Trancenden, one of the leaders in the www.MP3.com distribution explosion, originally released comedy skits and experimental music over the Internet. The project evolved into an outlet for Tal M. Klein's jazzy breakbeats, collaged house, and drum'n'bass tunes.
Trancenden's roots are in the Evil F/X Crew, a collective that published irreverent comedy sketches online. The band officially began in 1996, though, at Long Island University when Israeli American experimental musician Tal M. Klein met DJ Dave Marino, who hosted the electronic music show at the college's radio station, WCWP. When Marino's cohort left the show, Klein, who had been doing a talk show called the Saturday Night Hangover, teamed up with him and the two began their show, the Aniligital Lounge. At that time, Klein had already produced a track called "Do You Understand?" and Marino had completed one called "The Beat." When they heard each other's music, they decided to work together as producers.
In 1997, Trancenden released Zen and the Art of Insanity. Their first vinyl pressing, the DJ's Delight EP, followed the same year, quickly selling out its first pressing. The producers then worked on an ambient project with Empath's Maria Cuccia and Craig Allen, which would become Empath vs. Trancenden. After working together on an unrealized drum'n'bass project, Klein put out his first solo album as Trancenden, Tal Klein's Nicotine Fits and Analogue Beats, in 2000. Peace Love Beats followed in 2001.