Progressive trance

History and character

A more restrained, gradual trance, developed in the mid-'90s in the UK and Germany: Platipus Records (UK, 1993) is among the key labels, with Art of Trance (Simon Berry) and Union Jack; then BT (Flaming June, 1997), Way Out West (The Gift, 1996), Sasha, Solarstone (Seven Cities, 1999), Chicane, Paul Oakenfold in his Perfecto phase. In the 2000s it was carried forward by Anjunabeats (Above & Beyond, OceanLab), Andy Moor, Super8 & Tab, Jaytech; in the 2010s it overlaps with melodic progressive house (Anjunadeep, Lane 8, Spencer Brown).

It moves between progressive house and trance: fewer euphoric peaks, more layering, hypnotic groove, long but restrained melodies, wide atmospheres.

Aesthetic: journey, luminous melancholy, patience.

Scales and keys

Convention: Roman numerals refer to the major scale on the same tonic (uppercase = major, lowercase = minor, ° diminished, ø half-diminished, + augmented; b/# = degree lowered/raised relative to major: in A minor F = bVI, G = bVII). The notes and chords below are calculated exactly from the formula.

Aeolian

• Formula: 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 b7 — steps: T S T T S T T
• On B: B C# D E F# G A
• Diatonic triads: Bm i · C#dim ii° · D bIII · Em iv · F#m v · G bVI · A bVII
• Seventh chords: Bm7 i7 · C#m7b5 iiø7 · Dmaj7 bIIImaj7 · Em7 iv7 · F#m7 v7 · Gmaj7 bVImaj7 · A7 bVII7
• Characteristic note: the b6 (G): the emotional bVI (G).
• Use: Bm–G–D–A, arpeggios and plucks.
• Common mistakes: too much resolution.

Dorian

• Formula: 1 2 b3 4 5 6 b7 — steps: T S T T T S T
• On B: B C# D E F# G# A
• Diatonic triads: Bm i · C#m ii · D bIII · E IV · F#m v · G#dim vi° · A bVII
• Seventh chords: Bm7 i7 · C#m7 ii7 · Dmaj7 bIIImaj7 · E7 IV7 · F#m7 v7 · G#m7b5 viø7 · Amaj7 bVIImaj7
• Characteristic note: the major sixth (G#): a bright major IV (E).
• Use: Bm7–E–Gmaj7–Asus2 (borrowed bVI).
• Common mistakes: G and G# in the same phrase.

Harmonic minor

• Formula: 1 2 b3 4 5 b6 7 — steps: T S T T S T+S S
• On B: B C# D E F# G A#
• Diatonic triads: Bm i · C#dim ii° · Daug bIII+ · Em iv · F# V · G bVI · A#dim vii°
• Seventh chords: Bm(maj7) i(maj7) · C#m7b5 iiø7 · Dmaj7#5 bIII+maj7 · Em7 iv7 · F#7 V7 · Gmaj7 bVImaj7 · A#dim7 vii°7
• Characteristic note: the leading tone A#: dominant F# for cadence moments.
• Use: rare, in the climaxes.
• Common mistakes: using it in the main loop.

Lydian

• Formula: 1 2 3 #4 5 6 7 — steps: T T T S T T S
• On G: G A B C# D E F#
• Diatonic triads: G I · A II · Bm iii · C#dim #iv° · D V · Em vi · F#m vii
• Seventh chords: Gmaj7 Imaj7 · A7 II7 · Bm7 iii7 · C#m7b5 #ivø7 · Dmaj7 Vmaj7 · Em7 vi7 · F#m7 vii7
• Characteristic note: the #4 (C#): suspension on the bVI.
• Use: Gmaj7#11 in the breakdown pads.
• Common mistakes: C natural in the lead over that pad.

How to choose between scales

Aeolian or Dorian for the loop, Lydian for the bVI colors, harmonic minor only in the climax. Many tracks use a tonic pedal and change the mode of the pad above it.

Harmony

Function

Loops of 2–4 chords over a pedal, slow changes, few cadences.

Techniques

• Pedal with chords above (Bm–Gmaj7/B–Em/B–F#m/B).
• i–bVI–bIII–bVII with inversions.
• Sus2/add9 chords.
• Arpeggios with tempo-synced delay.

Harmonic rhythm

1 chord every 2 bars.

Examples

• Bm–G–D–A.
• Bm7–E–Gmaj7–Asus2.

Typical progressions

Rhythm and groove

• Feel: straight, hypnotic; rolling bass in sixteenth notes; soft percussion.
• Breakdowns less dramatic than in uplifting; moderate builds.

Drums

Kick

Round, deep (50–55 Hz), medium decay (200–250 ms), moderate click at 3 kHz; less aggressive than in uplifting because it has to coexist with the sixteenth-note rolling bass.

Clap and snare

Soft clap on 2 and 4 with long reverb (2 s hall); short rolls (4–8 bars), often filtered, without the exaggerated crescendo of uplifting. In 2000s Anjunabeats productions, claps and snares are layered and slightly late (5 ms) for a softer feel.

Hi-hat and ride

Open hat on the offbeat, low hats, ride in the mains.

Percussion

Soft percs, shaker, filtered toms.

Dynamics

Filter and volume automation.

Interaction with the bass

Rolling bass in sixteenth notes.

Sections

Long intro, build, main, breakdown, main 2, outro. In the mains the drums grow by addition: ride after 16 bars, filtered percs after 32; in the breakdown only filtered hats or shaker remain to keep the pulse.

Fills and transitions

Sweeps, reverses, toms.

Choosing sounds

Softened 909, warm samples.

Typical mistakes

Drums that are too aggressive; uplifting-style builds.

Bass

• Sound: sixteenth-note rolling bass (filtered saw), sub.
• Register: B0–B2.
• With the kick: .xxx; 6–8 dB sidechain.
• Notes: chord roots, or a tonic pedal under changing chords; alternating octaves for variety (B0–B1–B0).
• Sound: two saw oscillators (one an octave below), 24 dB filter at 30–40%, envelope with 80–120 ms decay; light saturation for the 200–400 Hz harmonics that make it audible on small systems.
• Variation: slow cutoff automation (+10–20% over 32 bars) to make the bass “grow” without changing notes.

Harmonic instruments

Wide pads, arpeggios, plucks, piano in the breakdowns, clean guitars with delay (Chicane, Way Out West). The sixteenth-note arpeggios (often 3/16 or with a 3/16 delay) create polyrhythms over the 4/4; the pads leave the lead's register (C4–C5) free with open voicings (1-5-9 below, 3 and 7 above).

Melody and vocals

• Lead: slow, restrained melodies, plucks, guitars.
• Vocal: ethereal (OceanLab, Justine Suissa), long phrases.
• Effects: tempo-synced delay, long reverbs.

Instruments

Polyphonic synths, arpeggiators, 909 drum machine, guitars, piano, vocals.

Drum patterns

Synths and sounds

• Prophet-5 V — Arpeggios and pluck: Pluck with closed filter and dotted-eighth delay.
• Jup-8 V — Pad: Wide pads with slow attack.
• Mini V — Rolling bass: Saw, filter 35%, decay 100 ms.
• Solina V — Vintage strings: String ensembles for texture.
• Piano V — Piano: Simple chords in the breakdown.

Song structure

7–9 minutes.

Mixing and mastering

Sonic goal

Deep, wide, warm; less bright than uplifting; compact low end. References: Way Out West — The Gift, BT — Flaming June, OceanLab — Satellite.

Kick

HP 30 Hz; +1.5 dB at 55 Hz; −3 dB at 300 Hz; mono.

Clap

HP 200 Hz; hall 2–2.5 s.

Hi-hat and perc

HP 500 Hz; LP 13 kHz; 1/16 delay; wide panning.

Bass

HP 25 Hz; LP 300 Hz; mono; sidechain 6–8 dB.

Pad, arpeggios, guitars

• EQ: HP 150–200 Hz; −2 dB at 400 Hz; arpeggios +1.5 dB at 2–3 kHz; LP on the pads at 8–10 kHz.
• Compression: light (2 dB) on the arpeggios to even them out; none on the pads.
• Saturation: tape on the synth bus.
• Space: pads in hall 3–5 s (HP 300 Hz on the return); arpeggios in dotted-eighth or 3/16 delay (feedback 35–45%, LP 5 kHz); guitars in 1.5 s plate + 1/4 delay.
• Stereo: pads 100% wide, arpeggios with slow auto-pan or ping-pong, guitars 30% L/R.
• Sidechain: 4–6 dB.
• Automation: arpeggio cutoff over 16–32 bars, higher reverb sends in the breakdown.

Vocal

• Chain: HP 100 Hz; −2 dB at 300 Hz; opto compression 3–4 dB + peak limiter 1–2 dB; de-esser at 6–8 kHz; +1.5 dB at 3 kHz; air shelf +2 dB at 12 kHz.
• Space: 3 s hall with 40–60 ms pre-delay + 1/4 delay (feedback 25%, LP 5 kHz); in the breakdowns double the send.
• Position: centered; duck the pads from the vocal (2–3 dB at 1–4 kHz).

Buses and groups

Drum bus (glue 2:1, GR 1–2 dB), synth bus with group sidechain and tape, vocal bus, reverb bus sidechained from the kick (4–6 dB).

Sidechain

Bass 6–8, pad 4–6, reverbs 4–6.

Master

EQ → tape → 1–2 dB compressor → limiter. Target −9/−7 LUFS integrated, true peak −1 dBTP, crest factor 8–9 dB.

Common mistakes

Mix too bright and aggressive; reverbs that clog the mix; lack of evolution.

Reference tracks for the mix

• Way Out West — The Gift (1996)
• BT — Flaming June (1997)
• Solarstone — Seven Cities (1999)

Reference listening

• Way Out West — The Gift (1996)
• BT — Flaming June (1997)
• Solarstone — Seven Cities (1999)
• Motorcycle — As the Rush Comes (2003)