Sextrance is a niche microgenre of Hard Trance music that draws influence from multiple other musical genres, including HexD , Nightcore, and Freeform Hardcore. The genre is notable for being coined ironically by the musical artist purity://filter as a form of absurd Gen Z humor, and it is not related to sexual themes despite its name. Sextrance is associated with other highly online, nostalgic genres originating from SoundCloud and underground communities, particularly Xpiritualism . It has quickly developed a dedicated fanbase thanks to artists like Sienna Sleep and Exodia, and the record label Dismiss Yourself.

The term "Sextrance" was originally coined as a joke by the musical artist purity://filter to describe the 2020 album "Imago" and a subsequent mix published on Halloween 2022. The term was adopted by other similar musical artists, quickly attracting a dedicated fanbase through the record label Dismiss Yourself. Although purity://filter coined the word, they do not take credit for the creation of the genre itself, preferring to attribute its development to artists who picked up the idea, such as Sienna Sleep and Exodia. This new wave of trance is considered part of a larger Y2K Trance Revival that gained momentum starting around 2020.

Sextrance possesses a highly distinctive, digitally corrupted aesthetic rooted in Y2K Futurism and specific 2000s–2010s digital nostalgia.

The aesthetic heavily utilizes imagery reminiscent of the early 2000s, especially content from video games and anime. Video game visuals play a significant role, with artists incorporating old game graphics, fictional characters, and Low Poly /pixelated imagery from popular games of the time. This frequently includes content originating from racing video games (emphasizing drifting aesthetics), rhythm games (like Dance Dance Revolution ), and first-person shooters.

The aesthetic's color scheme is characterized by the use of bright, holographic colors and color-changing hues that evoke the look of digital fantasy. Other important features include visual references to the Old Web / Webcore style and the use of nostalgic pop culture objects like trading game cards and anime figure boxes. Distortion and compression effects are constantly applied to visuals, which contributes to the genre's chaotic and disoriented mood.

The musical tracks are defined by their fast tempo (often exceeding 180bpm), strong, abrasive synths, and highly processed sound. Tracks frequently use bitcrushed, compressed, and distorted sounds as a defining element of the production style, linking it directly to the sound of HexD music. Sextrance songs are often either very short or extremely long, building up an energetic, emotionally charged atmosphere that precedes a bass drop. Audio samples and references to 2000s–2010s anime and video games are another important element that ties the music to its nostalgic aesthetic.