Trance · 2000s — present
What BPM is Tech trance?
Tech trance sits at 138 BPM at the median, with most tracks between 135 and 140 BPM. The genre's editorial range is 138–145 BPM; our catalog measures slightly tighter.
Median BPM
138
Common range
135–140
Mean
138
Tracks measured
408
BPM distribution
408 tracks · median 138 BPM · most of the catalog sits between 135 and 140 BPM · 24 outliers removed by IQR filter.
Why this tempo?
Tech trance emerged in the early 2000s as producers grafted techno's stripped-down drum architecture and industrial textures onto trance's four-on-the-floor momentum, settling at 138–145 BPM. This tempo sits above mainline trance (130–135 BPM) to accommodate faster kick patterns and breakbeat-inflected hi-hat rolls without sacrificing the genre's hypnotic, peak-time function. The range reflects hardware constraints of the era—drum machines and samplers operated efficiently at these speeds—and dancefloor physics: fast enough to sustain energy through extended breakdowns and filter sweeps, slow enough that sidechain compression and kick-snare separation remain audible. The genre thrived in techno-forward clubs where melodic restraint and driving repetition took precedence over trance's harmonic progression.
Where your track fits
Three reference points along the BPM axis for tech trance, with what the position implies about the track.
Groovy side
Lower quartile — patient builds, deeper grooves, long blends.
Genre centre
Median — what most tracks in the catalog actually sound like.
Peak-time edge
Upper quartile — pushes the floor, bridges into faster neighbours.
Where tech trance sits on the tempo axis
Median BPM of tech trance compared to neighbouring genres in the same family. Closer medians mean easier cross-genre transitions.
Popular tech trance tracks at the median BPM
Catalog tracks within ±2 BPM of 138, sorted by popularity.
Top tech trance artists in the catalog
Names you’ll meet often when building tech trance sets.
Producing tech trance — tempo notes
- ›Lock your kick pattern at 141 BPM with a tight, punchy attack (2–4 ms) to cut through dense synth layers; use sidechain compression on pads at a ratio of 4:1 to preserve groove definition.
- ›Build breakdowns around 16- or 32-bar phrase boundaries; introduce filter sweeps and reversed cymbals at 138–142 BPM to maintain tension without dropping below the genre's energy floor.
- ›Layer hi-hats with swing between 50–55% to add groove without destabilising the kick's pocket; keep the swing subtle to preserve the driving, metronomic character tech trance demands.
Mixing tech trance sets — tempo notes
- ›Blend incoming tracks over 16–24 bars at 140 BPM using EQ isolation: kill mids on the outgoing track's pads while bringing in the incoming kick, then reintroduce filtered highs to mask the transition.
- ›Use a tight, tempo-locked sidechain (attack 10 ms, release 150 ms) on your master channel to lock both tracks' kick pocket together during the blend; tech trance's minimal melodic content demands rhythmic precision.
- ›Cue breakdowns at the 32-bar mark; tech trance audiences expect peak-time energy to resume without extended build-ups, so plan your mix to drop back into the kick within one phrase boundary.