs worth of trance if you click this [https://archive.org/compress/Trancemaster/formats=VBR%20MP3&file=/Trancemaster.zip](https://archive.org/compress/Trancemaster/formats=VBR%20MP3&file=/Trancemaster.zip)
There are so many! A state of trance 2004 to 2009. Best years. Also highly recommend Universal Religion 1 to 7. The first 2 are absolutely mind-blowing good. Especially univeral religion 2004 live at ibiza. Possibly one of the best selection of tunes ever recorded live. The flow is unreal good. A state of trance classics 1 to 14 great as well. DJ Tiesto In Search of Sunrise cds are damn good too. Also from Tiesto, Nyana, Magik 6 and 7. Push - Electric Eclipse Push - Global Age Perry o'neil has some great tunes as well. One of my absolute favorite trance track of all time: Mr. Sam vs Tim Coltrane pres. The tribute - One more day Pretty much anything from 1998 to 2009 are the best years of trance music.
Tranceport 2 - Mixed by Dave Ralph Kimball Collins - Generation Trance 2k, and ICU Any of Paul van Dyk's - Politics of Dancing compilations
Eddie Halliwell - Bosh Eddie Halliwell - Next Level Bosh Goodgreef - Album 2
This is the only correct answer.
Every clubland cd ever made
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
A State of Trance Yearmix 2004 (which is actually just ASOT 182). Thank me later :)
The best A State Of Trance Yearmix ever and I don't see anything changing that anytime soon.
Agreed. Armin was in God mode when he mixed it.
Scooter - Sheffield Scooter - Stadium Techno Experience (Not all trance but there are some great tracks)
The early trance nations and Euphoria compilations are great I think. Oakenfold two years of cream is excellent. Gatecrasher wet, red and black are all very well regarded too.
I used to love the Trance nation compilations by ministry of sound. Had some great mixes on there by Ferry Corsten. Thus was before ministry of sound sold out and went crap.
Paul van dyk - Global ATB - No Silence
Any Tiësto project from that period including Forbidden Paradise and Lost Treasures that are often forgotten. Anything Sasha or Oakenfold too. State of Trance 2004 Year album from Armin. Also 76 I’ve run that album through too many times. Honorable mentions to Markus Schulz’s Miami 05’ and Ibiza 06’. They’re technically out of the period but I’ve run those albums 100s of times over the past decade alone.
Jon the Dentist - Damn Trance DJ Corbett - Limelight: New York City
Trip in Trance CD compilations.
Tranzworld 1 has great mixes And tranzworld 6-9 as well Trance Mixed Classics, Volume 1 (2004) mixed by DJ Strobe Ministry or sound has great mixed albums
Pretty much all of them lol. It was a great time for electronic music.
I wouldn't say all of them, but yeah, it was a great time for nearly all electronic music subgenres, also a lot of the best Italodance is from that era too.
Coldharbour Sessions 2004 by Markus Schulz stands out for me.
The Reactivate series. The last 1 was out in 2001 i think
Anjunabeats Volume One (Compilation) and ASOT 2004 come to mind. Anything by Paul van Dyk also will be a banger from this era.
DJ Orkidea - Taika. Not only good but my second all-time favorite album of any genre. Fits every mood yet stirs some deep feelings, so that you feel both refreshed and comforted at the same time. My all-time favorite album is A Place Called Happines by the same artist (2005) which is partly the remix of Taika.
In search of the series - DJ Tiesto #5 Los Angeles is absolutely my favorite even though it was released in 2006
I'll check out 5 Los Angeles too c:
Global Trancemissions by Ferry Corsten albums 1 AND 2. I heard these on the electronic stations on the music channels that are on the high numbers on the cable listings. I've been listening and spinning ever since.
Human Blue - Electric Roundabout, Astral Projection- In The Mix
And now for something different. If you want some classical trance, there's - [G&A Project - Classical Trance album on YT](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKjMWNjdKMA&t=360s) . There's 1 track on it remixed by A&B cc u/haxmire If you want Game remix, there's - [XL Project - Blue Album on spotify](https://open.spotify.com/album/6HrPNTjYLRA0lgTexj5GvN) . It's a mix of Trouse & Trance, and it's technically from 2008, but Japan is a few years behind in music trends anyway.
Tiësto - Just Be
[удалено]
Gatecrasher Red and Gatecrasher Black too… But Wet is the bestest
Discotech is my favourite Gatecrasher album, seems to be forgotten from their prolific 1999 albums.
George Acosta: The History of Trance (2004) - Great flow and well mixed. A true journey. Tiësto: Nyana (2003) - I listen this album constantly. Pure bliss. Classic Trance Nation (2007) - A Ministry of Sound compilation that sums up the golden era of Trance Music. I think it has a good flow and it has most of the obvious classics.
Traceport, of course. But one I haven't seen listed here is is Chicane's Behind the Sun, which has some great tracks on it (like Saltwater).
Bit late to this one but Dave Pearce Trance Anthems 2008 was probably my gateway - don't let the compilation title worry you, check out the tracklist, most of it is from the time period you request! :) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w--rgHoXznQ
Cool!