Uplifting trance
Uplifting trance is a broad subgenre of trance music. The name, which emerged in the wake of progressive trance in 1996, is derived from the feeling which listeners claim to get. The genre is popular in the trance scene. Classical music strongly influenced the development of uplifting trance both in the 1990s and in the 2000s, with film music also considered influential.
Characteristics
In general, uplifting trance is a style much happier in tone than other trance genres. Instead of the darker tone of Goa, uplifting trance uses similar chord progressions as progressive trance, but tracks' chord progressions usually rest on a major chord, and the balance between major and minor chords in a progression will determine how "happy" or "sad" the progression sounds.The genre features longer major chord progressions in all elements. It also contains extended breakdowns and relegation of arpeggiation to the background while bringing wash effects to the fore.
As a rule of thumb, trance beats are in the range of 135–140 BPM. Uplifting trance very commonly employs side-chain compression, a modern production technique. It is commonly referred to as "ducking the kick", where the background strings/synths have their volume automated, creating a pulsing effect on the off-beat.