hands up
what it is
First developed in Germany in the late 1990s and the early 2000s, hands up emerged as a distinct form of punchy, melodic, and upbeat Electronic Dance Music rooted in Trance, usually around the 140 BPM range. Hands up was born from a pool of influences, including the closely-related Euro-Trance and Eurodance, and to a lesser extent NRG and UK Hard House, with a particular leaning on German Happy Hardcore-based leads and melodies that was lacking in some of its close relatives. Hands up is commonly characterized by prominent, melodic supersaw leads, Dance-Pop derived hooks, and a strong reliance on sidechained basslines and hard, powerful drums (more Hard Trance-inspired than in other forms of euro-trance) often carry the track.
✦ start here: albums
✦ who's making it, level by level
level 3 · one step out
cult favorites and indie darlings
level 4 · further
art pop, hyperpop, and the underground
level 5 · all the way
deep experimental
✦ make hands up a playlist
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questions
What is hands up?
First developed in Germany in the late 1990s and the early 2000s, hands up emerged as a distinct form of punchy, melodic, and upbeat Electronic Dance Music rooted in Trance, usually around the 140 BPM range. Hands up was born from a pool of influences, including the closely-related Euro-Trance and Eurodance, and to a lesser extent NRG and UK Hard House, with a particular leaning on German Happy Hardcore-based leads and melodies that was lacking in some of its close relatives. Hands up is commonly characterized by prominent, melodic supersaw leads, Dance-Pop derived hooks, and a strong reliance on sidechained basslines and hard, powerful drums (more Hard Trance-inspired than in other forms of euro-trance) often carry the track.
What are good hands up albums to start with?
Try 302? ionwan2go by YABUJIN, Everytime We Touch (TEKKNO Version) by Electric Callboy, Back To Me by Pegboard Nerds, and Bad Boy by Cascada.
Who are some women making hands up?
musicisforgirls.com/genres/hands-up/girls lists women, non-binary artists, and bands with women making hands up, from mainstream to underground.
genre notes from last.fm listeners · artists and albums from last.fm, updated 2026-10-20