Classic trance albums.
The short answer
The classic trance albums most worth hearing split into two kinds. Studio albums are one artist’s own tracks, such as BT’s Ima (1995), Robert Miles’ Dreamland (1996), Chicane’s Far from the Maddening Crowds (1997), ATB’s Movin’ Melodies (1999) and Paul van Dyk’s Out There and Back (2000). Mix albums are DJ-mixed compilations of other people’s records, such as Sasha & Digweed’s Northern Exposure, Oakenfold’s Tranceport and Tiësto’s In Search Of Sunrise. Many fans think of the mix CDs as the real albums of the era, since trance was mostly a singles and DJ culture.
Two kinds of album
Studio albums vs mix albums.
| Attribute | Studio album | Mix album | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | One artist’s own tracks | A DJ’s continuous mix of many artists | |
| Format | Separate tracks | Beatmatched, one flowing set | |
| Example | Robert Miles – Dreamland | Sasha & Digweed – Northern Exposure | |
| Best for | Getting to know one producer | Hearing how records worked in a club |
Studio albums
Classic trance studio albums, in release order.
Picks run from 1995 to 2003. Release years and track listings are cited in the sources below.
Ima (1995)
BT · Key tracks: ‘Loving You More’, ‘Embracing the Future’
A long-form debut that showed trance could work as a home-listening album, not just club singles.
Dreamland (1996)
Robert Miles · Key tracks: ‘Children’, ‘Fable’
The piano-led ‘dream’ sound that took Italian trance into the pop charts.
ESCM (1997)
BT · Key tracks: ‘Flaming June’, ‘Remember’
Denser and more experimental than Ima; ‘Flaming June’ became a progressive staple.
Far from the Maddening Crowds (1997)
Chicane · Key tracks: ‘Offshore’, ‘Sunstroke’
The Balearic, guitar-tinged side of trance, built for sunsets rather than peak time.
Karma (1997)
Delerium · Key tracks: ‘Silence’ (feat. Sarah McLachlan)
Not a trance album in itself, but the source of the vocal that trance remixes made into an anthem.
Movin’ Melodies (1999)
ATB · Key tracks: ‘9 PM (Till I Come)’, ‘Don’t Stop’
The guitar-riff German trance sound at its most commercial.
Out There and Back (2000)
Paul van Dyk · Key tracks: ‘Tell Me Why (The Riddle)’, ‘We Are Alive’
Uplifting Berlin trance from the producer behind ‘For An Angel’, at the peak of the era.
In My Memory (2001)
Tiësto · Key tracks: ‘Flight 643’, ‘Lethal Industry’, ‘Suburban Train’
Tiësto’s first solo studio album, mixing peak-time instrumentals with vocal tracks.
Right of Way (2003)
Ferry Corsten · Key tracks: ‘Rock Your Body, Rock’, ‘Punk’
A late-era album that shows trance turning harder and more electro-leaning.
Mix albums
The mix CDs that defined the era.
These already have full write-ups in the archive, so this is a pointer list rather than a repeat.
- Sasha & John Digweed – Northern Exposure: the progressive end of the era, mixed as a journey.
- Tiësto – In Search Of Sunrise: the volume-by-volume guide, starting with the 1999 first edition.
- Armin van Buuren – A State Of Trance Classics: multi-disc retrospectives of the records Armin played.
- Paul Oakenfold – Tranceport and Perfecto Presents: Another World: the Perfecto sound on CD, covered on the mixes page.
Frequently asked
What are the best classic trance albums?
The classic trance albums most worth hearing split into two kinds. Studio albums are one artist’s own tracks, such as BT’s Ima (1995), Robert Miles’ Dreamland (1996), Chicane’s Far from the Maddening Crowds (1997), ATB’s Movin’ Melodies (1999) and Paul van Dyk’s Out There and Back (2000). Mix albums are DJ-mixed compilations of other people’s records, such as Sasha & Digweed’s Northern Exposure, Oakenfold’s Tranceport and Tiësto’s In Search Of Sunrise. Many fans think of the mix CDs as the real albums of the era, since trance was mostly a singles and DJ culture.
What is the difference between a trance studio album and a mix album?
A studio album collects one artist’s own productions as separate tracks. A mix album is a continuous DJ mix of records by many artists, beatmatched into one flowing set. In classic trance the mix albums often sold and influenced as much as the studio albums.
Was trance an album genre?
Mostly not. Classic trance lived on 12-inch singles played by DJs, so many of its biggest records never appeared on an artist album at all. That is why mix CDs and compilation series became the main long-form format.
Which classic trance mix albums should I start with?
Good starting points are Northern Exposure (Sasha & John Digweed), Tranceport (Paul Oakenfold), In Search Of Sunrise 1 (Tiësto) and the A State Of Trance Classics series (Armin van Buuren). Each has its own page in the archive with tracklist notes.
Research & sources
These references support the factual claims on this page. Editorial interpretation is identified as such; a source link is not an endorsement by its publisher.
- Ima (BT)
Wikipedia
Release year and track listing.
- Dreamland (Robert Miles)
Wikipedia
Release year and track listing.
- ESCM (BT)
Wikipedia
Release year and track listing.
- Far from the Maddening Crowds (Chicane)
Wikipedia
Release year and track listing.
- Karma (Delerium)
Wikipedia
Release year and track listing.
- Movin’ Melodies (ATB)
Wikipedia
Release year and track listing.
- Out There and Back (Paul van Dyk)
Wikipedia
Release year and track listing.
- In My Memory (Tiësto)
Wikipedia
Release year and track listing.
- Right of Way (Ferry Corsten)
Wikipedia
Release year and track listing.