You may have noticed the euphoric sounds of trance have been working there way back into the mainstream over the last twelve months or so, but what of the true denizens in the genre? Who would be your pick of the DJs and producers who have absolutely smashed it in the trance stakes this year?
Well look no further. We have the results of our reader poll to find out who you think is the best trance DJ/producer of 2017.
The MusicRadar Best in music tech awards 2017 are brought to you in association with Softube - Tools for the Audio Professional
5. Tiësto
Musically, Tiësto might have shifted away from his pure trance roots in recent years in favour of a more radio friendly, EDM-informed sound.
It’s this ability to shapeshift that has given the Dutch DJ such longevity and staying power though; allowing him to morph with the times to maintain his position as one of the biggest names in international dance music culture.
4. BT
Having released his awkwardly titled LP _ at the end of last year, US electronic icon BT’s most notable output in 2017 wasn’t his music itself, but Phobos – the forward-thinking sample-based synthesizer he help create alongside London outfit Spitfire Audio.
Offering a unique polyphonic take on convolution, Phobos is the perfect fit for BT’s musical output; an instrument that transforms its source sounds into truly unique textures and genuinely futuristic synth tones.
3. Paul Van Dyk
Following a serious on-stage accident in 2016 that left him with spine and brain injuries, and forced to recover in hospital for several months, Paul Van Dyk was back on the circuit this summer with as much skill and enthusiasm as ever.
Remarkably, he even managed to release a new album in October, From Then On, which finds the German artist on re-energised, celebratory form.
2. Above & Beyond
Over 15 years into their career, the London trio continue to be one of the most visible and influential units in electronic music.
As a DJ act, they regularly play to some of the biggest crowds of anyone on the circuit, while their Anjunabeats and Anjunadeep labels remains some of the most reliable imprints in the business.
As they gear up for the release of their sixth album in January, it looks like 2018 is going to bring bigger things still.
1. Armin van Buuren
Of course Armin is going to top our trance poll. You’d be hard pressed to think of anybody more synonymous with the genre than the producer and DJ behind the hugely influential A State Of Trance radio show (which is now in its 16th year and rapidly creeping towards the 1000 episode mark).
Just this year, Armin opened a new studio complex in his native Amsterdam to provide the show a bigger and better home, alongside his ever-influential Armada label.
