# Eight eras, and what each one changed

> A trance history timeline in eight eras, following the Euphoria Unleashed playlist chronology from pre-Trance roots and EBM through to the contemporary scene.

Markdown companion to https://www.euphoriaunleashed.com/trance-history-timeline, which is the canonical page. It carries every era, note and artist list shown on the page.

This page is the web companion to the eight eras from the [companion playlist](https://www.euphoriaunleashed.com/playlist) in [Euphoria Unleashed](https://www.euphoriaunleashed.com/books). Think of it as a listening map, not a separate chronology. The era labels and the artist examples come straight from the book, and the short notes are just here to get you oriented.

Read a section here and you can go hear it in order on [the companion playlist](https://www.euphoriaunleashed.com/playlist), since both use the same eight eras. Terms you don't recognise get defined on [the glossary page](https://www.euphoriaunleashed.com/trance-glossary), and [the research notes](https://www.euphoriaunleashed.com/research-methodology) explain how dates and claims are handled.

Spotify playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2dw57WDz7B3TxdFkxo0MJw

## The eight eras

### 01. Pre-Trance Roots

The synthesizer records and sequencer tracks that electronic dance music got built on. This is where the listening starts.

Artists cited: Kraftwerk, Tangerine Dream, Jean-Michel Jarre, Giorgio Moroder.

### 02. EBM / Industrial Bridge

Rhythm-driven industrial and electronic body music, the sound that carried machine music onto club floors.

Artists cited: Front 242, Skinny Puppy, Nitzer Ebb.

### 03. Birth of Trance (1989 - 1993)

The years the sound takes shape and gets a name, out of Europe's club and rave scenes.

Artists cited: Orbital, The Orb, KLF, Future Sound of London, Jam & Spoon.

### 04. Golden Age (1994 - 1999)

Melody moves to the front, and the records most people still name first get made here.

Artists cited: Paul van Dyk, Robert Miles, Café Del Mar, Gouryella, Cygnus X.

### 05. Peak Era (2000 - 2004)

Trance at its widest reach, filling arenas and festival crowds around the world.

Artists cited: Tiësto, Chicane, Above & Beyond, BT, Rank 1.

### 06. Progressive Shift (2005 - 2009)

The sound splits into camps, with progressive, uplifting and psy pulling in different directions.

Artists cited: Gareth Emery, Dash Berlin, Aly & Fila, Markus Schulz.

### 07. Modern Trance (2010 - 2014)

Radio shows and residencies turn listeners into communities that travel to be together.

Artists cited: Above & Beyond (Group Therapy era), Armin van Buuren (Intense era).

### 08. Contemporary (2015 - present)

Psytrance crossover, classics revivals and a new festival generation finding the sound on its own terms.

Artists cited: Vini Vici, Factor B, Gareth Emery, Armin van Buuren, Andrew Bayer.

## Related pages

- [Trance glossary](https://www.euphoriaunleashed.com/trance-glossary)
- [Companion playlist](https://www.euphoriaunleashed.com/playlist)
- [Research notes](https://www.euphoriaunleashed.com/research-methodology)
- [A history of Trance music](https://www.euphoriaunleashed.com/trance-history)
- [The book](https://www.euphoriaunleashed.com/books)