I think it's always important to remember that it's not the genre itself that changes as such, just the producers.
To coin an analogy, if Sara Lee makes great chocolate cake but then decides she wants to branch out into treacle sponge, it doesn't mean that chocolate cake suddenly becomes treacle sponge. Chocolate cake is just chocolate cake regardless of who makes it.
For the past 15 years or so that I've loved the genre I honestly think I can say that it's been popular, at least in the UK, for about 2 years. The rest of the time other genres have come to the forefront of things, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, since most people have vastly more eclectic tastes in EDM than I do.
Throughout this time, there have always been producers out there making great trance, if you're willing to look hard enough for them. However, most producers seem to go through phases of different styles, as do DJs, and this gives the illusion that trance as a genre is continually changing, but I've never believe this to be true. Trance is a definition of a certain kind of sound, and if it's a different sound, then technically, it's not trance.
I despair at people who consider the likes of Marco V or Mauro Picotto to be trance DJs or producers. Whilst I'm not entirely sure what to call their own particular brand of sound ("sonic distortion" is about as near as I've ever heard it put by anyone), the true underlying soul of trance music has remained the same, and just differently interpreted by producers down the years.
Trance hasn't been popular here in the UK for years. In 1999 you'd have at least a dozen weekly trance clubnights running that were full every week without fail, usually with several world class DJs on the line-up. Nowadays you're lucky to get one good event each month. Meanwhile other genres are booming. The hardcore scene must be 10 times the size of the trance scene here at the moment.
But despite all the fluctuations in popularity of the genre, one thing has thankfully remained consistent throughout this whole time. And that has been the efforts of trance producers to continue making the fantastic sounds so many of us love to enjoy so much. I'd have never managed to continue my own personal obsession with it if this wasn't the case :smile1: Granted, there have been certain periods in this time when the good stuff has been much easier to come by, but there's never been a period where there's been none at all
This is why I'm confident that the genre will never die. Despite all the different attempts to redefine the genre down the years (some good, some bad) the true spirit of the genre remains. And providing I'm still breathing that'll always be the case
Popularity, I've decided, is pretty much irrelevant. Does it matter to you if more people out there like treacle sponge? Would that stop you liking chocolate cake?
Damn....I'm hungry now....but I hope you get my gist.....
![Lol :lol: :lol:](/data/assets/smilies/lol.gif)