| Infected Mushroom | |
|---|---|
Infected Mushroom at Coachella 2007 |
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| Background information | |
| Origin | Kiryat Yam, Haifa District, Israel[1] |
| Genres | Electronica, psychedelic trance, industrial metal |
| Years active | 1997–present |
| Labels | Hom-Mega, Perfecto |
| Associated acts | Astrix, Skazi |
| Website | infected-mushroom.com |
| Members | |
| Amit Duvdevani Erez Eisen Tom Cunningham Erez Netz Rogério Jardim |
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Infected Mushroom is an Israeli psychedelic trance DJ act and electronic group originally formed in late 1997 as a duo by producers Erez Eisen and Amit Duvdevani in Haifa.[1] Both currently reside in Los Angeles.[1]
The group is known for the evolving musical style, which varies from acoustic guitars and choirs to complex synthesized basses and leads, often accompanied by constant switching of drums and tempo.
Their live shows feature analogue instruments and vocals, with a multimedia backdrop.
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Erez Eisen was born on 8 September 1980 in Qiryat Yam, Israel. He had early musical training, learning to play the organ at age 4 and studying piano in the Haifa Conservatory from the age of 8. At age 11 he started toying with computerized music, first using Impulse Tracker and later moving to more advanced musical composition software.[2] By the age of 18, Erez had collaborated with DJ Jörg and other notable psy-trance artists,[3] and had released three albums and a multitude of tracks under different psy-trance acts (including Shidapu and Shiva Shidapu).[3][4]
Amit Duvdevani was born on 7 November 1974 and had a similar musical background. He played the piano for nine years, starting at the age of seven, before taking a turn towards heavy metal and punk rock. Amit played keyboard and wrote most of the material for a local Haifa punk rock band Enzyme.[5] Amit went to his first trance party in 1991, a week before being conscripted into the Israeli army (where he was first nicknamed Duvdev). He has more than once described this experience as life changing – from then onwards all he could think of was trance music. After he finished his national service, Amit spent a year in India (primarily in Goa), and finally decided to make music himself.[6] He collaborated with a member of Shidapu on four tracks, though they were never released.[3]
In 1998, Eisen and Duvdevani began playing together. At first they released a few tracks as Shidapu & Duvdev. These tracks were 'happier' and of the simpler side of trance. Later on, they formed the duo Infected Mushroom and started working on their first album.
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 psytrance to more 'mainstream' audiences, and contributed to the gradually growing popularity of the genre worldwide. The following year (2000) 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 (2000). 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 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 psytrance by many psytrance purists, who felt that the new territories explored went beyond the bounds of psytrance but not necessarily in a progressive sense.
The group's next album, Converting Vegetarians (2003) featured 2 discs. The first disc being the 'Trance Side', which contains trance-like dancefloor material, as well as being a logical progression of their earlier work. The second disc is entitled 'The Other Side', containing genre-bending experimental music – ranging from the title track (which was the first instance of Duvdev singing) to the more downtempo laid-back "Elation Station", and the electro-pop tracks "Blink" and "Illuminaughty" (with vocals by Michele Adamson).
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 psytrance 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 Thomas 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 Israeli guitarist and opens their live shows with some exhibition. In December of that year, Infected Mushroom have moved from their base in Haifa to a new studio in Los Angeles, California. Erez and Amit plan to produce their new album in this new studio, all the while maintaining their extensive world tour (one which is still running non-stop since 1999).
In 2007, Infected Mushroom brought in Brazilian percussionist Rogério Jardim to play drums and percussion during their shows. Also that year, Infected Mushroom rose to #9 in the influential DJmag Top 100 DJs poll,[7] where they were the highest placed psytrance DJs. This was the first time the category had been created, reflecting psytrance's rising popularity around the world and the pioneering role Infected Mushroom have played in this.
2007 was also the year of Vicious Delicious, their most diverse effort. The album begins with "Becoming Insane", an intense Spanish-guitar-led number, followed by "Artillery", a hip-hop influenced track. Other tracks on the album also feature guest vocalists, along with the guitars and more live-sounding drums.
Legend of the Black Shawarma was released in 2009 and featured a remix of The Doors' classic "Riders on the Storm", as well as the usual guest vocalists and ever-changing sound. According to Duvdev, the title of the album is taken from a joke shared with an Australian friend who was describing his interest in having an up-close-and-personal experience in a shark cage. Duvdev's reported response was that the friend would look to the shark like a 'black shawarma', an enticing Middle-Eastern delicacy.
Infected Mushroom currently use Cubase 5 on custom built PCs.[2]
| Year | Song | Director(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | "Becoming Insane" | harv |
| 2009 | "Smashing The Opponent" | Jonathan Davis |
| 2010 | "Killing Time (Infected Trance Remix)" | Matan Cohen |
| 2011 | "Pink Nightmares" | Sebastian Lopez |
List Generated from the Infected Mushroom Website.[8]
Track Name: Artist - Album/Compilation
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