Infectious trance hits Vancouver

ALEXIS PAVLICH

Australia. Brazil. China. England. India. Israel. The United States and Canada. From all these corners of the earth, you will hear the sounds of world-renowned Israeli psy-trance duo Infected Mushroom reverberate. The duo, Amit Duvdevani (Duvdev) and Erez Eisen (I.zen), originally from Haifa, are pioneers in the genre of psychedelic trance music and, over the years, they’ve built an international fanbase. Their fans are what brought them back to Vancouver this past week – a mere six months after their last performance in the city.

The pair first collaborated in 1998 – after Duvdev returned to Israel from his post-army stint in India – and have been going strong ever since. Rated among the world’s top DJs, they are perhaps one of Israel’s greatest exports. Infected Mushroom is in high demand, often playing 120 shows a year.

Duvdev told the Independent that he “love[s] the shows and the life, but not the flying.” Indeed, it is not uncommon for them to perform four shows a week – with international flights in between.

The musicians’ early training was classical. Both Duvdev and I.zen studied piano for many years but, Duvdev said, their tastes evolved. Duvdev developed an interest first in heavy metal and then, when he was 17, trance music, after a cousin took him to his first trance party in 1991.

Infected Mushroom’s music reflects diverse influences and the duo has enjoyed collaborating with varied artists, including DJ Paul Oakenfold, hard rockers Jonathan Davis from Korn and Perry Farrell of Jane’s Addiction and Porno for Pyros, and Israel’s Barry Saharov, Ha’Haverim Shel Natasha and Ha’Yehudim. Next month, they will play a concert for 7,000 fans in Israel, featuring Chassidic reggae star Matisyahu.

Since relocating to Los Angeles in 2005, the Duvdev and I.zen still perform in Israel two or three times a year. In addition to the upcoming Matisyahu show, they will also play all of the end-of-the-year parties on Israeli campuses. Just last month, they performed for 6,000 fans in the parking lot of a government building in Jerusalem which, Duvdev said, was the “biggest event like this ever in Jerusalem.” Afterward, they received the pin of the city from the mayor himself.

Duvdev is a proud Israeli and, although they left Israel, he considers himself a visitor in the United States. He was quick to add that there is “no better food than in Israel” (hence the homage on the duo’s latest album, The Legend of the Black Shawarma) and that Tel Aviv is one of the top 10 cities in the world. They relocated primarily for the opportunity: “To become an international artist, you must move to the U.K. or the U.S.,” said Duvdev.

As a result of the international success, Duvdev serves as an unofficial ambassador for Israel, but does so in his own way. He leaves politics aside, making music, he said, to “take people away from politics.” Infected Mushroom has been invited several times to perform in both Dubai and Indonesia, but has rejected the offers – they would like to avoid the inevitable controversy that would ensue.

Infected Mushroom’s Jan. 16 show at the Commodore Ballroom drew an eclectic mix of more than 500 enthusiastic – predominantly non-Jewish – fans. There were metal-heads who banged away to the tunes from the latest album, and rave-kids waving glow-sticks as they danced to the more classic-electronica sounds. There was also visible support from proud Israeli transplants waving flags.

The duo performed for close to four hours, mounting the stage at 10:30 p.m. and playing until 2 a.m. The energy was high throughout, especially as they delivered their classic hit, “Becoming Insane,” which has, at larger shows, seen “crowds of 100,000 fans go ballistic.”

Duvdev and I.zen certainly looked like they were having fun – smiling, laughing and alternating at the turntable. Duvdev bounced around singing, dripping in sweat, and I.zen came down off the stage to sign autographs for devoted fans.

The pair loves making music and “the change in music and sounds” they create. Although they want to stay relevant to their fanbase, they write music just as they feel it.

Duvdev acknowledged that their “music is for the young generation ... if you don’t keep the pace, you can’t be a touring band.”

One day, Duvdev said, he will return to Israel, but undoubtedly that will not be “Sof Ha’Derech” (one of this writer’s favorite Infected Mushroom songs, which translates to “The End of the Road”) for this talented duo.

Alexis Pavlich is a Vancouver freelance writer.

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