1998-2001 is widely regarded by many as the period where dance really made it big. People were going out all the time, big name DJs became superstars and were playing 3 or 4 gigs a week, nights like cream/gatecrasher/godskitchen became global brands, ibiza absolutely exploded and even your mum knew who judge jules was.

I actually consider myself very lucky to have been a part of it as i first got the dance bug around 1998 just when it was starting to snowball. The most popular music at the time of course was trance which I think was no coincidence why the bubble got so big, as a music form it is very "musical" and naturally accessible and appealing, yet it also has punch and drive so you can pound away to it on the dance floor.

So on this subject gotta few things wanna put out there:

1. It's occurred to me that whenever anyone first gets the dance music bug they naturally think the first few years of when they are listening to it are 'the best years' as its when its all fresh and romantic to them. So do people think any other eras were actually the golden years? eg. Piano house prior to this period? the Funky House explosion afterwards? Electro at the mo?

2. After about 2001, the bubble kinda burst, club attendance plummeted and everything died down. Who's fault was that:

a) the music ie people got sick of the same thing and nothing good enough replaced it

b) the DJs ie disappearred up their asses and started playing dull prog and demanding too much

c) the club brands ie all got corporate and the magic died

d) or your own theory...

3) Lastly, there is a reason for this being on my mind, i didn't just wake up with the notion. WARNING PLUG HERE: Doing a party to celebrate 1998-2001 where all the old tunes will be coming out, i'll let the poster below do the talking.

Thanks for any comments people, be as controversial as possible. Rob N feel free to wax lyrical..

Tiesto feat Andain - Beautiful things (absolute tune)
Hybrid - Theory
Motorcycle - as the rush comes
Tiesto - Just Be

All after 2001 i think babe, you'll have to do your own night, 2002-2004 the week after ;o) xx

Great idea though Russ - i'll try and escape the stag do i'm meant to be on for this one!

Forgot to add some of my dancefloor favs of the time:

Dirt Devils - The Drill
Tenth Planet - Ghosts
York - On The Beach
Vincent De Moor - Fly Away
PPK - Resurection

Lost Witness - Happiness Happening

oh and i can't remember what year this came out but i'm pretty sure it was around the same time

Joy Kitikonti - Joy Energiser

This tune used to go OFF every time! Good times =)

Tenth Planet - Ghosts



Ok, i'll add a few:

Veracocha - Carte Blanche
Airscape - L'esperanza
Picotto - Lizard (with or without the Camisra bootleg bizness!!)
Picotto - Back to Cali (Push mix)
Tiesto - (Sub)Urban Train (either album version, or Cosmic Gate Mix)
Polaroid - So Damn Beautiful (Dogzilla Mix)
Arome - Hands Up (Scot Project Mix)
Armin - Communication
Blank & Jones - Cream
Solarstone - Seven Cities
Scott Bond - Third Earth
Marc Dawn - Expander
Sasha - Xpander
Art of Trance - Madagascar

Some are newer than 2001, but what the fuck ;o)

Xpress2 - Smoke Machine

BOOM

Oh and 12 inch thumpers - Dont Cross the Line.

Kosheen - Catch (Hiver & Hammer Mix)
BK - Revolution
Way out West - Domination
Age of Love - Age of Love

Indeed this was the golden era for sure.
Was all about the music and the music sure could back it up.
A time when sleep was a bonus.
This should be an awesome night.

Fave year: 1999 just about shades 2000 by 8%.

Thinking back (and finding a load of event / festival ticket stubs in with a load of old photos!) I'd say it was still pretty strong after 2001. 2002 was a great year, and it wasn't til 2003 that the quality of the tunes churned out started to become weaker. Creamfields 03 (the last big trancey thing i went to) was a messy affair.. ;oD
Gatecrasher were still doing some awesome parties at Heaven up until about 2004, too.

b) the DJs ie disappearred up their asses and started playing dull prog and demanding too much

c) the club brands ie all got corporate and the magic died

I love prog so can't say I agree with that but the first and last points of B and the point made in C I totally agree with, still, there's loadsa quality tunes coming out and if you go to the right kinda nights you can still have a wicked time, it's jut that alot of big clubs lose there magik because every Tom, Dick & Harry go there like it's a carpet and chrome ritzy glitzy place to be cool and hang out, they have no clue about the music or what attracts the real clubbers to these places.

I understand where people are coming from when they say it but it's a bit old hat though when you hear people constantly going on about, 'Back in the day! Oh it were all better back in the day' something you can often find a worn out late 20's something saying at an after party as they try to masticate their eyebrows!

I'm never really a fan of classics nights but good luck with this one, hope it goes well ;)

Chicane - Saltwater

(please for the love of god dont play that gash 'bruised water' mash up with natasha bedingfield!!)

1998 was when I first bought decks so there is definately a lot of music from this era that means a lot to me. It was around this time that a lot of people I know (and a lot of people in general I'm sure) got a proper taste of dance music and how good it could be. Although I always listened to jungle/hardcore in previous years its really because of music like this that I'm the way I am today.

Also I may be wrong but I'm sure it was around 1998 that shows like Dance Anthems and Judge Jules' saturday show started, meaning all this new music that was emerging had a nation wide platform every weekend. Obviously Pete Tong had already been going for a while but it was these other shows that really embraced the sounds that were huge at that time.

As for fav tunes I could go on all day but apart from whats already been mentioned a few that spring to mind are:

Binary Finary - 1998 (Matt Darey Mix)
Bedrock - Heaven Scent
Matt Darey - Liberation
Freefall - Skydive
Sputnik - Stylus Trouble
Cygnus X - Superstring
Signum - What Ya Got 4 Me
Lucid - Can't Help Myself
CJ Bolland - The Prophet (could be a bit older that one)

Oh and Moonman - Don't be afraid

Cracking tune

There's definitely something about the trance era, that gets people passionate about the music. Memories associated with tunes, etc. The feel good factor isn't as abundant in dance music now. Takes a really special tune nowadays to get the hairs standing up on my neck like they used to!

I am yet to put my input on a thread ever but reading this felt compelled to do so....! Brilliant idea for a night and I hope it happens again....
I love trance and always have done, even at school when I was too young to make it past the bouncers! It is the best to dance to and I absolutley love driving to it.
Saw John 'oo' Fleming at a Gatecrasher classics night a few years back and he played all mentioned above so I am going to be making a beeline for him at Gatecrasher Summer Soundsystem this year, so even though I can't make this night I will be reaching for the lasers and supporting trance elsewhere!

Fave year: 1999

remember you on the top step by the pillar every sat night in the HC, off your tits, havin it til lights up....happy days eh.

PPK - Resurection

gash.

Armin - Communication

thats more like it.

Ha ha who like's a bit of irony? I've had to change the artwork because some of the brands on the poster have complained about the use of their logo's without permission... So I think whoever argued c) ie it all went corporate may have been on to something!

I understand it's not on if someone uses another company's logo to profit from their brand, esp since they could do a poor job and the company could be mis-represented. However I think this was far from the case and it is quite clear that I was celebrating what was(is) good about these brands.

Faced with the david and goliath independent vs. corporation situation I've duly buckled under the pressure and changed the artwork as you can see. My apologies to any of the the clubbing brands, I was saluting you, not extorting you.


My actual take on the thread was that there was something special about those years and a lot was to do with the music, ie simple eurphoric trance that appealed to all. That was tho in fact the downfall as something so simple soon sounded tired and like all musical movements became stale. The bubble burst with it for a number of reasons, but i think that it's thanks in a large part to the trance of that era that it happend in the first place.

Here's some of the shit that did it for me during the era 98-01:)

Mekka Diamondback
Cass & Slide - Perception (Vocal mix & Original)
Max Graham - Airtight
Max Graham - Falling Together
The Auranaut - People Want To Be Needed
Cloud 69 - Sixtynine Ways
M.I.K.E. - Sunrise at Palamos
BT - Flaming June
Pulp Vicitm - The World '99
Three Drives - Greece 2000
Planisphere - Moonshine
Yahel & Eyal - Voyage
Veracocha - Carte Blanche (First vinyl I ever bought!!!)

Some fond memories there! Finding future classics is what it's all about now though, there's so many quality tunes coming out, musically the scene has never been better if you ask me :)