134–140 BPM · 1999–2004
Vocal Trance
"A voice cutting through the strings."
The short answer — What is vocal trance?
Vocal trance is the strand of trance music built around a full sung lead — usually a verse/chorus vocal by a female singer over a 134 to 140 BPM trance instrumental. Defined between 1999 and 2004 by Delerium's 'Silence' (Tiësto remix), Motorcycle's 'As The Rush Comes' and Chicane's 'Saltwater', it was the wing of the genre that reached daytime radio without diluting the classic-trance template.
BPM: 134–140 BPM · Era: 1999–2004 · Key artists: Delerium, Grace / Perfecto Allstarz, Kirsty Hawkshaw.
The Full Picture
Vocal trance is what happened when producers stopped treating vocals as garnish and started writing songs around them. Between 1999 and 2004 it gave the genre its crossover moment: Delerium, Motorcycle, Chicane with Bryan Adams, iiO and Tiësto's Silence all sold trance to daytime radio without diluting it. Done well, the vocal amplifies the euphoria the synths already deliver; done poorly, it becomes trance-pop. The classic records almost always fall on the right side of that line — and every one of them still gets played.
Hallmarks
- Full song structure with verse/chorus vocal writing
- Softer builds and melody-first arrangements
- 'Floating' breakdowns that isolate the vocal a cappella
- Female leads dominate, though not exclusively