Infected Mushroom: The Electronic Music Duo

who is infected mushroom

Infected Mushroom is an Israeli musical duo formed in Haifa in 1996 by producers Erez Eisen and Amit Duvdevani. They are regarded as one of the best-selling music acts in Israeli history, with significant success both domestically and internationally. Their music incorporates a wide array of elements, including acoustic guitars and complex synthesized bass lines. Their compositions are characterized by frequent changes in drum patterns and tempo. Their live performances often include vocals and analog instruments and are accompanied by multimedia visuals. They have released numerous albums and singles, including The Gathering in 1999, Classical Mushroom in 2000, IM The Supervisor in 2004, and Legend of the Black Shawarma in 2009. They have also collaborated with various artists such as Lady Gaga, Astrix, and Bliss.

Characteristics Values
Members Amit "Duvdev" Duvdevani, Erez Eisen/Aizen
Genre Psytrance, electronica, dream trance, and psychedelic music
Origin Israel
Years active 1996-present
Labels Dim Mak Records, Monstercat
Albums The Gathering, Classical Mushroom, B.P. Empire, Converting Vegetarians, IM The Supervisor, Vicious Delicious, Legend of the Black Shawarma, Army of Mushrooms, Head of NASA and The 2 Amish Boys LP, More Than Just a Name LP, REBORN
Notable songs Dancing with Kadafi, Spitfire, Walking on the Moon, Bliss on Mushrooms, Freedom Bill
Tours FungusAmongUS, The Unveiling, Animatronica
Collaborations Lady Gaga, Thomas Cunningham, Erez Netz, Pegboard Nerds, Savant, Kelsy Karter, Astrix, Hatikva 6, Foo Fighters, Miyavi, Tuna, A-Wa, Freedom Fighters, Mr. Bill, SpaceNoiZe, Vertical Mode

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The duo behind Infected Mushroom

The electronic music duo Infected Mushroom was formed in Haifa, Israel, in 1996 by producers Erez Eisen and Amit "Duvdev" Duvdevani. The pair first began playing together in 1996, releasing their early efforts under the name Shidapu & Duvdev. They soon renamed themselves Infected Mushroom, stealing the name from a disbanded local punk band.

Duvdevani was nicknamed "Duvdev" during his conscription in the Israel Defense Forces. After finishing his service, he lived in India for a year, primarily in the Indian state of Goa. He later collaborated with a member of Shiva Shidapu on four tracks that were never released. Eisen, meanwhile, had a background in bedroom computer tinkering, which led him into and out of a number of crude dance efforts.

Infected Mushroom is known for producing and performing a range of electronic music genres, including psytrance, electronica, dream trance, and psychedelic music. They are regarded as one of the best-selling music acts in Israeli history, with significant success both domestically and internationally. Their music incorporates a wide array of elements, including acoustic guitars and complex synthesized bass lines. Their compositions are characterized by frequent changes in drum patterns and tempo, and their live performances often include vocals and analog instruments accompanied by multimedia visuals.

In 2001, the duo released B.P. Empire, which is notable for the musical epic "Dancing with Kadafi." In 2003, they released Converting Vegetarians, a two-disc set that included trance-like dancefloor material and experimental music. IM The Supervisor, released in 2004, continued to mix psytrance with other musical genres and became Infected Mushroom's best-selling album to date.

In 2012, Infected Mushroom released Army of Mushrooms, their first album for Dim Mak Records, which featured stylistic expansions into dubstep, electro-house, and drum’n’bass. They have since released several more albums and EPs, including Friends on Mushrooms, a collaborative EP with artists such as Pegboard Nerds, Savant, and Kelsy Karter. In 2022, to commemorate their 25-year anniversary, they released IM25, followed by REBORN, an album featuring reimagined, re-recorded versions of old fan favorites.

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Their genre-defying sound

Infected Mushroom is an Israeli musical duo formed in Haifa in 1996 by producers Erez Eisen and Amit Duvdevani. They are pioneers of psytrance music, but their sound also encompasses a wide range of other genres. Their music has been described as "genre-defying", and they are known for their willingness to experiment and break the rules.

Infected Mushroom's music often features hypnotic arrangements and complex, layered melodies. They employ a variety of musical sources, including acoustic guitars and complex synthesized basses, and their compositions often contain changes of drum beat and tempo. Their live shows feature vocals and analogue instruments set against a multimedia backdrop.

The duo's 2001 album, B.P. Empire, is notable for the musical epic "Dancing with Kadafi", which blends numerous styles of music, including middle-eastern melodies and classical piano. Their 2003 album, Converting Vegetarians, was a two-disc set, with one disc containing trance-like dancefloor material, and the other featuring genre-bending experimental music.

Infected Mushroom's 2004 album, IM The Supervisor, mixed psytrance with other genres and became their best-selling album to date. It featured innovative elements such as gamelan-like noises and cut-up samples. Their 2012 album, Army of Mushrooms, further expanded their stylistic range, incorporating dubstep, house, and drum and bass.

Infected Mushroom has earned a reputation as a groundbreaking legend within electronic dance music. They have been ranked among the world's "10 Best DJs" by DJ Magazine and have a cult following of dedicated fans. Their music has inspired other artists to push the boundaries of genre and create their own rulebooks.

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International cult success

Infected Mushroom is an Israeli musical duo formed in Haifa in 1996 by producers Erez Eisen and Amit "Duvdev" Duvdevani. They are regarded as one of the best-selling music acts in Israeli history, with significant success both domestically and internationally. Their music incorporates a wide array of elements, including acoustic guitars and complex synthesized bass lines, and their compositions are characterized by frequent changes in drum patterns and tempo. Their live performances often include vocals and analog instruments and are accompanied by multimedia visuals.

Infected Mushroom remains one of the Middle East's biggest international cult successes. Their debut album, The Gathering (1999), was heavily inspired by the surreal ambient dance of Simon Posford, X-Dream, and Transwave. Classical Mushroom (2000), their second album, was an aggressively melodic trance LP that broke the European, Japanese, and American markets. These albums elevated Infected Mushroom to one of Israel's key trance production duos.

In 2001, Infected Mushroom released B.P. Empire, which is notable for the musical epic "Dancing with Kadafi," which segues through numerous styles of music, including middle-eastern melodies and a classical break showcasing the duo's piano skills. Converting Vegetarians (2003) was a two-disc set that included trance-like dancefloor material and genre-bending experimental music. IM The Supervisor (2004) continued to mix psytrance with other musical genres and became Infected Mushroom's best-selling album to date.

In 2007, the duo was ranked number nine in DJMag’s Top 100 DJs poll, confirming their status as the most popular psychedelic trance act in the world. Their 2007 full-length album, Vicious Delicious, expanded their stylistic range beyond electronic dance music, encompassing hip-hop, rock, and Latin music. Their subsequent albums and tours have continued to showcase their innovation, genre-defying sound, and production quality, solidifying their international cult success.

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Their 2015 album release

On 1 April 2014, Amit "Duvdev" Duvdevani announced that Infected Mushroom would be releasing a new album by the end of the year. It was later revealed that the upcoming album would be a compilation of tracks from the "Friends On Mushrooms" extended plays, along with two new tracks, "Kafkaf" and "Kazabubu". This compilation album, titled ""Friends on Mushrooms", was released on 6 January 2015.

Following their Animatronica tour, Infected Mushroom announced that they would be releasing a new album that would be a follow-up to their acclaimed 2003 album "Converting Vegetarians". This new album, "Converting Vegetarians II", was released on 11 September 2015 on Dim Mak Records. It featured the vocals of Sasha Grey on the track "Fields of Grey".

"Converting Vegetarians II" is the ninth studio album by the Israeli psychedelic trance duo. It is a sequel to their 2003 album "Converting Vegetarians" and differs from it by being more ambient and down-tempo in style. The duo, composed of Erez Eisen and Duvdevani, first began to play together in 1996 and have since created a trademark sound cultivated through hypnotic arrangements, layered melodies, and a willingness to blur genre lines.

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Their 2022 album release

Israeli psytrance pioneers Infected Mushroom released their 12th album, "More Than Just a Name", in 2020. The album features collaborations with Astrix and Bliss, and the track "Infected Megamix" is a montage of past popular Infected Mushroom songs.

In 2022, the duo released "A Cookie from Space", the first single from their upcoming 25-year anniversary album, "IM25". The album was released later that year and features nine tracks, all reimagined, re-recorded versions of classic Infected Mushroom songs from the 1990s and beyond. These include "Release Me", "Dancing with Kadafi", and "Disco Mushroom". The re-recorded tracks retain the original compositions but with fresh sound production, bringing the audio back to life.

"REBORN" is a celebration of the duo's groundbreaking contributions to psytrance and a testament to their enduring legacy. It is a must-have for Infected Mushroom fans of all ages.

Infected Mushroom has earned their reputation as a groundbreaking legend in electronic music. Ranked among the world's top DJs by DJ Magazine, the duo has created one of the most powerful kingdoms in the electronic music world. Their trademark sound is cultivated through hypnotic arrangements, layered melodies, and a willingness to blur the lines of genre.

Infected Mushroom continues to push the boundaries of electronic music, inspiring other artists to break the rules and create their own rulebooks. Their live performances feature vocals and analogue instruments set against a multimedia backdrop, showcasing their unrivalled production quality.

Frequently asked questions

The group is composed of Israeli producers Amit "Duvdev" Duvdevani and Erez Eisen (or Aizen).

Infected Mushroom is based in Los Angeles, but its members are Israeli, hailing from Haifa.

Infected Mushroom is known for producing and performing electronic music, including psytrance, trance, dream trance, electronica, and psychedelic music. Their music incorporates a wide range of elements, including acoustic guitars, complex synthesized bass lines, and multimedia visuals.

Infected Mushroom has released numerous albums and songs throughout their career. Some notable releases include their debut album "The Gathering" (1999), "Classical Mushroom" (2000), "B.P. Empire" (2001), "Converting Vegetarians" (2003), "IM The Supervisor" (2004), "Vicious Delicious" (2007), and "Friends on Mushrooms" (2015). They have also collaborated with artists such as Lady Gaga, Pegboard Nerds, and Savant.

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