What is tech trance?

Tech trance is a subgenre of electronic dance music.

“It’s sort of a mix of techno, but a bit harder, with trance elements,” Reitano explains

“You’re essentially playing a track electronically. It’s the same as a rock track … you would start with the chorus [or] you might start with the breakdown. It’s the same thing.

“[With] each sound you get little grooves. You get ‘ear candy’ … little sounds that complement each other.”

Love at first sound

Reitano went to his first trance event as a teenager. He’s been hooked ever since.

“It was just something about the melodies,” he explains, “How each sound sort of plays off each other.”

Trance music still gives him that same feeling to this day, which he describes as:

Reitano says the Melbourne trance scene isn’t as strong as what it once was, but a few hardcore fans keep it alive.

It’s also a diverse community, he explains, especially among Melbourne’s East Asian, Southern European and Middle Eastern communities.

“It’s a mix of the most random people,” he reveals.

The same goes for the age of attendants. “If I go to a trance event, I’ll see a 70-year-old guy there.”

When asked what he thinks gets all of these people into trance music, Reitano’s candour caught this journalist off guard:

Reitano believes that over recent years, trance musicians, and electronic dance musicians more broadly, have begun to receive more respect than they had previously.

But his Calabrian father still embodies the perception many people still have of the genre.

Despite taking trance music very seriously, there are aspects of the subculture Reitano sees the humour in.

The ADR journey

When Reitano first entered the scene, he did so as part of a duo. Their second-ever gig was to open for Gareth Emery, a world-renowned DJ, in front of almost two thousand people. They also opened for Italian trance DJ Giuseppe Ottaviani.

Eventually, the duo went their separate ways.

The fallout from his first attempt at pursuing his passion had Reitano doubting himself for quite some time. But eventually, a gift from his very-soon-to-be wife, Toni, got him back in the saddle.

He admits it was slow going at the beginning, but added that it takes time to become good at anything worthwhile.

Now, he’s able to listen to his early music and pinpoint where he’s improved as an artist - something that takes honesty and courage.

Reitano is finally proud of the music he makes and has even had several songs signed by record labels.

He still has moments of self doubt, but is getting better at avoiding those negative spirals that creative people can easily find themselves going down.

To listen to ADR’s music and follow his journey, click here.