TECHNO FAMILY TREE
INSTALLMENT ONE: TRANCE BRANCH

When we first set out to lay the foundation for the Radio-V webchannel, we decided that it would be enlightening for all of us to trace the entirety of Techno’s roots through it’s various incarnations and miscegenations. We all had bits and pieces that we could see fitting together, but the rubric of the whole and it’s constantly growing tendrils of associations were stifling our tracing. So we decided to break it down via a loose association of genres. Since Trance is the focus of BEAM 1.2, we begin with the Trance Branch.

Some players such as Kraftwerk have crossover and will show up on other lists as we track the digital tribes. There’ll be some artists that might be left off or out. That’s where you come in. Please use the Trance Branch Forum to give us feedback, info, praise, criticism, suggestions and additions. It’s YOURS!

In creating the Trance Branch, we tried to source out the various types of music and musical expression that have led into what we call “Psychedelic Trance,” “Progressive” or “Tribal Trance.” Any music that has rhythmic entrainment as a carrier qualifies as “Trance Music.” However, even though there is a lot of African music that has trance elements percolating through the rhythms, we felt that primarily the North African styles of the Gnawas, Jajoukas and Berbers trickle into association by what we call “Trance.” As we spread the tree out, ultimately source and tap-root will overlap and I’m sure that we’ll see the cultural chutes intertwine and instruct our assemblage. --R. Phoenix