Oh boy just 1-2 years? You've missed out on SOOOOO MUCHHHHHHHH. As well as the rise of the millions of sub-generes... i mean just trance has:
euphoric trance
uplifting trance
progressive trance
dutch trance
german trance (just being dutch/german doesnt make it that kind of trance, it's actually a distinct style)
tech trance
ibiza trance
hard trance
psy trance
goa trance
acid trance
minimal trance
classic trance
Yeah there's a lot. The golden age of trance music was the late 90's and early 00's. I got into trance just after that peak in like 2002. There's just far too many different artists and even those artists change their styles over time and stuff:
Compare Tiesto
then
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LTn59yLgeInow
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gujB7A5ycewCosmic Gate
then
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aG4rcRtrsV8now
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPvzaNQ3EfM (Nic Chagall is one half of Cosmic Gate)
Armin van Buuren
then
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoHKmoye9kwnow
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XMVry2jgJ0UThere's such a huge variety on trance music (and in general, EDM) that it's not even funny. That's why a lot of us hardcore EDM fans get really pissed off when ignorant people call EVERYTHING techno hahah. I mean compare:
TECHNO -
www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8hIWihMZ2c and
www.youtube.com/watch?v=-olmIdsaWVITRANCE - and
www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0kAtwA-iiA and
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tym6GxN7Hkg#t=1m (such an awesome bassline btw, gotta hear that live!)HOUSE -
www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqSE36mmi-8 and
www.youtube.com/watch?v=1oYTgKz4uE0Techno focuses more on percussive elements and how they evolve, combine, and split up over the course of the track. Probably best for dancing, really gets you moving, has some awesome beats sometimes.
Trance is a lot more atmospheric, a little slower than techno, and focuses a lot more on atmosphere and melody. Greater uses of synthesizers in trance than house or techno, and probably the most diverse of the three in terms of how many styles it has.
House is slowest of the three, and is more groovy and soulful... not sure how to explain it. Maybe the hardest of the three to define. Usually better than trance for dancing. Definitely not as atmospheric/melodic as trance, not as percussive as techno but groovier.
To my ear those three pairs of tracks up there sound 100% completely different and unique from one another, yet too many mainstream listeners (omg justin bieber) call ALL of that techno somehow.... ?????
Personally, I like trance the best. I mean just a single song can get me unbelievably angry and hyped up to go squat or play basketball. The same song can at night it can make me feel really sad and emotional and tear up, or if I'm out at a club it'll make me feel amazing and move with the beat. It really all depends on your interpretation of the song. I'm sure you can do that with house or techno, but I can most easily relate to trance.