138–150 BPM · 1994–present
Psychedelic Trance
"Trance rebuilt as a chemistry experiment."
The short answer — What is psychedelic trance?
Psychedelic trance — usually shortened to psytrance — is the strand of trance music built around fast rolling basslines, layered acid squelches and long hypnotic arrangements. It runs 138 to 150 BPM, was defined in Goa, India in the early-to-mid 1990s by producers like Hallucinogen, Man With No Name and Astrix, and is the wing of the genre that stayed closest to trance music's original outdoor, all-night, transportive intent.
BPM: 138–150 BPM · Era: 1994–present · Key artists: Hallucinogen (Simon Posford), Man With No Name, Astrix.
The Full Picture
Psytrance is the branch of the family that never went to Ibiza. Where uplifting trance was engineered for European superclubs and progressive was written for Balearic sunrises, psytrance kept the original brief: an all-night outdoor party, minimal vocals, minimal breakdowns, maximum forward motion. The genre's centre of gravity moved from Goa to Israel to the UK to Portugal over the 1990s, and the modern scene runs from Ozora in Hungary and Boom in Portugal down to the Australian doofs — festivals where a headliner might play for six hours without pause. If uplifting trance is a cathedral, psytrance is a forest.
Hallmarks
- Fast rolling 16th-note basslines that never stop moving
- Layered acid leads built on TB-303 emulations and modular squelches
- Long, patient arrangements — 8 to 12 minute tracks are standard
- Almost no vocals; textures and effects carry the melody instead
Frequently Asked
What is psychedelic trance?
Psychedelic trance — usually shortened to psytrance — is the strand of trance music built around fast rolling basslines, layered acid squelches and long hypnotic arrangements. It runs 138 to 150 BPM, was defined in Goa, India in the early-to-mid 1990s by producers like Hallucinogen, Man With No Name and Astrix, and is the wing of the genre that stayed closest to trance music's original outdoor, all-night, transportive intent.
What BPM is psychedelic trance?
Psychedelic Trance sits at 138–150 BPM. The classic era ran roughly 1994–present, and DJs generally programme records at this tempo range without needing extreme pitch adjustment on either side.
Who defined psychedelic trance?
Psychedelic Trance was shaped principally by Hallucinogen (Simon Posford), Man With No Name, Astrix, Infected Mushroom. Their productions and DJ sets across 1994–present established the arrangement conventions and sound-design vocabulary the subgenre is still measured against.
What's the difference between psychedelic trance and uplifting trance?
Psychedelic Trance sits at 138–150 BPM with the emphasis on trance rebuilt as a chemistry experiment. Uplifting Trance occupies a different tempo range and emotional register within the broader classic-trance family — see the linked pillar page for the full comparison.
What are the hallmarks of a psychedelic trance record?
Four things: Fast rolling 16th-note basslines that never stop moving; Layered acid leads built on TB-303 emulations and modular squelches; Long, patient arrangements — 8 to 12 minute tracks are standard; Almost no vocals; textures and effects carry the melody instead.