Brian Transeau or "BT" revitalized the British dance community in the mid-'90s.

His concept of epic house inspired by the classical training he received from an early age, Brian Transeau revitalized the British dance community in the mid-'90s and provided a point of entry for later dream-house merchants like Robert Miles, Sash! and BBE (though Transeau had, for the most part, left the style behind by the time of its pop success during 1997-98). After his debut album appeared in late 1995 (as BT), Transeau hit the dance charts when his remix of Tori Amos' "Blue Skies" became one of the most-played American club tracks of the following year. Though he attempted to leave dream-house behind on second album ESCM, Transeau continued to do well with club-goers and critics in Britain as well as America.

Born and raised in Rockville, MD, Brian Transeau was playing piano from the age of two and began his classical training while only thirteen. Even while he was studying string arrangement and orchestration, Transeau listened to Depeche Mode and Yes. He attended Berklee School of Music in Boston (in place of his senior year of high school) for one year but then dropped out and moved to Los Angeles; he was soon back in Rockville, where he hooked up with longtime friend Ali Shirazinia's new Deep Dish production team. He had already played synthesizer for albums by Salt-N-Pepa and Tyler Collins before debuting on Deep Dish Records with two 1993 singles, "A Moment of Truth" and "Relativity."

The tracks became club hits in Britain for their epic, symphonic qualities that worked well as a sort of climax at clubs like Cream and Ministry of Sound. After producing "Embracing The Future" in 1994 (ultimately rejected by Deep Dish Records and signed to MusicNow), the white label pressing fell into the hands of Sasha who called up Transeau and flew him to the UK, where he was quickly signed to Oakenfold's Perfecto Records. With BT's continued success with 1995 singles like "Embracing the Future" and "Loving You More," and his remix work for Mike Oldfield, Seal and Billie Ray Martin, his profile escalated. His debut album Ima was a hit with British audiences, though Transeau's name remained largely unheard in his native land.

A 1996 production largely changed that. Transeau's "Blue Skies" featuring Tori Amos became a massive club hit in America and Great Britain. By 1997, England received a wave of pop hits in the same line pioneered by Transeau; dubbed dream-house, artists like Robert Miles and Sash! typified the approach with a wash of new-age or prog-influenced synthesizers and a chugging beat indebted to trance. Transeau himself attempted to distance himself from the style with his 1998 album follow-up ESCM. Movement in Still Life followed in mid-2000.

John Bush, All Music Guide

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