Infected Mushroom

Infected Mushroom is an Israeli musical duo formed in Haifa in 1996 by producers Erez Eisen and Amit Duvdevani. Eisen, born on September 8, 1980, began classical musical training at a young age, learning organ at four and classical piano at eight at the Haifa Conservatory. He later moved into computerized music production, working with Impulse Tracker and advanced music composition software. By age 18, Eisen had collaborated with notable psytrance artists and released albums under monikers like Shidapu and Shiva Shidapu. Duvdevani, born on November 7, 1974, also started with classical piano at seven for nine years before transitioning to heavy metal and punk rock, playing keyboards for the band Enzyme. He experienced his first trance party in 1991 and later lived in Goa, India, after his conscription in the Israel Defense Forces.

Eisen and Duvdevani began collaborating in 1996, initially releasing music under “Shidapu & Duvdev.” They adopted the name Infected Mushroom, drawing inspiration from bands like The Prodigy and Metallica. Their debut album, “The Gathering,” released in 1999, was influenced by Simon Posford, X-Dream, and Transwave. This album, featuring tracks like “Psycho,” was instrumental in introducing Israeli psytrance to a broader audience globally. Their subsequent albums, “Classical Mushroom” (2000) and “B.P. Empire” (2001), continued to evolve their sound, with “B.P. Empire” including the track “Dancing with Kadafi.” In 2003, they released “Converting Vegetarians,” a two-disc set that explored both trance and experimental electronic music, featuring Duvdevani’s vocal debut.

In 2004, the band released “IM The Supervisor,” which became their best-selling album and further blended psytrance with other genres. This year also marked a significant transition as guitarists Thomas Cunningham and Erez Netz joined the group, and the band relocated to Los Angeles, California. Brazilian percussionist Rogério Jardim joined in 2007. The period saw their popularity surge, reaching #9 in the DJmag Top 100 DJs poll in 2007. Their 2007 album, “Vicious Delicious,” showcased diverse collaborations, including Gil Cerezo of Kinky and rappers Swollen Members, incorporating live guitars and drums. This progression continued with “Legend of the Black Shawarma” (2009), which featured a remix of The Doors’ “Riders on the Storm” and further stylistic variety.