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
