Episode #20: Solar [1994-1996]

In 1994 Paul Oakenfold broadcasted a set on BBC Radio 1's Essential Mix that was largely inspired by beach parties taking place in Goa, India. The two hour mix was seperated into two parts, one half being the Silver Mix and the other being the Gold Mix. This mix was a springboard for many producers such as Li Kwan, Salt Tank & Vanelis. Around this time the popularity of trance was beginning to rise. During 1994 the trance scene was continuing to develop. Listeners grew increasingly interested in trance not because of the complexity in rhythm but from the complexity in melody & harmony. Many trance songs began to incorporate a method called "gating" which turns the volume up & down rapidly om a rhythm piece to create a stuttered or chopped sound. Ecstacy had quickly become a primarily trance drug while LSD was also used very frequently in the trance community. The swooping synth patterns and the gated vocals in trance was a stimulating effect while using these drugs. Similarly dancers would take advantage of the breakdowns in trance music to break from dancing and take in long breaths of air. This rushing sensation would then build as the buildups in the music reached their peaking point. By the mid-90's came the introduction of vocal trance which added vocals and a pop-like structure while producers like Robert Miles were pioneering dream trance. One of the most famous dream trance productions was "Children" by Robert Miles. Other producers would move in a different direction. DJ Scot Project is often hailed as the founder of hard trance. Hard trance focused on pounding beats and more simplistic synth pads. It also incorporated more of an emphasis on acid sounds. This was taken to the next level with the acid trance genre which actually held more similarities to that of acid techno. Near the end of the 1990's many of the producers that pioneered the sound of trance had abandoned the genre completely. Oliver Lieb who debuted in 1993 as LSG was one of these producers. Li Kwan - Point Zero Luxor - Superstitious (Nursery Mix) Coloured Vision - Violet Rain Albion - This Is For DJ Jamo & Jack Knives - Strings Of Heaven Skylab - Accident Scot Project - U (I Got A Feeling)