A 2018 track by Alex Di Stefano has been picked up by both trance giants in recent days, offering one of the clearest examples of the direction they seem to be pointing towards: a blend of classic influences, progressive elements, and a more refined approach to trance
Recently, several figures in the music world have stated that 2026 will be the year of trance, including Armin van Buuren himself: after all, for true fans and producers, himself included, every year is the year of trance, so we can rest easy on that front. This statement, however, refers to a renewed desire among many artists not traditionally associated with trance to produce trance music outside of clubs and the usual niche, and this is exactly what has been happening over the past couple of years, as trance sounds increasingly appear in unexpected places.
It’s undeniable that the definitive boost for this renewed perception came with Tiësto’s release of Bring Me To Life (with FORS) last November, marking his unexpected but thrilling return to trance and progressive music: we all know what happened next: like any longtime trance enthusiast, we have closely followed and continue to follow the latest moves of Tiësto in this new era. This period has also been marked by the release of the second single from his upcoming trance album, the stunning Beautiful Places featuring Brieanna Grace. As if that weren’t enough, at the turn of the new year, Tiësto bid farewell to his long-running radioshow Club Life after eighteen years, welcoming Prismatic, a new platform entirely dedicated to trance and progressive music.
Tiësto’s return to trance coincides with the 25th anniversary of A State Of Trance by Armin van Buuren, which also falls this year: this milestone was celebrated with the first major Dutch stop of the world tour at Ahoy Rotterdam on February 27 and 28: two days of spectacular celebrations that we had the chance to live experience.
To further celebrate the history of the show and 25 years of trance, Armin launched a new format within his iconic radioshow in January: a special episode called UNFILTERED: once a month, instead of a regular episode, Armin dedicates the entire show to trance in its purest form, free from constraints, spanning past and present while maintaining the depth that the most devoted fans have always sought. The first two episodes, broadcast on January 29 (episode 1262, from the internal Amsterdam studio) and February 26 (episode 1266, live from Now&Wow in Rotterdam), saw the Leiden DJ in top form, delivering two and three hour uninterrupted live sets: pure trance from start to finish.
This formula, while still within the classic radioshow format with commentary and announcements, closely resembles Tiësto’s approach with Prismatic: new trance, occasional classics, progressive, and even some forays into techno. The key difference lies in the quality-driven approach: here too, the track selection does not necessarily focus on the most famous or immediate hits, but on what is interesting and inspiring to the curato, Tiësto himself. For many listeners, it brings back memories of his legendary playlists from the In Search Of Sunrise era.
Although high-quality podcasts and radioshows by other trance artists, both well-known and emerging, have been around for years, it’s striking to see how these two figures in particular are now almost simultaneously bringing a more refined vision of trance back to the forefront. On one hand, there’s Armin van Buuren, a defining figure in the genre for over twenty years, who has also explored EDM and mainstream music for at least a decade without ever fully abandoning trance. On the other hand, Tiësto, after more than fifteen years away from the genre, has made a surprising return.
An interesting example of this new approach to trance and progressive is Alex Di Stefano: his 2018 track Split was recently played on both of their radioshows and even live, to great delight from the Italian DJ and, above all, sparking curiosity:
That it is precisely these two, probably the most iconic and foundational figures in the collective imagination of trance, who now share a similar vision is significant: both with thirty years of careers behind them, in 2026 they seem to be guiding and simultaneously encouraging the resurgence of that more sophisticated trance that many fans have long awaited. Could it even be time for them to join forces for a legendary collaboration?