|  | DJ Alixir's verdict:
The long awaited release of the new album 'Converting Vegetarians' from Israel's prominent Psytrance Act, Infected Mushroom seeks to convert more than just Vegetarians. With two discs (firstly the 'trance side' secondly 'the other side') offering different takes on Infected Mushroom's world, we're treated to a whole variety of styles that maybe should convert lovers of all dance genres to Infected Mushroom's way of musical thought.
Infected Mushroom prove yet again to be nothing less than professional when it comes to composition of their tracks. A considerable amount of time and effort has gone into crafting each sound within each piece and they have experimented with a variety of sounds to marry together some of the unexpected instruments that pop up within certain titles.
Each track still has the ever - unforgettable distorted trippy acid Infected Mushroom stamp on it, there's no way you could listen and presume them to be from any other artist within their field. I'll begin with the not so normal offerings on the 'other side' CD, the second one of the two that gives us a distinctly different take on Infected Mushroom's usual style.
On first listening I noticed that most tracks (unlike the darker, warped offerings) on the CD have a distinct laid back, almost spanish, jazzy or parisian style mixed with a dark mood. It sounds as if there's a little bit of musical mockery within the tracks as you suddenly notice a squeezebox droning away or Lily Von Shtuck (from Mel Brooks "Blazing Saddles" movie) half talked, half sung vocals where you were expecting an angelic vocal.
As with most Infected Mushroom tracks, it's all about the way they experiment with crossing styles and moods, something which has been well achieved with this CD but may take a little getting used to!
On 'the other side', 'Blink' introduces itself as an almost 'Broadway' punk vocal number, half spoken and half sung deep lyrics that interweave with the LFO'd distorted bubbling synth riffs and harmonies.
Definitely not the best vocalist I've ever heard but lends herself to the track and achieves the overall effect. It does work in a 'Vivienne Westwood of electronica' way, whereas another track 'I Wish' sounds more like a breakbeat version of New Order riffs mixed Pet Shop Boys vocals with underlying rolling 80's basslines and lead synths.
There are a lot of song format based productions on this CD that may or may not be intended for commercial release but would probably do just as well.
Moving on to the 'trance side', we're given the usual kicking psytrance Infected Mushroom workout, distorted to hell acid riffs, flanging percussion, chopped and re - sampled riffs, complex effects patches, wailing lead lines, orchestral compositions and parisien squeezeboxes?
The last bit made me laugh quite a lot in a musical comedy sense, they can't have taken that addition seriously, surely! 'Hush Mail' starts off with something that's altogether just not human. Some creature that sounds like it's being beaten with a toaster, moans away beneath a gated guitar line as the track gets off to a pace pretty quickly.
Once up and running, metallic percussion clangs away on top of the riding bassline, forever filtering and morphing whilst taking us further towards the aircraft revving breakdown.
A monster of a track most definitely! 'Apogiffa Night' resembles a late eighties acid house number/techno crossover track to me. It begins with a huge, dark orchestral build and a sample layering it that sounds like someone falling down the stairs with a box of tools before breaking into a killer of an acid track, industrial techno with strings!
I can imagine some offers from German remixers for this particular production, there's a myriad of remixes there Overall, both CDs offer differing aspects on Infected Mushroom's musical cultural ideology and you're getting over 20 tracks for the price, now that's either a good deal or good deal in my eyes.
If you're willing to accept Infected Mushroom's plays on other musical genres whilst not selling their own sound out, then this will be just the album for you! If you hate every other form of music in the world except for psytrance then this will also be the album for you!
Basically, you can't loose either way and you'll hate yourself for not listening to the parisien squeezebox track.
Track Listing: "Trance Side"
1. Albibeno
2. Hush mail
3. Apogiffa night
4. Song pong
5. Chaplin
6. Economix
7. Scorpion frog
8. Deeply disturbed
9. Semi
10. Yanko 'The Other Side'
11. Converting vegetarians
12. Elation station
13. Drop out
14. Avratz
15. Blink
16. Shakawkaw
17. Pletzturra
18. I wish
19. Ballerium
20. Selec ta
21. Illuminaughty
22. Jeenge
23. Elevation
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