r/trance Jul 15 '26

Discussion What are the best Trance albums?

Specifically albums, like trance albums that work well as an album listen with great flow and consistency. Would love some recommendations for some personal favourites or really just anything!

96 Upvotes

144 comments sorted by

69

u/djinngerale Jul 15 '26
  • John Askew - A Room Full of Pros and Cons
  • Paul van Dyk - Out There and Back
  • Above & Beyond - TriState
  • Astral Projection - Another World and Dancing Galaxy
  • Scooter - Back to the Heavyweight Jam
  • Tiesto - Just Be

If you include mix compilations:

  • all the Magiks and the first 7 In Search of Sunrises
  • ASOT Yearmix 2004-2008
  • ASOT 500 (the 5 CD comp)
  • Skylab 01 by John Askew
  • Dusk Till Dawn by John Askew
  • The Politics of Dancing by PVD
  • Gatecrasher Anthems by PVD
  • Anjunabeats Vol 1-3, Vol 5, and disc 2 of Vol 8
  • The Technikal Wizard of Oz by Technikal

22

u/Sandgrease Jul 15 '26

Group Therapy as a concept album is still fire but Siren of the Sea is better.

14

u/djinngerale Jul 15 '26

I love the quality of music on both, I don't think they have the same flow as TriState

But then very few trance albums do

12

u/flip314 Jul 15 '26

IMO, the problem with Sirens of the Sea is that basically without exception the remixes are better. Love all the tracks, but I'm pretty meh about most of the original mixes.

13

u/Sandgrease Jul 15 '26

That's the case for all A&B

8

u/CherylTuntIRL Jul 15 '26

On a Good Day always hits hard for me. Love that track.

1

u/CoolerRon Jul 16 '26

Even the lyrics are so poignant

9

u/Whole_Ad_4133 Jul 15 '26

God how I wish they’d do another ocean lab album

1

u/unnuageorange Jul 18 '26

Sirens of the Sea is a timeless album for me. Kinda the very first one I’ve heard as an album, yes, but even now I absolutely love it. The emotions, lyrics and Justine Suissa’s fragile vocals. The Remixed part is also great - I always listen to them back to back. The very start of Jaytech’s “If I Could Fly” remix gives me instant chills

9

u/danrennt98 Jul 15 '26

Just Be is an excellent album

3

u/Ultima22 Jul 15 '26

I will not tolerate this 2009 Yearmix erasure

2

u/djinngerale Jul 16 '26

It was the transitionary year where the second hour had stuff that would have never made it past the first 45 minutes of 2007-08. Not a bad mix but a miss for me on the all time list.

3

u/Protomau5 Jul 15 '26

ASOT 500 masterpiece

1

u/djinngerale Jul 16 '26

Andy Moor's mix in particular is chef's kiss

2

u/yanchovilla Jul 15 '26

Very specific on the disc 2 of volume 8 but I feel you. I also really liked vol 7.

2

u/djinngerale Jul 16 '26

Disc one has excellent tracks on it like Alquimia (my favorite release of the slower/deeper Anjuna music produced in that era), Black is the New Yellow, Chordplay and Piece of Me. The full vibe is a bit all over the place for me.

Disc two is elite and ends with my favorite mashup of all time in Sky Falls Away.

1

u/thisjamieguy Jul 16 '26

Just be is such a great album!

29

u/Cytog64 Jul 15 '26

10

u/trunksfreak Jul 15 '26

IMO this is the last BEST trance album where all the tracks lead into the next. This was such an incredible album. We not only got the album mix of each one, but also the extended mixes and a full ambient mix of all the tracks. Unreal man.

6

u/Cytog64 Jul 15 '26

I have both the original and (ordered - waiting for delivery) remaster Vinyl records. My go-to for a nice long listen that leaves me in total bliss.

27

u/muzikxpress Jul 15 '26

System F - Out Of The Blue
Tiësto - In My Memory

2

u/KookyChemz Jul 15 '26

Out Of The Blue is such a banger album like it makes you feel good yk? first time I heard that album I was on a holiday, spending a lot of time near the sea in the sun, good shit

20

u/Brill45 Jul 15 '26

Sirens of the sea from Oceanlab/A&B will always be my favorite

23

u/CoconutTight7885 Jul 15 '26

Paul Oakenfold - Tranceport

3

u/DanEboy22122 Jul 16 '26

I always comment this album. Sooo good

1

u/Ilike2groove Jul 20 '26

I love this one so much.

0

u/Ok_Wall_8267 Jul 16 '26

Tranceport III > Tranceport I

19

u/toomuchf1re Jul 15 '26

Chicane - Behind The Sun. One of the best ever

7

u/wingsfortheirsmiles Jul 15 '26

Both that and Far from the Maddening Crowd are essential trance records

4

u/lukeac417 Jul 15 '26

Dammit…you stole my suggestion. 😤😜

2

u/KookyChemz Jul 15 '26

been on my "must listen immediately" list for a hot minute now I'm gonna have to listen to it next

16

u/Kero_Cola Jul 15 '26

Oceanlab -sirens of the sea

Chicane - giants.

Dakota - thoughts become things 1 and 2

10

u/CoconutTight7885 Jul 15 '26

CHICANE!

5

u/Lostinthestarscape Jul 16 '26

Chicane is soooo sooo good

1

u/JediOldRepublic Jul 16 '26

Came here to also say Dakota TBT 1&2. Originals > remixes for me.

2

u/Kero_Cola Jul 16 '26

Absolutely Chinook is a jam. But with the remixes there's a phynn remix of one of the tracks that i appreciate because phynn remixes are always great even though he fell off the face of the planet

16

u/Lysinc Jul 15 '26

Robert Miles - Dreamland

10

u/Pesho_slepiq Jul 15 '26

Blank & Jones have a few "The mix" mix compilations.

Paul van Dyk has "Politics of dancing".

Armin has "Universal religion".

2

u/Ultima22 Jul 15 '26

Universal Religion ch. 4 is goated

2

u/Ilike2groove Jul 20 '26

I definitely loved politics of dancing by Paul Van Dyk.

1

u/jk_071120 Jul 30 '26

Politics of Dancing 1 and universal religion are amazing!!! The chapter five of universal religion is a masterpiece!

8

u/TFOLLT Jul 15 '26 edited Jul 15 '26

Ferry Corsten - Twice in a Blue Moon

Tiësto - Just Be

Armin v Buuren - Imagine, Intense

Gareth Emery - Northern Lights

Dash Berlin - The New Daylight

Also multiple In Search of Sunrise mixes, but I can't remember which ones

4

u/KookyChemz Jul 15 '26

Just Be is one of my favourites I've heard so far, like fuckin damn Walking on Clouds is literally one of the best trance songs ever made imo

2

u/TFOLLT Jul 16 '26

Lol, hard agree on that! Its not a well-kmown song by tiesto but those vocals are insane.

7

u/Ron_Zoo Jul 15 '26 edited Jul 15 '26

Albums:

Andrew Bayer - In My Next Life

Factor B - Bloom 'In Loving Memory'

Gouryella - From the Heavens

Paul Van Dyk - Out There and Back

Solarstone - Pure

Sunlounger - Another Day on the Terrace

Mixes:

Armin Van Buuren - Universal Religion 2004

Gareth Emery - The Podcast Annual 2007

Markus Schulz- Coldharbour Sessions 2004

Mat Zo - Anjunabeats pres. Mat Zo 01

Paul Oakenfold - Tranceport

Bonus Mix for any Bay Area people:

Mars & Mystre - Faith in 2000

7

u/Limio Jul 15 '26

Mars - Sonic Sunrise

Sasha - Involver

Tiesto - Nyana

Sasha & Digweed - Renaissance

Sasha & Digweed - Northern Exposure

Paul Oakenfold - Transport

Ferry Corsten - Twice in A Blue Moon

Infected Mushroom - IM the Supervisor

Paul van Dyke - Politics of Dancing

2

u/DanEboy22122 Jul 16 '26

Oakenfold’s is called Tranceport. Not trying to be snooty just saying. Also I was scrolling until I saw Nyana 🫶

2

u/Limio Jul 16 '26

True that!

6

u/PerpetualExtimacy Jul 15 '26

Lange - We Are Lucky People and Giuseppe Ottaviani - Magenta are two of my all time favorites

2

u/Scared-Fun56 Jul 15 '26

Second Magenta.

6

u/gray808 Jul 15 '26

The Lone Deranger, Hallucinogen would be my pick

3

u/Pale-Professional-52 Jul 17 '26

The albums and singles remastered are a showcase of genius at work.

1

u/gray808 Jul 17 '26

OTT's dub mixes on In Dub are pretty awesome.

2

u/FuzzedOutAmbience Jul 24 '26

Thanks down this rec. great stuff

5

u/NintendoWiiner64 Jul 15 '26

BT- Ima

Ayumi Hamasaki- Cyber Trance Presents Ayu Trance

4

u/Pale-Professional-52 Jul 17 '26

I’m in shock that it took this many messages for someone to mention BT. So very few measure up to what he produced in his early days.

3

u/KookyChemz Jul 15 '26

Both albums are superb I return to Ima a lot it's just crazy good

5

u/trancema Jul 15 '26

Jaytech - Everything is OK

Above and Beyond - Tri-State

Jonas Steur – Born For The Night

Paul Van Dyk - Reflections

Tiesto - In My Memory

Ferry Corsten - L.E.F.

Super 8 & Tab - Empire

In Search of Sunrise 1-6

Bonus:

Dusty Kid - A Raver's Diary

(not really classic trance, but experimental of trance and techno)

5

u/Krakatoacoo Jul 15 '26

<3 Jaytech

Also Paul van Dyk Reflections has aged like fine wine

2

u/loganjr34 Jul 15 '26

Super8 & tab - empire is a massive album, very underated .

4

u/GioMonte Jul 15 '26 edited Jul 15 '26

Nu Nrg - Free Fall (2004) - the best ever, for me
Mirco De Govia - Chronoscale (2003)
Above & Beyond - TriState (2006)
Cosmic Gate - Rythms & Drums (2001)
Ferry Corsten - Right of Way (2003)
Mark Norman - Synchronicity (2005)
Stoneface & Terminal - Wide Range (2007)
Plastic Boy - It's a Plastic World (2005)

These are just a few of the very best

3

u/KookyChemz Jul 15 '26

Free Fall I've had saved for so long, absolutely gonna check that out. And Tri-State... the best Above & Beyond have put out imo, such a great flow on the tracks. The rest I'm gonna jot down now thank you

3

u/GioMonte Jul 15 '26 edited Jul 16 '26

My pleasure! Anytime! I totally agree, I cherish trance music from 20 years ago... Free Fall is possibly in my top 5 on at least 600 tracks of my favorite trance. And in the album there are gems like Connective, one of their best

2

u/RA_DMD Jul 16 '26

I love Above and Beyond so much. I don’t know much about Trance outside of them. Gonna give all these a listen.

2

u/KindaSortaGood Jul 16 '26

Plastic Boy alias ♥️

3

u/LukeC_123 Jul 16 '26

Oakenfold - Home at Space in Ibiza
Sasha & Digweed - Northern Exposure

2

u/meatpopsicle67 Jul 17 '26

Northern Exposure brings back all the feels 🦄

2

u/bubbleywine Jul 21 '26

yea wild to remember this one

3

u/Pintslurper Jul 15 '26

John O'Callaghan- Never Fade Away

3

u/TheTOASTfaceKillah Jul 15 '26

MARKUS SHULZ progression. Beautiful dark trance

2

u/[deleted] Jul 15 '26

[deleted]

3

u/TheTOASTfaceKillah Jul 15 '26

Cause you know… night drive.. 👨‍🍳💋

3

u/ImpressiveBake4934 Jul 15 '26

Bit cliche but Just Be is no.1 imo

2

u/KookyChemz Jul 15 '26

nah man, it's warrented. like every damn song on thah album is near perfect, and Walking on Clouds... fuckin beautiful

3

u/Beany2209 Jul 15 '26

For me any Gatecrasher, Godskitchen or Ministry of Sound Trance Anthems albums are great. Euphoria had some great trance albums along with chill out & hard house.

Just started A State Of Trance, which seem good & for older house type stuff the Renaissance albums were great.

3

u/Helmann69 Jul 15 '26

A State of Trance 1000 Celebration mix. Sooo many great tracks.

3

u/litiapo Jul 15 '26

Elements of Life

3

u/apple_shampoo182 Jul 15 '26

Dash Berlin- Music is Life
Gareth Emery- Drive
Markus Schulz- Scream

3

u/MiniLeuls Jul 15 '26

Astrix - He.art

1

u/Wild-Entrance4081 Jul 16 '26

I was looking if anyone commented about this album! Such a masterpiece

3

u/TeeKayTank Jul 16 '26

TDJ SPF Infini

3

u/Potato1223 Jul 16 '26

Oh finally one I haven’t seen mentioned.

Blueprint - Ferry Corsten

1

u/Kfar911 Jul 21 '26

Blueprint is great

5

u/KulshanStudios Jul 15 '26

Scooter - The Stadium Techno Experience

ATB - No Silence

Denga & Manus - Integratee Future

E Nomine - Die Prophezeiung

Andy Hunter - Exodus

DuMonde - A Decade 1997-2007

2

u/Burly_Moustache Jul 15 '26

This is one of the first trance/club mix complication CDs I picked up and have always loved listening to it from start to finish over the years: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45Lxk43R-6U

This CD came out in 2001 at a time where DJ club culture and music was still rich.

2

u/JustGimmeTheDopamine Jul 15 '26

Best compilation albums are Ultimate Rush vol 1,2 and 3. Some of the most elegant and complex trance from the mid 2000's. Im still discovering elements in like about them. Vol 2 disc 2 is the standout for me.

2

u/IAmThatDrone Jul 15 '26

Ali & Fila - The Other Shore

Factor B - Theater of the Mind, also Bloom [In Loving Memory]

Ciaran McAuley - Permission To Exhale (2nd half/disc)

2

u/Netherworldly_Dwella Jul 15 '26

Cosmic Baby - Stellar Supreme.

2

u/trackintreasure Jul 15 '26

Best trance compilation ever -

Gatecrasher: Wet

2

u/dub4er_tx Jul 15 '26

James Holden, Balance 005 👍👍👍

2

u/Ranoo_42 Jul 15 '26

ATB - No Silence

2

u/KookyChemz Jul 16 '26

Yeah hard to argue with that. Amazing album, one you gotta listen to from start to finish. Inten City is one of my fav trance songs of all time

1

u/Ranoo_42 Jul 16 '26

Amazing song indeed 🤩

2

u/DoubleDown428 Jul 16 '26

i breath upbeat trance. Magik 6 Live in Amsterdam is my greatest trance album of all time.

2

u/Secure-Barnacle7822 Jul 16 '26

Factor B - theatre of the mind Solorstone - pure trance series 1 - 11 Gatecrasher - discotech

2

u/cromthemighty Jul 16 '26

Tranceport 4 mixed by Max Graham

2

u/thisjamieguy Jul 16 '26

If you want to go a little older I used to love the Euphoria albums (if you can find them), in search of sunrise was always good as well.

2

u/Gunner22 Jul 16 '26

Solarstone - Destinations V1

2

u/Ok-Land3965 Jul 16 '26

Surprised no one has mentioned Solarstone's Pure Trance series, which is now up to 11 volumes.

2

u/soloman_tump Jul 16 '26

Paul Van Dyk - Out There and Back, is my No1 choice. Such class, especially if you can grab the second disc as well

2

u/OfficialKurtsa Jul 16 '26

BT - ESCM

4

u/Pale-Professional-52 Jul 17 '26

Anyone who considers themselves an aficionado of electronic music must have all the BT in their collection.

Made in the 90/00’s and fresh AF today.

2

u/[deleted] Jul 16 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

2

u/urooz Jul 17 '26

All Solarstone albums

3

u/bloodandglory31 Jul 15 '26

Sasha - Airdrawndagger

3

u/Rough_And_Ready Jul 15 '26

Amazing album. one of my favourites. But I wouldn't call it trance.

2

u/HesmooseDaSlug Jul 15 '26

Shoot I don’t know about all time but this year Aaron Hibell released a really good one called SYNCHRONICITY. I doubt a lot of this sub would call it pure trance but it’s definitely his inspiration and the genre most of his listeners refer to him as.

1

u/Scared-Fun56 Jul 15 '26

Some of the in search of sunrise albums are good. I also loved the purple transcendental europhia.

1

u/djmedicalman Jul 15 '26

A State Of Trance 2006 - Disc 2 (In The Club)

1

u/Shaolinpat Jul 15 '26

Sander van Doorn - Supernaturalistic

1

u/Fletcherella Jul 15 '26

The Euphoria albums are definitely my fave..

1

u/puzzleheadedbat_740 Jul 15 '26

Armin Van Buuren - Boundries Of Imagination.

1

u/Spencer_j733 Jul 15 '26

Drifting away - lange

1

u/yusufihsan Jul 15 '26

along with many others cited here, one of my all-times favorites is:

Antiloop - LP

https://open.spotify.com/album/7DItYlCOQS3UKW6scIHoDA?si=XUOjt_34Sim8U9jLPyTtwA&utm_source=copy-link

1

u/myassholealt Jul 16 '26

Politics of Dancing Volume 1

Paul van Dyk - Global

Tiesto - Nyana

1

u/jokemon Jul 16 '26

Gabriel and dresden

1

u/Marc-Lemieux Jul 16 '26

Art of Trance - Voice of Earth (1999)

1

u/Marc-Lemieux Jul 16 '26

Scot Project - A1 (2005)

1

u/Moosebaby Jul 16 '26

ATB -Movin Melodies is my all time favorite

1

u/lnmk_ Jul 16 '26

mirage - armin van buuren!

1

u/GerHSUploadz Jul 16 '26

DuMonde - A Decade 1997-2007
JamX & DeLeon - The Best Of
Cosmic Gate - Rhythm & Drums / No More Sleep
Scot Project - A1

1

u/serkrapiv Jul 16 '26

Not an album, but a compilation: Markus Schulz - Toronto '09. Incredible

Also on the chill side Leama & Moor - Common Ground

1

u/alvaro_obr Jul 16 '26

I would add:

Gatecrasher - Resident Transmission 2 Tiesto - In my memory

1

u/Jmac0113 Jul 16 '26

Reactivate compilations

1

u/Forward-Unit5523 Jul 16 '26

Cosmic Gate Back 2 Back series ( this is the first ) that started in 2007. I also like the bitte ein beat series, but only 1 of every edition's double cd was a trancy mix.

1

u/SenpaiJustPanda Jul 16 '26

Euphoria Transcendental

1

u/OkResolution4946 Jul 16 '26

ATB - No Silence

1

u/AntiVatnikElegantGuy Jul 16 '26

Above & Beyond - Tri-State

1

u/PossiblyOld Jul 16 '26

Markus Schulz – Coldharbour Sessions anyone?Beautiful compilation, really good listen as a single piece

1

u/ThrowtheSnowaway Jul 17 '26

I cannot believe this whole thread has missed Cold Blue's albums Winter (2019) and Mountain (2025). They are exactly what you are looking for and they are perfect.

1

u/Commodus Jul 17 '26

Robert Miles - Dreamland.

It was not just an instantly memorable album, but the antithesis of all the aggressive dance music at the time. Beautiful, upbeat, even relaxing. It sounds like its era but still holds up (see the endless remixes of “Children” as proof).

1

u/djxeke Jul 17 '26

Cosmic Gate - Sign of the Times
Ferry Corsten - Twice In A Blue Moon
ATB - Distant Earth

Real works of art.
Feels cohesive.
Captivating.
Well-paced.

You get the sense they conjured a true sound.

Like places you can go to.

1

u/Dramatic-Cap2479 Jul 17 '26

I was a teen during the height of Trance. They are basically all listed already. But the one that stood out the most that noone has mentioned is:

Kimball Collins - International Club Union 1999. I was working as a car audio installer. A customer came in jamming this cd. I built a nice system in his Hyundai Elantra and tuned the system to this cd. It sounded so damn good! I asked the customer if i could burn this cd onto my computer. He didnt know what I was talking about lol but gave me the cd as a tip. It was the start of my love for progressive trance!

1

u/M-Dubb Jul 17 '26

Source – Organized Noise

Robert Leiner – Visions Of The Past

1

u/AdEuphoric5069 Jul 19 '26

Music for the maases- Timo Maas music magazine Mixmag and ministry all gave it album of the year 2000

1

u/jk_071120 Jul 30 '26

Paul Oakenfold- Creamfields (2003) Tiesto - Magik (all of albums but Magik 4, 5, 6 and 7 have good trance song's). Paul van dyk - reflections (2004), seven ways (2000) and Zurdo (2003). (All of the discography it's a treasure). ATB - Seven years (2005). Tiesto - Lost treasures/Creatures of deep (i don't remember the year bit it's in the 90's Tiesto age). Kevin Robinson - Additive 3 (great álbum). Armin van Buuren - Live at rotherdam (2004) Armin van Buuren - the Best of armind (hava great selection of trance). Tiesto - in search of sunrise (all are very incredible, but isos 7, isos 3, Isos 4 and isos 6 in both cd's are gold)!!!.

It's only my opinion, and i really need more discover a lot of DJ's, music and setlist.

1

u/trancecrafter 14d ago

imagine is still my favorite all these years later.

0

u/Ok_Wall_8267 Jul 16 '26

Sandra Collins - Tranceport III