Infected Mushroom

"Infected Mushroom" is an Israeli psychedelic trance (psytrance) DJ/LivePA duo who have attained significant popularity from the late 1990s to the present day. Formed by Erez Aizen (also known as I.Zen) and Amit Duvdevani (also known as Duvdev), in Haifa, Israel, the duo have earned a large international fan base. "Infected Mushroom" are known for their consistent sonic evolution exemplified by their albums: "The Gathering" (1999), "Classical Mushroom" (2000), "B.P. Empire" (2001), "Converting Vegetarians" (2003), "IM the Supervisor" (2004) ,"Vicious Delicious" (2007) and their newest release "Legend of the Black Shawarma" (2009)'. In 1998, Aizen and Duvdevani began playing together. At first they released a few tracks as "Shidapu & Duvdev". These tracks were 'happier' and on the simpler side of trance. Later on, they formed the duo "Infected Mushroom" and started working on their first album. The name "Infected Mushroom" was taken, without permission, from a disbanded (1989 to 1993) punk rock band of that name also of Israeli origin, which Duvdevani knew and saw perform at a concert in Israel. 1999's "The Gathering" was the breakthrough debut album for "Infected Mushroom". The album featured a dark, rhythmic atmosphere exemplified in the song "Psycho", which gathered much acclaim and popularity. This album was one of the first albums to bring Israeli psy-trance to more 'mainstream' audiences, and contributed to the gradually growing popularity of the genre world-wide. The following year, the duo released one of their most well known albums, also being one of the most well known albums in the genre today, "Classical Mushroom". The album showcased a track often cited as their most popular track, "Bust a Move". This album is commonly referred to as the best example of the group's efforts. "Infected Mushroom's" evolving style has also had its share of critics. 2001's "B.P.EMPIRE" was well-received by many fans and critics alike. Especially renowned is the musical epic "Dancing With Kadafi"; segueing numerous styles of music, most notably through the use of strong middle-eastern style melodies and a classical piece halfway through (which showcased Erez and Amit's piano and violin skills). However, the album was not as popular with mainstream audiences when compared with earlier releases, primarily due to the less accessible melodies in most of the tracks. The album was also seen as a break away from the more traditional styles of psy-trance by many psy-trance purists, who felt that the new territories explored went beyond the bounds of psy-trance but not necessarily in a progressive sense. The group's most controversial album proved to be "Converting Vegetarians" (2003) which featured 2 discs (also known as 'sides'). The first of the 2 CDs is the inoffensive Trance side, which contains mostly trance-like dancefloor material. The "Trance Side" is a logical progression of their earlier work (although it is cited by some as less imaginative than their earlier work). The 2nd CD is entitled The Other Side, and it contains mostly genre-bending experimental music - ranging from the R&B inspired title track "Converting Vegetarians" (which was the first true display of Duvdev's characteristic voice) to the more down-tempo laid-back "Elation Station", and also from the electro-pop tracks "Blink" and "Illuminaughty" (with vocals by the well-known UK psytrance vocalist Michele Adamson) to the short and experimental "Shakawkaw" (later expanded to a full length track). The album also contained the track "Ballerium", which was originally recorded as a soundtrack to an up-and-coming internet game and later scrapped by the game designers. The remainder of the CD went on to reveal other musical stylings, including "I Wish", lead by a carefully vocoded vocal line. The release of "IM the Supervisor" in 2004 (often incorrectly referred to as "I'm the Supervisor"), further surprised listeners with yet another mix of psy-trance with other musical genres. The album was criticized as being too "commercial" by many fans, but became "Infected Mushroom's" best selling album up to that time. Guitarists Tommy Cunningham and Erez Netz joined in 2004 - Tom plays with "Infected Mushroom" in the United States, while Erez Netz plays the rest of their gigs. Netz is a famous guitarist from Israel, and he opens their live shows with some electric guitar exhibition - playing with his mouth. In December of that year, "Infected Mushroom" moved from their base in Haifa to a new studio in Los Angeles, California. As of 2007, "Infected Mushroom" have also brought in Brazilian percussionist Rogerio Jardim to play drums and percussion during their shows. In 2007, DJ Mag placed "Infected Mushroom" at #9 on their Top 100 DJ list (rising from #12 in 2006), by far the highest that any psychedelic trance artist has ever polled. Band's official website: www.infected-mushroom.com Discography Albums The Gathering (1999) Classical Mushroom (2000) B.P.EMPIRE (2001) Converting Vegetarians (2003) IM the Supervisor (2004) Vicious Delicious (2007) Legend Of The Black Shawarma (2009) Singles/EPs Intelligate / Small Moves (1999) Bust a Move (2001) Classical Mushroom EP (2001) B.P. Empire (2001) Birthday (feat. Berry Sakharof) (2002) Deeply Disturbed (2003) Songs From the Other Side (2003) Cities of the Future (2004) Stretched (2005) Becoming Insane (2007) Smashing The Opponent Remixes (2009) One Day - Single (Infected Mushroom & Matisyahu) (2010) Killing Time Remixes (2010) Tracks Released on Compilations Acid Killer Angel Jonathan Anyone Else but Me Arabian Nights on Mescaline Baby Killer blue rythmic night (feat. i.zen) cat on mushroom Classical Mushroom Coolio (Infected Mushroom remix) Crazy D Dainai Devil Rmx dirty 80's Doremifas Double Click Dream Theatre Electro Panic Elm Eve Down expose (feat. space cat) Facing For the People Gravity Waves I see Myself Into the Matrix Look At Me Lo Ra LSD Story (Infected Mushroom Remix) Merlin Millions Of Miles Away (Infected Mushroom Remix) ministry of angels (feat. yahel) Montoya Monster (Remix) Muddy Effect My Mummy Said Now is the Time One Absolute Overload Psycho (live mix) Red Filter S Is Here Scotch Smahutta Small Moves Symphonatic The Fly The Messenger Tiwanacu Voices Where Is S Wider 9% B-Sides Eisen * With Miki Litvak (ex-Domestic), Oren Kislev and Roy Sasson: Shidapu * With Talamasca: Magic Mushroom * With Shiva (DJ Jörg): Shiva Shidapu Eisen and Duvdevani * With Space Cat: Cat on Mushroom * With PsySex: Sex on Mushroom * With DJ Jörg: Jörg on Mushroom * With Domestic: Domestic Mushroom * With Deedrah: Infected Deedrah * With Hallucinogen and Michele Adamson: Fly Agaric * With Astrix: Infected Astrix Other My Mummy Said (2001) Outdoor Party Vol III (2001) Merlin (2002) Artificial Visualization (2004) The Doors Remixed (Unreleased LP) (2007)