Above & Beyond’s Jono Grant Challenges Obsession Over 138 In Trance
As much as 128 is connected to house, 140 is connected to dubstep, and 150 is connected to hardstyle, 138 has always been connected to trance. However, these numbers — beats per minute, or BPM — always started out as rules and evolved into something more like guidelines later on. Except, apparently, for trance.
138 has become such a focal number in the genre that Armin van Buuren, one of trance’s foremost legends, has a song actually titled, “Who’s Afraid of 138?!” Yesterday, Jono Grant of Above & Beyond addressed the fandom’s obsession with the number:
The obsession with a single BPM number (138) is just ridiculous and misses the point. The first records we made together ranged from around 134 to 140. Yes a lot were at 138, but so what? Getting hot and sweaty specifically about 138 is proper face-palm material.
The obsession with a single BPM number (138) is just ridiculous and misses the point. The first records we made together ranged from around 134 to 140. Yes a lot were at 138, but so what? Getting hot and sweaty specifically about 138 is proper face-palm material.
— Jono Grant (@jonogrant) November 21, 2019
It’s unclear exactly what prompted the need to make a statement about this, but it’s brought up some apparently much-needed conversation in the community.
I heard a (hopefully non-clueless) talented DJ refer to 138 as a genre today….!
— Jono Grant (@jonogrant) November 21, 2019
Indeed. The point is tracks from the perceived “golden era” as some would have it are at a range of tempos, and not just 138. It’s like someone decided that this was the number and it’s stuck…. but it simply never was. There was always range!
— Jono Grant (@jonogrant) November 21, 2019
Of course BPM matters – will change what you do. But obsessing about a specific number isn’t particularly useful most of the time.
— Jono Grant (@jonogrant) November 22, 2019
Photo via Rukes.com
This article was first published on Your EDM. Source: Above & Beyond’s Jono Grant Challenges Obsession Over 138 In Trance
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