Euphoric trance subgenre built around 138 BPM grooves, soaring leads, and emotionally cathartic breakdowns.
Definition
Uplifting trance is the most emotionally explicit subgenre of trance — designed to deliver moments of euphoric release through soaring lead synths, major-key chord progressions, and breakdowns that build to enormous, cathartic climaxes. The standard tempo is 138 BPM. Productions typically feature a rolling 16th-note bassline, a sidechained pad bed, and a melodic lead that takes over after the breakdown. The sound was largely defined in the late 1990s by Dutch and German producers including Ferry Corsten, Armin van Buuren, and Paul van Dyk, and remains the dominant style at events like A State of Trance and Future Sound of Egypt. Modern guardians of the sound include Aly & Fila, Andrew Rayel, and Bryan Kearney.