Art of Trance: Biography, Discography and More | EDM Encyclopedia

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Introduction

Simon Paul Berry is the English electronic music producer and DJ known primarily by his alias Art of Trance. Active since 1993, Berry built a substantial career within the British trance scene both as a recording artist and as a label executive. Beyond his primary moniker, he has also released material under the names Poltergeist and Vicious Circles. His collaborative work includes membership in several trance projects: Clanger, Conscious, and Union Jack.

In addition to his production work, Berry founded and headed Platipus Records, a London-based independent label. In its early phase, the imprint served as an exclusive outlet for his own recordings before expanding to feature other artists. The label’s catalog transitioned alongside the broader music production industry: physical formats like vinyl and compact disc defined its initial distribution model, with a shift to digital-only releases beginning in 2011. His debut release arrived in 1993, and his output spans nearly two decades, with the most recent confirmed release dating to 2011.

Genre and Style

Working primarily within trance music, Art of Trance developed a sound characterized by layered synthesizer arrangements and evolving melodic structures. His productions often balance rhythmic drive with harmonic detail, building sequences that shift gradually rather than relying on abrupt transitions. Tracks like Deeper Than Deep from 1993 demonstrate an early emphasis on atmospheric depth alongside rhythmic momentum.

The electronic Sound

Berry’s work across his multiple aliases and group projects allowed for stylistic variation within the broader trance framework. His recordings frequently incorporate extended instrumental passages where melodic themes develop over time before reaching resolution. The The Colours EP, also from 1993, showcases this approach through distinct tonal moods across its tracks. His later output continued refining this balance between rhythmic energy and melodic content, with The Horn in 2011 representing his most recent confirmed EP release. Across his catalog, the emphasis remains on detailed sound design and structured melodic progression rather than vocal-driven arrangements.

Key Releases

Albums:

  • Wildlife on One
  • Voice of Earth
  • Platipus: A Beginners Guide
  • Tales Of The Unexpected
  • Retrospective

Discography Highlights

Wildlife on One (1996)
Voice of Earth (1999)
Platipus: A Beginners Guide (2001)
Tales Of The Unexpected (2005)
Retrospective (2009)

EPs:

Deeper Than Deep (1993)
The Colours EP (1993)
The Horn (2011)

Berry’s debut album Wildlife on One arrived in 1996, collecting tracks that established his production identity within the mid-nineties trance underground. Voice of Earth followed three years later, expanding on his melodic approach. The 2001 compilation Platipus: A Beginners Guide served as a curated introduction to the Platipus Records catalog he oversaw. Tales Of The Unexpected appeared in 2005, and Retrospective closed out his confirmed album discography in 2009 as a survey of his recorded output.

His EP work frames both the beginning and end of his confirmed release timeline. Deeper Than Deep and The Colours EP both arrived in 1993, marking his earliest documented releases on Platipus. Nearly two decades later, The Horn surfaced in 2011, coinciding with the label’s transition to digital-only distribution.

Famous Tracks

Simon Paul Berry has produced and remixed music since 1993 under his primary alias, Art of Trance. That year saw the release of two EPs: Deeper Than Deep and The Colours EP, both arriving as the British trance scene was solidifying its identity. His debut album, Wildlife on One, followed in 1996, marking his transition from shorter EP releases to full-length collections. A second studio album, Voice of Earth, arrived three years later in 1999. In 2001, Platipus: A Beginners Guide was released as a compilation introducing the label’s catalog to new listeners. The album Tales Of The Unexpected appeared in 2005, while Retrospective gathered and revisited earlier material in 2009. His confirmed EP The Horn surfaced in 2011, his latest confirmed release.

Berry’s EDM production approach favors synthesizer layering and gradual arrangement evolution. Rather than relying on abrupt tempo shifts or percussive breakdowns, his tracks build momentum through textural accumulation and melodic phrasing. This method gives his catalog a recognizable sonic signature: patient, detailed, and more concerned with sustained atmosphere than immediate impact. Across nearly two decades of releases, this sensibility remained consistent even as production technology and genre conventions shifted around him.

Live Performances

As an English trance DJ, Berry has performed and released music under several identities. Beyond Art of Trance, he operates as Poltergeist and Vicious Circles, aliases that allow him to pursue different production angles while keeping each project’s sound distinct. He has also collaborated as a member of the trance groups Clanger, Conscious, and Union Jack, collective projects that broadened his creative range beyond solo DJ sets and studio production. These group affiliations connected him to a wider network of trance producers and expanded the contexts in which his music reached audiences.

Notable Shows

Berry’s performing career runs parallel to his role as founder and head of Platipus Records, based in London. The label initially functioned as an exclusive vehicle for his own material, giving him direct control over how his tracks reached clubs and listeners. This dual identity as both performing artist and label operator shaped his relationship with live audiences: rather than depending on external imprints to curate and promote his work, Berry maintained an independent channel from studio to venue. For years, every record Berry played in his sets could pass through a pipeline he controlled, from composition to pressing to promotion.

His catalog was distributed on vinyl and compact disc for most of his career, transitioning to digital-only distribution starting in 2011. This shift aligned with broader changes in how DJs purchase, transport, and play music, moving from heavy record bags to USB drives and laptop setups. Berry’s adoption of digital-only release reflects a practical response to these changes rather than a delayed concession.

Why They Matter

Berry’s significance extends beyond his discography. As the founder of Platipus Records, he built a London-based platform that contributed to the infrastructure of British trance throughout the 1990s and 2000s. The label’s founding policy of releasing only his own tracks illustrates a model of artist independence: rather than shopping demos to established imprints, Berry created his own outlet, retaining full creative and financial control over his output. This approach predated the later normalization of artist-run labels in electronic music.

Impact on electronic

His use of multiple aliases and group memberships demonstrates a particular creative strategy. The Poltergeist and Vicious Circles projects, alongside his work with Clanger, Conscious, and Union Jack, allowed Berry to separate different aspects of his musical personality into distinct brand identities. Each name carried its own expectations, freeing him to experiment without undermining the recognizable Art of Trance sound. This fragmentation of identity across several projects is common in electronic music, but Berry’s sustained execution across two decades shows commitment to the model rather than short-term novelty.

The span of his career, from his first productions through at least 2011, maps onto a period of considerable change in EDM electronic music music. Throughout these shifts, the continued operation of Platipus Records reflects a consistent investment in independent infrastructure. Berry’s body of work offers a clear case study in how a single producer can maintain multiple creative identities, run a dedicated label, and adapt to changing distribution models without abandoning a core aesthetic sensibility.

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