Cheesey Trance

[haste]

Many times I have read people describing trance, or should I say a particular type of Trance as cheese. Well I've gotten to a point where, call me niave or whatever, I need to know what constitutes a cheesy song.
I have always seen music as a personal thing, from the very momment I first picked up a guitar and through the many music genre's there are. Music has the power to touch a person's very soul. Spiritualy it can reach deep within us and stir up emmotions of happiness, love, friendship, and on other the hand sadness, loss and pain. There is no part in our lives where music does not touch us in some way, shape or form.
I look into my 4 yr old son'e eyes and see the happiness that the Wiggles bring him. To you and me the Wiggles amount to boring and basic music, but to him the world strarts and ends with them. The music has touched him in a special way that only music can - do we call this cheesey kiddies crap - I think not. I don't see music in this way. I have witnessed the joy that many different genre's of music bring to people, and this is the gift of music.
Is any type of music better than the other - I think not. Different genre's touch us in varying degree's, and some genre's have no effect.
I remember with the explosion of Grunge there was an urge among young people to be alternative. It went beyond the music, to the clothing, the hairstyles and the attitude. Is this a bad thing - shit no!! - if it's what you really feel and believe. In any genre there has always been a style that has been adopted. However with alot of people it was adapted for the sake of being with the "in" crowd. Young people are at a point in their lives of discovery and often follow a trend and disregard their true likes and dislikes in order to fit in. If you listened to commercial radio and liked commercial bands it was a no no, you were bagged for listening to commercial crap. This still happens today. The sad thing in the end was that everyone turned grunge music into a commercial jugernaut? I think we see this happening today in the Rave scene where everyone has jumped on the band wagon. Raves have been driven out of the underground and out into the mainstream.
What do we do when Drum'n'Bass, Psy Trance, Tek House etc etc become mainstream - do we drop them because they are now commercial and cheesey, or de we still embrace them for the passion they bring us, in the very way that cheesey trance embraces alot of people. Keep music within your heart and don't worry about what the trends are, or what people think - if you love the ambient and progressive trance then stick with it - there is no such thing as cheesey trance.
Just because a majority call it cheesey does not make it cheesey!!!! For many years I have been bagged for listening to Pink Floyd (especially their earlier material). Nothing but a bunch of jumbled noises - to them - to me another story.
Personally I love trance - in all it's incarnations - and nothing sets me off like an awesome build up, the more the merrier

Well thats off my chest, please no raving attacks, it's just an opnion.
Hugz to you all

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"Never trust a man who, when left alone in a room with a tea cozy, doesn't try it on" - Billy Connolly

 

[Mr.Klownz]

Trancemaster 14 is by far "my" favoruite Trance type album. THe music on that is what classify as Trance. Very smooth and nice album!
Mr.Klownzy!

 

[Ben]

haste, I think that you've hit the nail on the head. Music is a personal thing, & so too is the definition of cheese. I know that I'll write off some things as cheese that the person next to me will think is the most beautiful music in the world, & vice versa. Do I place any stock in what commercialism says to dictate what I find cheesy? Hell no - for example I love Moloko , but can't stand to listen to Madison Avenue.
Although, cheese isn't all bad. Alot of music that I classify as cheese is purely music that's about having fun & I'll be there ripping up the dancefloor to cheesy anthems with everybody else when I'm in the mood.

(I always pass on the Venga Boys though)
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The rich would have to eat money, but luckily the poor provide food.

 

[BigTrancer]

Trance is swelling to become a very popular kind of music, particularly "Euro Trance". I read in MixMag a quote from a music producer (I forget his name now) who said "Dance music these days is split 50/50... half is Euro Trance, and the rest is disco shit". I don't necessarily agree with that, but I gather he was speaking from a viewpoint where sales matter, and trance sells.
One of my current favourite albums at the moment is Water: The Elements 1, with the first CD mixed by PeeWee Ferris, and the second by DJ Heaven. They take me on a bit of an emotional journey, from anticipation through curiosity and serenity to uplifted euphoria.
Another one of my favourites is a DJ Tiésto album named Search For Sunrise, which is just perfect for my tastes in music at this point.
BigTrancer

 

[iBROX]

As someone mentioned, everyone has different tastes in the music we listen to, and peoples opinions can vary, i tend to like the trancey/electronica type stuff, hard/fast techno isnt bad, but prefer the Ferry Corsten/PVD/Oakey type stuff.
Talking of good albums, get yer hands on Trance Nation 3 - Mixed by System F. Ferry Corsten, quality

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Later Slater!

 

[james]

The problem with defining cheese is that it is very subjective. As is the terms commercial or mainstream. A lot of stuff that is called cheesy, may not be popular and vice verse. Also something that is popular may not be commercial.
I believe that cheesy music aims at the lowest common denominator. In trance it will have token vocals, an abundance of builds and breakdowns....and usually will have trumpet sounds.
Also Euro Trance has many different interpretations. Eg in Europe it was originally trance to come out of Germany, Holland etc. It was and is hard, dark and driving sounds. Names such as Tom Wax, Arpeggiators, Dumonde etc come under this name. "Euro" or Euro dance is what many call the crap that is made by people such as ATB, System F, Gouryella etc and is the total opposite to euro trance, although this label is also very subjective - hence the confusion. Until we get strong style guidelines it will continue, but who wants that? and who will want to stick within the boundaries of them anyway......??? Not me thats for sure.
All I ask is that we all kill the cheese! My stomach is full of it and I can't eat anymore.
PS: the wiggles is crap!

 

[HappyCamper]

hey BigTrancer:
I just got that Water CD like 2 weeks ago as well and so far the Heaven CD just has not left my CD player. God i love that CD

Specially i think its the last song with those laser type sound things. Ahh you probly don't know what I am talking about but i'm happy and thats good.
Has anyone heard anything by The 5000 Fingers Of Dr. T? very ambient and cruisy trance. has some weird ass samples from an operation type sound as well. Very nice.
I just recently picked up one of the Slinky CD's as well.. and yeah not bad. haven't really listened to it yet, but theres some good stuf on there, including Pitchin'!

So Trancemasters 14 is the go you say ? Pencil it in for my next purchase ? Done and done. And I mean done.
byeeeeeee
H-C
I love to rave, I love to dance.
So hit the floors, and crank up the trance.

 

[haste]

James - cheese aims at the lowest denominator....sheeeeesh (bangs head against the wall). Explain lower denominator? Why is an abundance of build up's and breakdowns cheese? Again, I fail to understand how one type of music can be classified as cheese - musically (and music is what we are talking about here).
Mr.Klownz - I haven't heard Trancemasters 14 yet, but I have 18, 20, and 21 and they all rock!!!
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"Never trust a man who, when left alone in a room with a tea cozy, doesn't try it on" - Billy Connolly

 

[GreenAlien]

Hey George...Trance me outta here!!
haste...well said! Music is subjective and personal BUT there is crap in all styles and genres. If it works for you then go for it!
Personally Trance rocks! Mr Klownz I thought TM14 was pretty good. Infact the whole TM series isn't too bad at all (I have TM 4 - TM 22). There are some tracks on each CD which aren't very good, some tracks which are fucking amazing and others are there as fillers (but aren't bad!). TM 4 'Tribal Chill-out' was my first TM cd and is very cool. (You've piqued my curiosity I have now decided to listen to them all again!).
The TM series is but a drop in the ocean of the trance music out there (not telling you something you guys don't know!). I wish I just had more money to spend on music so I can buy anything and everything...Even non-trance styles..he he...I do buy other types but I love trance! Maybe my love for acid has something to do with this?
Anyway, enjoy your music cos only you know how it makes you feel/think. sometimes it's so hard to describe what it does to you/for you but we just know that it affects us (emotionally, etc) and we love it!
Hasta la vista!

 

[Hamlet]

some of you are saying that cheese = commercial stuff, while others of you are saying that cheese = trance.
now. i personally don't like musik that is too commercial, not because everyone listens to it, but becuase it is generally crap.
on the other hand I LOVE TRANCE. it is my favourite type of dance musik along with minimalist tekno.
yep klownz and others...trancemaster CDs are sssssswwwwwwwweeeeeeeetttttt. other good ones are the reactivate ones and the gatecrasher CDs.
here i say: LONG LIVE CHEESE!!! yum

 

[Mr. Horse]

I go to a school where music dictates life. Simple as that.
You play classical music: you have a group
you play jazz: you have a group
you sing pop shit: you have a group etc
then there is little ol' me in the corner who listens to everything from reactivate to will-E to John Coltrane to Beethoven. Does anyone wanna play with me? no. never. I hate it because basically, because I dont have this hardcore love for one particular style, I am ignored and thought of as an idiot. I dont really care, but I feel sorry for these jerkoffs because they are so rapt up in thier culture and pretensionism (is that a word??) that they are blinded. It makes me sick to the bone that people will be bagged and teased and humiliated because of musical beliefs. Dont believe me? ask Hamlet.
Now, I can't say that I am an angel in this regard. I have bagged cheeze more times than people have peaked off the binary finary 1998 build-up, but I can appreciate it, and even enjoy it in small doses. My favourite at the mo. is Groove Armada. Now, in my eyes, these guys have an extra part of their brain which is called the "groove" sector. I love em, they are the best, but some people hate em and I can respect that.
What I am getting at, is even tho you may hate a form of music, or a crowd, or a country etc, dont dis it jus because you dont like it. Give it a liston and realise why YOU dont like it and appreciate that other people do. There is nothing more pretentious in the world than a musical snob!!
And haste: I agree. Nice one! - Horse

 

[haste]

For the record horse, I was in the same boat at school, and even to this day cop flak for what I listen to - I guess thats why I feel the way I do.
And if you ever think something is shit, pick up an instrument and see how music embraces the soul and trust me you'll see music in a different light - you won't like everything (nor do I) but you'll respect it and understand what goes into it. It might be cheese trance to you, but to the producer it is a part of them - and thats special
I rambling on again...hehehhe

P.S> - So good to hear so many of you's like the Trancemaster series - i was starting to belive I was the only one.
Hugz to you all

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"Never trust a man who, when left alone in a room with a tea cozy, doesn't try it on" - Billy Connolly

 

[entropope]

ummmmmm Gatecrasher trance
don't get me wrong I'm not bagging it
I love it! Gimme the cheese
Its why I love GC so much. The whole thing I love about house is it's cheesiness, and GC takes it to extreme

I like some of their trance too

 

[candyflip]

Who CARES what they call it!?!...if you like it, you like it...who gives a frig what THEY think!...
about anything??!?
Be YOU, not their vision of you.... that's my advice.
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The latest Event info, Pill Tests and Club Listings, online: http://www.the-peak.com.au

 

[Fireal]

Yeah, like candyflip said, it shouldn't really matter what it's called, if it sounds good, then you should like it. Drugs were actually partially a means of getting rid of the last bit of my music snobbery, I'm sure some of you can relate.
Am personally not a big fan of trance at all, there are some cool tunes out there though. But ironically enough, when I have mentioned that I'm a big fan of dnb, jungle, I sometimes get a "I never got that whole jungle thing" or "yeah but how can you dance to it?..".. I just shrug and grin and think it's unpleasant that they're missing out.

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Winners don't do drugs ...They just sell them.

 

[Hamlet]

but candyflip remember: THEY r watching us...hahaha...agree with ya all there
horse: yep it sucks, but u only have to put up with it for a few months more...

to all: I LOVE MUSIC (full stop)

isn't that enough?
got to go eat some cheese, while listening to some...cheese...mmmm...i really do love cheese...yum ;p

 

[GoNeGoOsE]

You like it, LISTEN TO IT and most importantly, ENJOY IT!!! who gives a flying F^3K??? =)
It doesn't matter if it is hard tek, classical or even chinese opera!!!!!
-to each its own-
P.S. i always thought cheese was the fav food of mice?!?!

 

[Tarsarlan]

We all need our cheese, dairy products are one of the major food groups!
It's all been said very nicely by one or another before me in this thread, so I don't have much more to add except, it's popular, it's catchy, it's memorable, it's cheesy, it's GOOD!

 

[dangermouse]

the term "cheesE" is subjective.. i have a friend deep into the psychadelic trance scene that perceives anything that isn't psytrance to be cheesy! now i don't go that far.. but i do agree that a lot of the paul-van-dyk look a like sweeping synths type tracks are chessy. not because they're from particular artists, but because they're not original and they get boring after the first build up.
it's very easy to play a set of house/trance and not make it cheesy. (cheesy in this case referring to those big crowd pleasers that make the big macho guys flex). simply take the following dj's as examples:
sasha - global underground in ibiza. (pure magic minus the cheese).
anthony pappa - nubreed. this guy has a whole range of psytrance tracks mixed into the progressive trance, fucking awesome...
dave seaman - renaissance. what can i say? music doesn't get much sweeter than this..
if you have a crowd that doesn't need flashy tricks to get them going, cheese is not needed..

 

[the corinthian]

Music is definately a personal, spiritual thing.
I have always seen music as something greater than just sounds produced by people and implements. It has played such a great role in the development of man as a species, from the first caveman beating a tune out on a rock (or another guys skull), right up to modern times. Every culture on earth has had music in some way, shape, or form.
The amount of times I have been emotionally satisfied, listening to music, are too many to count. Music has the ability to lift you up and put you down; make you laugh, cry, scream. It, as haste accuratly stated, there is not a part of our lives that music does not touch; from the rythym and cadence of our speech, to the rolling and pacing of our steps. Music is not something easily labelled and parcelled into neat discriptions.
House; Trance; Grunge; Pop; Metal; Folk; Classical. Why do we feel this desperate need to compartmentalize every facet of our lives, and not just sit back and enjoy music in all it's inherent beauty.
I know that I would not be the person that I am today without the knowlege and self-enlightenment I have received through music.
I don't like to see people take this fragile bird, and cage it in their own definitions, holding one style up to the light, while leaving others in darkness. All music has aspects and interpretations to different people. But it is still music.
And even if that particular track doesn't appeal to you, there are fifty people out there who are enjoying it.
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"It has always been the prerogative of children and half-wits to point out that the emperor has no clothes"-Neil Gaiman