The first appearance of trance music was in the 1980s when Klaus Schulze, of Germany, began experimenting with a new type of electronic music using atmosphere and space patches. He even included the word "Trance" in two songs on his albums released during the 1980s. However, the first songs that were truly regarded as being trance music were not written until the group "The KFL" released several albums in 1990. The first true trance singles were "Age of Love" by a group of the same name and Dance 2 Trance's "We Came in Peace."
The most recognizable trance that appears commonly today did not originate until the middle of the 1990s. This style, called progressive trance, almost exactly mimicked minimalist style and generally moved through harmonic changes in small steps, such as thirds (chord space divided by three notes). Progressive trance placed much more focus on melodies and anthemic bass patterns. Around the same time, another popular form of trance arose called uplifting trance. This type of music was thematically the exact opposite of progressive. In uplifting, the music moves toward a definite climax and a strong anthem-like ending.
Most trance music employs similar production techniques. Written with four beats per measure and at a tempo (speed) of around 130 to 160 beats per minute, trance music is generally broken into four phrases of eight bars. This 32-bar section can be repeated or changed throughout the song. As a general rule, the first eight bars employ a very small amount of harmonic material. As each eight bar section passes, more material is added to make the music "progressively" more interesting.
Drum patterns are common in the form of "four to the floor." In this type of drum compositional technique, stronger drums (such as bass) are usually used on the strong beats (one and three) while an open hi-hat is often used on the remaining "weaker" beats (two and four). This technique gives the music a "push and pull" feel as melodic material progresses. In addition to drum patterns, trance music creates interest through starkly contrasting timbres (instrument sounds) and melodic material.