Companion playlist
Why the playlist starts with Kraftwerk.
This is the companion playlist to Euphoria Unleashed. It runs chronologically through the same history the book tells, and it isn't a best of Trance list. Every track earns its spot because it does something the next one builds on, starting with the machines that made this music possible and ending where the genre sits now.
Each era below matches a stretch of the history section of the book, and the resources page has genre maps and radio shows if you want to keep digging past the playlist. The timeline gives the same eight eras as one continuous read, and the glossary defines the production terms in the era notes.
This page is the historical sequence. If you want the other view, the canon page covers why a handful of records became shared reference points, which is a different question from where they sit in the story.
The path
Eight eras, in sequence.
Open an era to see what you're hearing and why it sits where it does. Play it straight through, or leave it running while you read.
The synthesizer records and sequencer tracks that electronic dance music got built on. This is where the listening starts.
Artists
- Kraftwerk
- Tangerine Dream
- Jean-Michel Jarre
- Giorgio Moroder
Rhythm-driven industrial and electronic body music, the sound that carried machine music onto club floors.
Artists
- Front 242
- Skinny Puppy
- Nitzer Ebb
The years the sound takes shape and gets a name, out of Europe's club and rave scenes.
Artists
- Orbital
- The Orb
- KLF
- Future Sound of London
- Jam & Spoon
Melody moves to the front, and the records most people still name first get made here.
Artists
- Paul van Dyk
- Robert Miles
- Café Del Mar
- Gouryella
- Cygnus X
Trance at its widest reach, filling arenas and festival crowds around the world.
Artists
- Tiësto
- Chicane
- Above & Beyond
- BT
- Rank 1
The sound splits into camps, with progressive, uplifting and psy pulling in different directions.
Artists
- Gareth Emery
- Dash Berlin
- Aly & Fila
- Markus Schulz
Radio shows and residencies turn listeners into communities that travel to be together.
Artists
- Above & Beyond (Group Therapy era)
- Armin van Buuren (Intense era)
Psytrance crossover, classics revivals and a new festival generation finding the sound on its own terms.
Artists
- Vini Vici
- Factor B
- Gareth Emery
- Armin van Buuren
- Andrew Bayer
Listen
The full sequence on Spotify.
Streaming availability changes over time. The playlist follows the book's chronology, but it isn't a complete index of every track named in the manuscript.
Spotify's embedded player displays the first 100 tracks. Open the complete playlist on Spotify.
Full index
Every track, in playlist order.
The full running order as it stands on Spotify, from track 001 through track 123. Nothing here is reordered, and titles and artist credits are listed the way Spotify lists them, version suffixes and all.
- Pre-Trance Roots001AutobahnKraftwerk
- 002PhaedraTangerine Dream
- 003Oxygène, Pt. 4Jean-Michel Jarre
- 004ChaseGiorgio Moroder
- 005Computer Love - 2009 RemasterKraftwerk
- 006Blue MondayNew Order
- 007An Ending (Ascent) - Remastered 2005Brian Eno
- 008E2-E4 Ruhige Nervosität 1 - MixedManuel Göttsching
- 009Structures from Silence - 30th Anniversary RemasterSteve Roach
- EBM / Industrial Bridge010AssimilateSkinny Puppy
- 011Join In The ChantNitzer Ebb
- 012Strings Of LifeRhythim Is Rhythim
- 013Headhunter V1.0Front 242
- Birth of Trance1989 - 1993014Pacific State808 State
- 015Chime (Edit) - RemasteredOrbital
- 016Energy FlashJoey Beltram
- 017Little Fluffy CloudsThe Orb
- 018Last Train To Trancentral (da Force, Over & Out)The KLF
- 019The Age Of Love - Radio EditAge Of Love
- 020Papua New GuineaThe Future Sound Of London
- 021HALCYON + ON + ONOrbital
- 022Blue RoomThe Orb
- 023Acperience 1Hardfloor
- 024Rez - RemasteredUnderworld
- 025Right in the Night (Fall in Love with Music)Jam & Spoon, PLAVKA
- 026StellaJam & Spoon
- Golden Age1994 - 1999027Café Del Mar - Three 'n One Remix - 30 Years Anniversary Vinyl Remaster [Remastered]Energy 52, Three 'N One
- 028L'esperanzaSven Väth, Ralf Hildenbeutel
- 029Loops Of InfinityTalla 2XLC, Cosmic Baby
- 030Stellar SupremeCosmic Baby
- 031For an AngelPaul van Dyk
- 032Last Train to LhasaBanco De Gaia
- 033Children - Original VersionRobert Miles
- 034InsomniaFaithless
- 035Higher State of Consciousness (Tweekin Acid Funk)Josh Wink
- 036Born Slippy (Nuxx)Underworld
- 037OffshoreChicane
- 038Blue FearArmin van Buuren
- 039Dancing GalaxyAstral Projection
- 040MahadevaAstral Projection
- 041Flaming JuneBT
- 042SilenceDelerium, Sarah McLachlan
- 043Encore Une FoisSash!
- 044Superstring - Original VersionCygnus X
- 0459 Pm - Till I ComeATB
- 046SaltwaterChicane, Moya Brennan
- 047Seven Cities - Solarstone's Atlantis MixSolarstone
- 048Carte BlancheVeracocha, Ferry Corsten
- 049GouryellaGouryella, Ferry Corsten
- 050Out Of The BlueSystem F
- 051XpanderSasha
- Peak Era2000 - 2004052SandstormDarude
- 053Airwave - Original MixRank 1
- 054CommunicationArmin van Buuren
- 055TenshiGouryella
- 056Tell Me Why (The Riddle)Paul van Dyk
- 057We Are AlivePaul van Dyk
- 058Flight 643Tiësto
- 059Lethal IndustryTiësto
- 060Exploration of SpaceCosmic Gate
- 061Fire WireCosmic Gate
- 062DreamingBT
- 063Fly AwayVincent de Moor
- 064L.E.D. There Be LightRank 1
- 065Beautiful Things - Gabriel & Dresden RemixAndain, Gabriel & Dresden
- 066As The Rush ComesMotorcycle, JES, Gabriel & Dresden
- 067Traffic - Radio EditTiësto
- 068Adagio for StringsTiësto
- 069Satellite - Radio EditAbove & Beyond, OceanLab
- 070Good For MeAbove & Beyond, Zoë Johnston
- 071Can't SleepAbove & Beyond
- 072Burned With DesireArmin van Buuren, Justine Suissa
- Progressive Shift2005 - 2009073Becoming InsaneInfected Mushroom
- 074Big SkyJohn O'Callaghan, Audrey Gallagher
- 075L.S.D.Hallucinogen
- 076We Control The SunlightAly & Fila, Jwaydan
- 077MainstageMarkus Schulz
- 078On A Good DayAbove & Beyond, OceanLab
- 079Sirens Of The SeaAbove & Beyond, OceanLab
- 080Till The Sky Falls DownDash Berlin
- 081WaitingDash Berlin, Emma Hewitt
- 082Find YourselfJohn O'Callaghan, Sarah Howells
- 083SanctuaryGareth Emery, Lucy Saunders
- 084Long Way HomeGareth Emery
- 085PureSolarstone
- Modern Trance2010 - 2014086Not Giving Up On LoveArmin van Buuren, Sophie Ellis-Bextor
- 087Sun & Moon - Original MixAbove & Beyond, Richard Bedford
- 088Thing Called Love - Original MixAbove & Beyond, Richard Bedford
- 089Superman - Original MixMat Zo
- 090Concrete Angel - Radio EditGareth Emery, Christina Novelli
- 091The Messenger 2012Infected Mushroom
- 092StrangersSeven Lions, Myon, Shane 54, Tove Lo
- 093This Is What It Feels LikeArmin van Buuren, Trevor Guthrie
- 094IntenseArmin van Buuren, Miri Ben-Ari
- 095The GiftNorin & Rad, Recurve
- 096Brush StrokesSimon Patterson
- 097For All TimeAly & Fila, Jaren
- 098Big BenIlan Bluestone
- 099Exactly - Original MixJohn O'Callaghan, Bryan Kearney
- 100Harvester - Original MixWill Atkinson
- 101HindsightAudien
- Contemporary2015 - present102We're All We NeedAbove & Beyond, Zoë Johnston
- 103Blue Sky ActionAbove & Beyond, Alex Vargas
- 104The TribeVini Vici
- 105Linking PeopleGiuseppe Ottaviani
- 106am2pmCosmic Gate
- 107Great SpiritArmin van Buuren, Vini Vici, Hilight Tribe
- 108Saving LightGareth Emery, STANDERWICK, HALIENE
- 109MandalaBlastoyz
- 110Beyond The LightsAly & Fila
- 111In My Last LifeAndrew Bayer, Alison May
- 112Into YouJason Ross, Karra
- 113Into the LightFactor B
- 114Till The SunriseGiuseppe Ottaviani
- 115SomebodyGareth Emery, Kovic
- 116Confirm HumanityMark Sherry
- 117Watch the Way You MoveCraig Connelly, Natalie Major
- 118NumbGenix, LYCA
- 119Set Me FreeArmin van Buuren, SACHA
- 120PunkFerry Corsten, KASIA
- 121Ascendance - Radio EditZenOne
- 122Mescaline - Original Mix1200 Micrograms
- 123Obsidian Dawn - Original MixZenOne