Progressive House and Trance are two of those dance music sub-genres that aren’t going away anytime soon. While there was a time when Trance was the most popular type of music, back when guys like Tiesto and Armin Van Buuren were actually producing and spinning Trance music, it has taken a bit of a back seat to Big Room tracks. Progressive House, while having varying sounds, can be either perfect for main stages or for late night after parties. Both sub-genres are complicated in structure, contain lots of melody, and bring us driving four-on-the-floor beats. The Anjunabeats and Pryda Friends teams have been instrumental in shaping the sounds of both the Trance and Progressive worlds, respectively, and have been doing so for years. While guys like Eric Prydz, Above & Beyond, and Arty have been top-tier names for years, other artists emerged in a whole new way during 2014. I’m looking at production talent in Fehrplay, Andrew Bayer, Ilan Bluestone, Pierce Fulton, Audien, and Myon & Shane 54. And some day soon I hope Richard Knott emerges as a household name, as his productions and mixes are worthy of being played on repeat.
While we don’t necessarily post a ton in the Trance & Progressive realm of things here on MMIBTY.com, I’m probably the biggest proponent of these sounds. The 10 songs we put together are a combination of popular tracks from 2014 as well as some of my favorite from the genre. Turn the volume way up and go support the artists if you like what you hear.
What did we miss from this list? Let us know!
- Eric Prydz – Liberate
- Fehrplay – Everywhere You Go
- Richard Knott – Mantra
- Andrew Bayer – Once Lydian
- Myon & Shane 54 – Summer of Love
- Audien – Hindsight
- Pierce Fulton – Kuaga
- Ilan Bluestone – Spheres
- Porter Robinson – Lionhearted (Arty Remix)
- Above & Beyond – Sticky Fingers