At the End

Bloging is an art which is for sharing thoughts on certain topic chosen by the blogger. I felt that I was communicating to people, who have the same interests about or people who want to know about the music.

Writing blog posts each week have been a pleasure and thought provoking experience. I was obligated to focus a thought each week about trance, but it became harder and harder to post different thought each week. Since the blog posts were short and concise in a specific topic; it made me more focus on my writing my essay. I loved my own ideas and own prompts that I had to set for myself.

I did not have wait for my teacher to provide me with a prompt or see examples of blogs in order to get an idea of what to write. I was more relaxed in my blogs than on my essay topic. My experience of blogging offered me an insight of being an author of friction or author of fantasy because they write it from their own thoughts.

Last thing I gained from this experience is to be own my critic and do not wait for others’ opinions on pieces of writing. I got fraction of comments than my classmates, but it didn’t stopped from posting post each week.

Trance Union Limited

The web blog, Azrael, “Trance Revisited”, describes and defines the genre of trance music. Although I agree with some of the author's points about the music, I don't quite agree with the sub genre of the music because of lack of source provided in the post. The values of trance are poorly represented in the post for more experienced listeners of this type of the music. It seems not credible enough to educate people about this kind of music or its sub genres. This post provided a brief history of the music, which lacks examples of the different sub genre of trance.

The post was essentially a beginner’s guide to the wonderful world of trance. It described Trance music and guided the readers who lack knowledge of trance. The post was about different types of trance. It states that trance is made up beats and manipulated tunes. It uses more repetitive lyrics which puts a person in trance-like condition. Trance was formed in Germany in 90s, when deejays mixed other beats with songs. Most of the mixes are high pitched, so the audience can distinguish between the original and mixed songs. The post explains the sub-genre of trance which is acid, progressive, anthem, psychedelic, Goa, and lastly Vocal. The author described a lot of popular deejays such as Paul Van Dyk, John Digweed, Sasha, Ferry Corsten and Dj Tiesco, who are helping the genre gain a wide audience in events. People love trance for their satisfaction of being somebody and gain some kind of symbol of “celebrity” status in a dance floor. The author was a deejay, who has performed locally in his hometown in Philippines for a brief period.

The blog post was about trance music in general and brief history of the music. I kept on pushing myself to read the definition of trance, which was trying to show that people might have a lack of knowledge of music. The real "meat" of the posts starts at second paragraph, when the author describes the formation of the trance.

The initial point of the post was the music itself, which generally is 124 to 160 beats per minute and incorporates repeated synthesized sounds throughout the track. I thought it was not clearly describe author to write because people don't realize the number of beats. Attracting new audience is mostly done by their peers or hot videos. I know lot of people who like trance were first didn’t know until when it was shown to them.

Secondly, the author tried to explain the history of different genre of trance, which are acid, anthem, progressive, Goa, vocal, and Euro. I felt author’s intention of guiding readers through the wilderness of trance was a waste of time, point of trance is to experience it. He didn’t provide musical examples that would have connected with the readers even more. I got stuck with anthem trance because I haven’t really listened to it.

I agree with the foundation of Acid trance that it use classic trance with some refined edgy sound effects. It is closely related to progressive trance, which has even more bass beats and melodic sounds.

I don’t know anthem trance, so I wanted an example of the music. I drifted off the paragraph because he didn’t explain the music. I was hoping to learning about anthem rather than receiving a history lesson. It is wrong for me to call it bad the post that provides a good overview of trance, but it fails on citing it sources for legitimacy. I liked the mention of Goa that was like old school trance music. It is made with energetic thumping drumbeats, rhythm, and loops. I know this music for its most rhythmic beat structure. I thought the Euro and Vocal trance was poorly described due to lack of musical examples. He didn’t really explain the lengthy lyrics and musical beats. It was pointless to read about without the examples.

I thought transition to paragraphs were sloppy, because someone doesn’t put a random statement like “Sadly, the trance scene in the Philippines is dying if not dead.” Azrael should have introduced some concrete statement (in the intro) to lead the paragraph that he is from Philippines. If I were to write “Trance Revisited”, I would write this without places that don’t help the article at all. The use of Philippines doesn’t help the paragraph; instead it confuses reader like me.

He tries to identify the differences between Philippines and Europe’s trance clubs, which I thought was pointless because the post supposed to be all about the trance music. Trance supposed to be incomparable of status of specific place. I think the author is like me because we are both passionate about Trance. Trance should be experience in an open environment which allows audience to embraces it.

The post was not carefully written to provide good example of Trance, rather than just a brief history of the music. I think it is written for author’s personal reflection. I think he didn’t want a large audience to read this post; he didn’t show the music by providing mini sound clips in the post, instead he shows bit of example of the music at the end. Post moved fairly quickly on points that confused me to identify the differences between sub-genres. It had paragraphs that did not try "show" the different types trance while it was trailing through the history. I believe that the post was dry for the brief part of post.

While I agree with most of the post of Azrael, certain parts of the post were not properly sourced or provided with a proper example. The author’s personal experience of the music served a connecting purpose to its target audience. It is kind of an easy read if you are into history lesson of trance; you would like it.

About the Musicians

Trance is supposed to be a genre of music that gains feedback from the live audience. It was kind a created like "American Idol" where the audience participation is important to choose a talent. Reputation of trance Deejays and bands are important because most of them don't have a major record deals or managers.

Most trance musicians get their income from performing live or hosting radio show. I adore this kind of attitude because some of singers of my generation are only for the money and fame; at least my favorite trance musicians try to serve the audience by making sure the participation is strong in the dance floor.

I have a DJ friend, Chris Allen, who regular host his own radio and goes out dick jockeying. He makes about $4,000 a night when he is performing. In his radio show people sends him request and some invites in parties.

Part of the reason trance is interesting because of the unique audience who wants to take part in the music itself. Trance music generally goes on for hours and even days (several deejays take part in events) non stop.

Usages of trance (part 1)

Trance music is used everywhere such as in ads, clubs, radio show, and games. Sometimes the music is blurred to match the mood of target audience. I see lot of promo videos of cars and car prototypes. It seems to me that people have moved with trance and other form music which is sometimes called fusion or europop. Trance has gained popularity in many places across the world because of the local Dick Jockeys and their mixes.
Many full moons back I saw an ad about Citroen C4 to make it more appealing to young car buyers in France and United Kingdom which worked for the company. The ad was about transformation of the Citroen C4. It made the song, Jacques Your Body by Les Rythmes Digitales more popular in social circles and more and more deejays tried to mix the song which in turn made it even longer.
Another ad by Citroen for the same model which used part of song, Walk away by The egg, which was made to attract younger car buyers for the hatchback. It was about transforming C4 which did cool ice stating tricks. Musical usages in the two ads are meant to attract and projects the coolness of the product. It is not a ripoff off the blockbuster movie Transformer, which most Americans covey from the ads.

Experiment and outlook

I felt my post moved away from my personal post which means less meaning to me. I think provided more diverse point of view which I could never distinguished TV show and the music. I didn't knew about steriotypes with trance music. My tone is more positive towards a specific bands and songs. But the spooky blogger was trying to tell about the negative public image of the music.

The blogger was keen on making connection to a popular TV show, Family Guy which had made lot of spoofs about cultural differences between ignorance and arrogance which makes most of impacts. I don't really connect popular cultural beliefs into my blog because I am far too opposed to the idea making a culture look bad.

"I am just trying to keep this good music alive and well. Many people out there have slandered techno as gay and ignored." He did a good job in making example of correcting the wide belief of the genre. The post moved more towards the point of general overview of gaining audience which I have failed too. I never tried to connect the American media about my blog in general.

I will try to connect the music with some from of media which my peers might have heard about or seen it for my next post.

Guest blog: The Trance, Gay bar Stereotype

As you well know from reading my posts I like electronica music mostly trance, among the other types of electronica. It has become aware to me that a homosexual link to techno may exist, in the form of a gay bar stereotype. Many people who make fun of a gay bar say that it plays pulsing repetitious music to dance to like techno or trance. I have seen TV shows and movies that quickly describe a gay bar scene as many men dancing with black leather vests and hats much like the Village People.
The description is followed by vocal sounds like a techno song to imitate the background music of a gay bar. First off I would like to say that I find this music to be psycadelic and pulsing, weather or not it is played more at a gay bar than a regular bar doesn’t mean anything. This type of reference was used in a “Family Guy” episode in a past season, an insult from baby Stewie towards Brian’s gay cousin and “guy” friend.
In closing I am just trying to keep this good music alive and well. Many people out there have slandered techno as gay and ignored. Much like what some people say about disco, is that techno went that way too. I don’t think techno is dead, thanks to bands like Linkin Park, Moby among others who have brought back and in some cases mixed techno better for future generations to hear it.

What’s the Difference?

Trance is like blend of vocal and electronic synthesized music. Most of the music sounds like high pitch of beats like a car horn and thumping of feet in Irish folk dances. It goes in the along pop and rock songs. Rock songs have high pitched vocals with wild beats and if you mix any electronic sounds to make it fit into trance genre.

The Ishkur guide will guide you more about the different type of electronica music. It will teach you about House, Techno, Trance, Breakbeats, Jungle, Hardcore, and Downtempo. I am more of a trance freak, which mean that I know more about trance music.

Most of the music of trance are remixed singles and songs of mainstream artists. It is not like the original music, but a repition of the vocals and some tunes.

Trance Music and “Makers”

Update:Link changed, Link added in pic updated

As know all know I like trance in general but which? Well I love vocal trance which lets me feel more of the rhythm of songs. Many people think that trance is just computer generated electronic sounds. People fail to realize that human voice have much more emotionally appealing feeling to it.

The Land of Living by Milk Inc is by far is my favorite song because of the slow paced trance which breaks the stereotype of trance. It has a message of people who are not caring for one and another. We are forgotten souls who are wandering and doing stuff that are insulting and hurtful.

Let me remind you guys that trance can be bunch of music blended together. It can be blended with rap, rock, jazz, pop etc.

Deejays like Armin Van Buuren, Tiesto, Paul Van Dyk,
ATB and many others have devoted their time and part of their life in effort of making pop music to trance. It's more than music, it's a cult. It is not easily going to fade out of arena. Many of America's best artists are trying to get on trance board like Rihanna, Madonna, and Justin Timberlake.

In Summary, you could be listening to trance but don't know it yet. I think most have heard the music in movies, clubs, bars or parties.

My Favorite group

Update: Link added

I like the Bodies Without Organs, for their originality and vivid use of language in their songs. This group is like ABBA, but more mellow and sociable towards to good causes. I really think they are sensible towards the global causes that are making news.

Bodies Without Organs or BWO formed in Sweden in 2003. Their first song was released in 2004. The group gained much of the platform after the release of their hit single, Let it rain because it was remixed by many deejays.

The social causes Bodies Without Organs does are far greater than any other group in their genre. They are involved in Habitat for Humanity, Make poverty history, WHO, and many other. The causes made me look up to this band. I believe this band is only that is crying to change the world with the music and involvement.

People will be inspired by this group to push for the problems that people in worse condition face. Words that are carefully chosen to make the listeners move towards liberal policies that should be adopted and ideas. Problems that we face today are not affecting us alone but the world. It is not about us but world as whole.

I think they need a wider audience and more concise message of making the music more towards the masses other than with a European perspective. I am really glad that I choose this group as my favorite group. They really deserved it.

Tale of Change

The city Newtonmore, Scotland, It may appear a quite countryside to visitors during daylight but at night it is totally different. I was in Scotland to experience the lifestyle for three months as international exchange student from small suburb of Columbus.

The city is located near River Spey, near Scotland. It is a very small village. All around the city there was same scent which was a mixture of fish and fresh cut of grass. People seemed to be content with their daily life. Locals are obsessed with biking and fishing, it is known for its scenic bike trails and fisheries. I found it to be strange because they looked healthy and fit.

At the beginning, I was ill-minded about whole arrangement of staying in middle of nowhere, but things started to get better when it was night. My host and I family went to a rave-like restaurant because of my dull behavior upon arrival, (I came to see cultural and historic sites, but instead I was stuck in a city where people like fishing and eat English muffin.) where people eat and watch other people dance on the floor. It was interesting to see how the people on the dance floor use the beats of the music to flow smoothly. My impressions of slow village live of the locals started to fade way because they didn’t seemed to care about their slow-paced lifestyle in the rave because they dancing and kicking right and left harmoniously to electronic music.

My first day Scottish school was in school uniform. I haven’t really liked the idea of wearing a uniform to place. I always felt uniforms are to deprive pupils from their individualism and questioned my peers about it. They answered aggressively in favor of uniforms. One of my classmates asked me about my home country and my adopted country music. I replied that my home country is pretty much in sync with each other, like any other countries in the world. I thought she thought that I was an arrogant and ignorant fellow. She addressed her opinion kindly with her CD of Armin van Buuren. I haven’t heard anything like it until that day. I immediately apologized for my ignorant behavior.

I opened my eyes completely after the brief chat with that girl. I still think music is the same. I guess you have to be open minded when you experience different parts of the world. Scottish school had one thing in common; they didn’t allow students to come in late but they allow the students to listen to music in liberal arts classes. In Upper Arlington, music players were banned or confiscated. The tiny things are a sense of democratic behavior in school with two tiny classrooms then multiple classrooms with communistic teachers and administrators.

My perspective of the culture of Scotland was guys in kilts and long sleeves and girls in blouse and tunics. Well, it was a wrong assumption on my behalf. People live enjoying their jobs and lifestyle. They go on fishing trips together and have a specific task. Music is the most cherished thing to them. My host sister took me to a rave during school nights where I saw lot of people from school. From that point I decided to mingle with the people and the end isolation. I enjoyed the music too; it was mix of beats and vocals which was totally a different experience.

Music and dance rave in Scotland taught me to live with an open mind. Technically, electronic music was a mix of many which I wanted to know from the experience. I gained a new perspective and friends as well as a family. Music made the dull life of Newtonmore much easier to handle. I learned that I can’t be a one man island which draws a wall between the people who I wanted to know.

After nine weeks that I spent in an isolated society near the river Spey came to an end but did not ended my relationship with my host family. The night before, my departure to Columbus, my hosts executed a really good farewell dinner honoring me. I was packing my bags and harmonica when my host mom called me downstairs to eat, but little did I know it was a surprise. I chuckled and was amazed at my friends who made me one of them. It was the moment that I first cried in Scotland.

As I write this reflection of my metamorphosis that changed me for the best, it feels I am missing something in Ohio right now. This made me search my attic for the faded memory into my present. I contracted my host family only twice after coming to Columbus and this piece made me do it again. On a note, they still remember me and we share some bi-weekly updates of our lives.

what is trance means to me?

Trance is somewhat well known to people around the world. Fans are frequently hosting parties across the world. Trance music is produced with high tempo beats and stretchy background noises. Synthesizers are mainly used in making the effects of the music. Beats are much faster than other genre of music.
I think the music moves you emotionally and physically. As many people know me as a trance freak. As trance freak, I feel greatly feel the music releaving my stress from work and school. I was hooked on this music, when I went to live in Scotland as foreign exchange student from Upper Arlington High shool in 2006. I did not even know any types of music existed other than American mainstream music in the west.
Trance was introduced to me by friend named Mia. She was totally into the music. She had collected some cds of her trance artists. I loved her collection which was sort of rock and puck fused together. It is truly international because it blends all music from around the world and form them in an electrized music.
Tranc is probablly the most well known form of the electronic music because of its fused to make other culture listen to message from beats but not just the words alone.

What is trance anyway?

I believe that electronic manipulated music has greater effect than other form of music. It generally consists of higher rate of tempo. One form of the electronic music is Trance. Trance is divided into Acid, Classic, Cyber, Euro, Goa, Hard, Hardstyle, Progressive, Psychedelic, Uplifting , Tech, Vocal.

Acid trance formed in 1980’s. It is an old trance, which utilizes the “acid” sounds in the music. Classic trance is softer version of acid which followed after acid. Euro trance was made by primarily western European artists. They produced the beats and vocals organically. Goa trance was influenced by night life in Indian state of Goa in mid-1990’s. Hard trance is consists of harder beads and more variation of song types. , Progressive, Psychedelic, Uplifting , Tech, Vocal are generally newer form of trance which shares same patterns as Euro and Acid but more mellower.

Most dance music are called “trance” even if they don’t meet requirements for it. Mainstream trance allows the listeners to participate in their own ways. Trance is only form of electronic music being played in American and Canadian dance club.

I think Vocal trance has much more to offer apart from other form of trance because more people like to listen to vocal. Most of European music channels changed their dance charts with R&B and rap into trance. In America, vocal trance is gaining popularity and biting some music market share. I think if you are new to whole trance genre, you should start with vocal.

Listen to artists like: Milk Inc, Armin van Buuren, Larsgo, Sylver, Kate Ryan.

Electronica is a therapy

I was a mediocre student, who tried and tried to do better to get good grades but didn't get them. I knew the problems I faced were internal. I was challenged to grasp the knowledge which was given to me by teachers but I couldn't. I believe that people around assumed that I was "mental".

Thing started to change when I moved to Newtonmore, Scotland in 1994. I was admitted to learn rich unique culture of European rural communities. It was big change since I didn’t get know the life style people in other part lead. My host family showed compassion and openness that most people didn’t show towards me.

One Saturday night, my host sister and I went to a dance bar to have a good time. It was my first time to experience electronica. I felt it was liberating and most influenced. I liked the tempo and rhythm which was already known but faster paced then the original. Other genre of music became ambiguous from that night.

Trance is the reason of my recent success other than my work ethic.

Beats after beats

I think I will be talking about the Electronica genre and movies.
I will be writing about Djs, bands, rock, new age, and euro pop. I feel the people should know about various artists who are performing in various venues. I will also posting about latest tracks and mixes from the hottest djs from across the world. I will also emphases. I am also put more news on music. Lately, I feel that RIAA and MPAA are acting like bulls and fighting bullishly on protecting media. They don't realized people made them big in the first place and they are fighting the very people who endorsed their work in the first place. I will be providing my analysis and commenting on the current situation.