A State of Trance Year Mix 2023 (Mixed by Armin van Buuren)

Deep uplifting trance is a more atmospheric, emotive strain of uplifting trance that favors warmer pads, longer breakdowns, and a more progressive, patient arrangement while still delivering the cathartic, euphoric drop associated with the parent style. Tempos typically sit in the mid‑130s BPM, with four‑on‑the‑floor kicks, syncopated off‑beat bass, and wide, shimmering supersaw leads. Major‑leaning chord progressions, extended breakdowns, side‑chain "pumping," and cinematic/orchestral colors are common, inherited directly from uplifting trance. Compared with more bombastic anthem trance, deep uplifting trance leans into harmonic storytelling and textural depth: airy choirs and strings, evolving pads, and subtle arpeggios set up long tension arcs before the release. The sound grew alongside the broader uplifting movement (late 1990s–2000s) and its orchestral offshoots, helped by DJs, radio shows, and labels in the Netherlands, Germany, and the UK.