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One thing I've always liked about these guys is their careful use of sound bites from movies. I managed to overlook Infected Mushroom until the release of their second album, Classical Mushroom. I wish I hadn't as there are some excellent tracks on The Gathering. Some acts don't do a good job of this, but IM seem to use just the right amount to trigger certain associations without it seeming like a ripoff. On achieving this balance, I've always thought of IM as having just the right amount of "cheesiness" to make it uniquely enjoyable and at times amusing (it's sometime hard not to smile at little sounds or melodic phrases) -- I doubt anyone else could pull this off without resulting in their music sounding like a failed commercial trance track.
Such musical ingenuity is rare to come by these days. If it doesn't sit well with you at first, give it another listen; chances are that much of it will grow on you and stick with you.
While it lacks some of the sound quality and commercial appeal of their current work, it is not in the least bit dull. Infected Mushrooms' The Gathering is indeed a most infectious album.
In order to gain a sincere appreciation of this music, one must submit him/herself entirely to the untamed layers of sounds and be guided track by track through this Virtual Voyage, as it is a very mentally involved album. It's actually a really busy and intense album.
Its sounds are [perhaps not always] appropriately harsh, haunting, and crazy, and at times they may seem overbearing to some. I found many of its dark melodies playing in my head on various occasions after listening to it a few times.
I recommend this to any big IM fan.Favorite tracks:Release MePsychoMontoya RMXVirtual VoyageOver Mode
It's very well engineered vocals are so trippy that it would take a strobe light rotating at the speed of a black hole to properly gather the right energy of this track. it's an orchestra from another world brought to the dancy rythm of trance.1. A softer melody near the end can be heard that is very much Goa, and is a good counter to the digital harshness of everything else in the song. It's riviting melody crescendoes into a world of dark and lovely aura that surrounds the listener with the eyes of xenophobes. This track has a very slick intro. The track evolves slowely, but it goes into these intense moments with these pad-like sounds that shrill into a void of darkness. Return of the Shadows - this is a hit and miss track if you ask me. I wish that would have been focused on more.
it's the end of the album. It's genius is seen in the beginning: that metallic bubbling that goes into an awesome rythm, but is quickly left behind. The guitar near the ending is a definate plus.5. This is an example of something that could potentially get boring if it's too harsh, but is still a good track.8. probably the best in the album.
Quite a trip.6. THe rest of the track is a mind bending percussion group from Andromeda - until the middle of the track where this acid lead goes into an amazingly thought out anthem that the bassline follows around like a caged monster. What's really nice about this track is how there is all these snap-crackle-and-pop noises that give you a headache if you listen to them closely. As a matter of fact, this is up there as a really good track in this CD.
Blue Muppet - a crazy track that is more minimalistic for the most part. The rest of the track is really etheral and breathy - yet still maintains it's harsheness at the same time like a symphony played through a distortion amp. However, mutations to the track really start to breath life into it past the middle, and these phreaked out leads start to scream all kind of obscenities at you. Release Me - Brought to life through the "What is it you want us to do" exchange from Independence Day; this monster is a holy relic in the psy-trance genre.
Psycho - killer and wierdo beginning. It has very strange noises that sound like pteridactals dying or something like that. Over Mode is like urban terror that's been mutated into a bunch of zombies. Virtual Voyage is probably among the top 3 best tracks in this album. Personally, the trippiness is a tad too long, but I love the bat-squels at this track's finest moment (2:24).
It's not their best, but not horrible either.4. Infected Mushroom is one of those artists that helped uplift the Goa, Psy, and buttrock Goa genre in electronic music. However, it is fast. The Gathering - simply wierd, not my favorite, but it has it's moments. This album is the original; perfect example of their demented handywork.It's digital harshness is rivaled only by it's organic vocals, instrumentals, and overall composition. A bit long for the vibe, but still good.3.
THe leads are crazy, and flicker on and off almost as bad as the voices do. The rest of the track seems to brood too much, but the clucky jungle atmosphere at the end of the track is a good one. its angerly awaiting the silence of the album. It's cool.7. It's computer AI gone whacky. The kick drum in this track has a really thick snap to it that I somehow appreciated.
One of my favorites.2. Tommy the Bat is another organic triffle of goodness. It's alien symphony. Because It has this kick-ass distorted lead that doesn't disturb the mood as much and elements of the beginning continue to play a strong role throughout this. That's just awesome.
The beginning sounds like a fantastic shoot-em-up sountrack for a game like Contra influenced less by metal. Why. Granted the tracks are long, and not all of them appeal to all, but it's a rare nectar in the electronica world simply because of the extremes it can take the listener to. These voices elevate to the point where they no longer flicker, and this droning melody summons this powerful climax. What a climax it is. However, I almost like this track better than Return of the Shadows. This intro should have stayed around some more and evolved within it's own confines.
THe piano is a real trippy scare - and almost sounds like the coffin of the Vampires opening up. It's distorted lead and it's funny vocals that are speed up to sound like munchkins is really fun at time. it's mad. It's taking a sunday walk in the mind of a dormant killer. Montoya Remix is alot like Return of the Shadows. Earphones or speakers, this is one of the best.9. it's spores sprouting legs and walking out of the laboratory.
This album is pretty good upon first listen. There is a lot going on in this album, and it is sure to keep your brain busy interpreting it. They certainly know their stuff on tracks 2: The Gathering, 3: Return of the Shadows, 6: Montoya Remix, 7: Tommy the Bat, and 9: Over Mode. It is infectious, hence the name `Infected Mushroom'. The rest of the album is nothing to sneeze at either, but some tracks deserve to be highlighted over others. The first few times I listened to it, much of it did not sit right with me. Then it grows on you. They have a good sense of how to implement the echo effect, and on many occasions, they manage to get the sound just right.
Some of it even rubbed me the wrong way. But later, coming back to the album, I saw how many things were right with it. These tracks have enough coherent intensity to make this album a very worthwhile purchase. If it wasn't for these five tracks, a lower rating would be more appropriate.
Tracks 6 & 8 are the most powefull and wicked. This is the embrionic stage of what is now known as the best trance producers in the world. The tracks are dark with crazy melodies and great beats. All other tracks are fantastic.This is a must have for any electronic music fan. check out the "IM SUPERVISOR ALBUM" "CLASSICAL MUSHROOM" AND "CONVERTING VEGETARIANS".
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