Wednesday, April 2, 2025
by Tat
In our previous article we dug into the data on Discogs as to which drum & bass records were most sought after. This time it is another high-octane sound that has so much in common with the other genres we have covered in this mini series. Trance lends itself successfully to so many movements within dance music, like techno and house from the deepest underground micro scene to international commercial stardom. What trance is can be subjective with some seeing it as the deeper European sound of the early 1990s with Eye Q and Harthouse to the uplifting post 90s music of Tiesto and his peers.
The roots of trance music extend way back before the psychedelic murmurings of the 1960s and are deeply rooted in many cultures and societies across the globe. Adding a four to the floor kick drum to the hypnotic sounds is nothing revolutionary, but with the advent of production technology, smoke machines, lights and a heady concoction of manufactured drugs took it to a new level. Commercially, trance was adapted to move further away from the underground dance floors of the early and mid 1990s to become a global phenomenon. Wikipedia lists no less than 16 subgenres of trance in addition to a few derivations of the sound. Below are some of the records from this vast musical movement that largely reside in a sweet spot for the music between the mid 1990s and noughties.
A hugely popular record via one of dance music’s timeless labels by producer Julian Peake and DJ Seb Fontaine. Their debut release made it to number 14 in the UK Singles Chart. Whilst this was included on the soundtrack for the brilliant It’s All Gone Pete Tong film. A classy anthem that is built around a pumping bassline and sultry vocal from Delline Bass. In terms of what this sells for, it rarely goes for less than £250 and has changed owners for over £400 on no less than five occasions. Some people have very deep pockets it seems.
https://www.discogs.com/release/1682785-Reflekt-Feat-Delline-Bass-Need-To-Feel-Loved
The first of two releases in our list from the Anjunabeats stable set up by the trio Above & Beyond. This is a four track various EP which means it is possibly one track alone which makes this super desirable. Prices do vary but it has sold several times in recent years for over £150 which is much cheaper than the current for sale listings which highlights the marketplace’s unfortunate ability to inflate the value of vinyl.
https://www.discogs.com/release/1248121-Various-Anjunabeats-One-Hundred
Digger was one of the many guises for Steven Barnes who released this among other tracks for the UK based Casa Nostra. The two tracks get down to business from the start before going into teasingly long breakdowns, these are blueprints of what many would regard as archetypical trance and it is done well. In the last four years the record has sold 25 times, only twice below a three figure number.
https://www.discogs.com/release/105954-Digger-Episode-I
Many readers of this article will undoubtedly know that Tim Berg was the popular artist and DJ AKA Avicii who passed away in 2018. As with many artists who pass away, the chances are that his death led to an increase in demand for his already popular music, especially physical formats. This record consistently sells at big prices reaching over £500 for one sale in 2024. Another example of the hugely commercial value of trance music, especially following the growth of the EDM scene as this reached number 13 in the UK Singles Chart.
https://www.discogs.com/release/2531628-TimBerg-Seek-Bromance
Another one from the house of Anjunabeats by the Helsinki based DJ and producer duo of Janne Mansnerus and Miika Eoloranta. An intense cinematic laced track with female angelic vocals and the contrasts of a snarling, angry acidic bassline with the Alex M.O.R.P.H remix taking it even more uptempo. Prices fluctuate from as low as £64 up to over £300 with VG+ copies listed at over £200.
https://www.discogs.com/release/628166-Super8-DJ-Tab-Helsinki-Scorchin
A double vinyl compilation release of The Thrillseekers releases and remixes on white vinyl. This is the newest of the records in our top ten and it is astonishing how its value increased two years after release. To get a copy for yourself you need to spend about £150 although compared to other records in our list, fewer Discogs members have it in their scopes.
https://www.discogs.com/release/16122090-The-Thrillseekers-Reconnected-Volume-I
Originally released on FFRR a year earlier, it is clear that it is the Sickboys Courtyard Mix which is the added value here. This version has sold for over £100 on more than 20 occasions which is backed up by the quality of the mix. It’s notably slower than many trance records of the time but has the long breakdown followed by euphoric piano riff.
https://www.discogs.com/release/48005-Y-Traxx-Mystery-Land
Rabbit In The Moon originated in America and broke out in 1993 with their classic Phases Of An Out-Of-Body Experience EP on the brilliant Hardkiss label. This was released on their own, aptly titled Hallucination label on purple vinyl. Side A’s Deeper is more reflective of the sounds that were coming out of the U.S at that time, less full on mentalism but more laid back, easier going, early morning trance. The flipside is also of higher quality but is as much techno as it is trance, with acid 303 thrown into the pot. As a result it made sound a little dated in terms of production but musically it is flawless. That is reflected in the cost of owning one which is usually well over £100.
https://www.discogs.com/release/60151-Rabbit-In-The-Moon-Deeper-Dusk
A solitary release by this largely unknown artist by the name of J D Spence on a Manchester label that delivered just a trio of records. In terms of interesting titles it wins the list hands down, whilst the EP manages to navigate various different genres, not just trance. Red C is a pumping acid trance number and whilst lead track Champions has a winning trance, breakbeat combination. The one copy on Discogs at the time of writing was for a massively inflated value of £300 but previous copies have regularly sold for over £80 in previous years. There have been no sales since late 2020 and there is little wonder given the £300 current price tag.
https://www.discogs.com/release/14004140-She-Chemical-Melodies-For-Computer-Rhythms-EP
Along with The Thrillseekers release (which is technically a 12 inch double pack), this is the only album to feature in our list. Nicholas Bracegirdle’s debut album was largely released on CD which explains to some extent the desire for a vinyl copy despite it getting a repress in 2023. The album features no less than four top 40 singles from the UK Charts. Since the repress, original copies in VG+ condition have continued to sell for over £100.
https://www.discogs.com/release/18362-Chicane-Far-From-The-Maddening-Crowds
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