To elaborate on JAWA's comment regarding basslines:
Trance often uses a pedal bass effect where the
bassline plays only one note, or is rooted around one
note. In trance, the bass often plays between bass drum
hits, and it really adds to the flow and groove of the
track. When a pedal bass effect is used, the bass
become a much more percussive instrument.
I guess I'm speaking up about this, because I just
finished a track called 'Cherry Beach', and there's no
bassline, because I couldn't really find the right
sound and didn't like what it did to the ambience of
the track. I've been told it's a good track, but some
of my friends have pointed out that the absence of that
bassline seriously diminishes the flow of the track.
Lesson learned... It's hard to make groovy trance drums
without groovy trance basslines.
toomas, have you tried multiple hihats, running
together? I was going to add an example of pattern with
tighter open hats that I know Paul van Vyk and Tiesto
have used, but it doesn't look right on the 4 step
grid, but try tightening things up instead of letting