I am a big fan of trance of the 90s, as well as house. The whole decade of the 90s was great for EDM. Heady times indeed. While I think trance music is probably a little bit better than the house music that preceeded it, starting with chicago/acid house, I love the scene and culture from the early 90s. Before 94/95, there was a lot less variety/genres. I love the "disco-like" percussion and synth beats, with African American soul-ful vocals thrown over it. It was before my time, but those big raves like Sunrise and Back to the Future in England from 88-92 must have been incredible. The sense of community and belonging to a special subculture must have been a truly unique time since it was entirely brand new and of course, MDMA played a huge role in enhancing the experience on many levels. New music, new drugs, huge parties of dancing youth awash in ecstasy with grins on their faces, obviously living for the moment, where nothing else outside the party mattered. Everyone was experiencing something new. I am stealing this quote form someone (I forget who), but it was a time before ppl realized it was just music and drugs. Many thought it was a social movement that was going to change the world, even if they didn't say it.
After rave laws, crackdowns, parties split up got smaller. Then starting around late 92, 93 and certainly by 1995, EDM splintered into house, drum n bass, jungle, gabber, eurodance, house, trance, psytrance, and alot more. Of all the different types that emerged, I think trance was the best of the "new" genres that emerged in the late 90s. Trance definitely had a new sound to it, and let's face it, it was designed to cater to the mdma experience. While hosue music I feel has it's roots more in music like disco and soul, trance has a structure closer to classical music, with movements and crescendos and almost always female vocals. I often prefer non-vocal trance, but some vocal trance is good.. as long as it focuses on the... "trance" if you get what I mean.
OP, my fav artists are pretty much very similar to what you listed.
Armin Van Buuren (prolly my fav)
Paul Van Dyk
Sander Van Doorn
Gabriel & Dresden (at one point they were the best remixers of trance)
Tiesto
Ferry Corsten
Rank 1
The whole of the 90s was pretty nice long party for ravers. The only snafus were the rave laws and increasingly adulterated pills as the decade progressed.
