Hypnotised: A Journey Through American Trance Music (1992-2002) (Various Artists)

Triple vinyl LP pressing. After previous stop-offs in The Netherlands, Germany, The UK and Belgium, May 2025 finds 'Hypnotised' - the country-by-country-hopping history of trance music - reaching American shores. There it explores one of the genre's lesser told yet equally fascinating tales. The fifth album in the series is again compiled by Arjan Rietveld, author of it's encyclopaedic companion book, Hypnotised: A Journey Through Trance Music 1990 - 2005. To a significant extent, the American trance scene evolved inside it's own bubble. Ocean-crossing breakout acts were rare, which gave the scene space to develop a distinct sound and identity - one that was driving yet linear, progressive, more tribal, and less focused on the melodic elements that dominated the European landscape. Over time, certain elements of the sound were adapted to suit the unique demands of the legendary U.S. desert raves in Arizona, Nevada, and California. In it's formative years especially, American trance also leaned toward the experimental, which is where 'Hypnotised: A Journey Through American Trance Music' begins it's story.