Updated 28.04.05 (fixed BB-code, etc)
Infected Mushroom - Converting Vegetarians
BNE/Yoyo 2003, (YoYo 056)
CD1 - The Trance Side
01. 07'01" Albibeno
02. 06'58" Hush Mail
03. 08'05" Apogiffa Night
04. 08'33" Song Pong
05. 06'52" Chaplin
06. 07'39" Echonomix
07. 07'55" Scorpion Frog
08. 08'24" Deeply Disturbed
09. 06'06" Semi Nice
10. 08'12" Yanko Pitch
CD2 - The Other Side
01. 05'39" Converting Vegetarians
02. 05'35" Elation Station
03. 05'14" Drop Out
04. 10'23" Avratz
05. 05'32" Blink
06. 04'08" Shakawkaw
07. 06'44" Pletzturra
08. 03'00" I Wish
09. 07'17" Ballerium
10. 05'21" Selecta
11. 04'50" Illuminaughty
12. 07'02" Jeenge
13. 05'15" Elevation
Review:
Alright, the long awaited fourth album from the Mushies is finally out... After exactly 2 years of waiting since BP Empire came out... So, will this live up to the expectations? ...Well, yes and no!
It's been known for a long time that this is a double CD - one trance side and one chilled / experimental side... Sound-samples have been floating around on the internet for ages and most of these tracks have been played by the Mushies at live-gigs over the last year or so. So, you've probably heard some of the tracks. But now the whole CD is here - full tracks in the usual amazing studio quality...
Before I take you throug the tracks, let me just take a minute to talk about the cover and packaging of this CD in general. I'm taking a stand against card-board-boxes around CD-jewel-cases... Also on this, the new Infected... What is this? Do you realize how annoying it is to take that thing off? I must have thrown out at least 10 of those things lately. Also, the jewel case is awful - When you try to get the 2nd you are bound to rip the entire jewel-case open. Damn! I don't know what to make about the cover-art...On one hand it's very refreshing, but on the other it's very far from the first 3 covers which were all great!... Oh, if you squint your eyes the fishing-hook and and the brain looks like a mushroom upside down! ;o) One last thing - I like the sticker and the DJ Case CD-insert that comes with the CD!
Let's take a look at the tracks individually...
[CD1#1] First up is Albibeno [146 bpm]... What a wonderful first track... Reminds me of the 'feel' from The Gathering and Classical Mushroom... Driving full-on in the classic IM-style... Good one!
[CD1#2] is Hush Mail [148 bpm] - Starts of with the sound of a mad dog or perhaps a tiger... Some say it's Gollum, but I'm not sure about that... I'm sure it has rabies though - I'm not petting it, that's for sure! Very fast, and very dark, distorted track... This is right down the proggie-lovers alley! Killer track!
[CD1#3] Up next is Apogiffa Night [142 bpm]... Another dark stomper here - a great morning track - even darker than it's predecessor, more simple basslines, but still with the melody intact... And even some elements of classical orchestral music in the background... Very good!
[CD1#4] Song Pong [145 bpm] starts slowly, but soon turns into a melodic trance-tune...Average track!
[CD1#5] Chaplin [147 bmp] ... Ahh... Things are picking up again... This is a fast, morning track... Halfway through the track they are really showing us their studio-skills with this crazy bassline and all kinds of weird effects... Actually it kinda feels like they are just showing off - Come on guys, you're loosing focus here... Well, it's getting better towards the end.
[CD1#6] Echonomix [145 bpm] is another full on track... Lots of psychedelia and twisted sounds... For a couple of minutes it looses direction though - and what's up with the cut ending - sounds like a badly ripped mp3-track!? Well, generally I like it! ;o)
[CD1#7] Scorpion Frog [146 bpm] I remember this one from their liveset - and I also remember I wasn't too impressed with it...But listening to it again more intensly, I've changed my mind.... The first part is boring really [Well, I like the violins], but then there's a cool twist at 3'17" which takes the track in a totally new direction... Again, this shows that Erez & Amit are studio-wizards - I dunno how the hell they create these fantastic sounds, but I like 'em! Great track, though I could do without the first 3 minutes...
[CD1#8] Alright, we all know the single Deeply Disturbed [145 bpm] by now... Very rock'ish full-on trance... Berry Sakkarof's guitar and great bassline... But I still "deeply unhappy" with Duvdev's voice here... Aaargh - make it go away! Well, besides from that, this is pretty much a flawless track.... But I can't seem to see past those awful vocals... Awful!
[CD1#9] Right, so here is Semi Nice [140bpm] and this is definitely named all wrong, this is Very Nice! It's a slower track with all kinds of different musical influences... Funny really! I like it!
[CD1#10] Last but definitely not least is Yanko Pitch [146 bpm]... Very powerfull track here... I remember this from their live-act too... Quite simple bass-line really, but it works... Goes great with the full-on style of this track... Killer build-ups and breaks here... This is one seriuously brilliant track! From 6'50 to 7'45 it's just pure-psycho-live-mix-bliss! Fantastic! Infected at their best! ;o)
To sum up, this majority of these tracks are great... Sometimes I get the feeling that Erez & Duvdev are a bit too busy showing off their skills instead of focusing on making us dance... But then again, that's the trademark of Infected isn't it - these fantastic production skills!? Well, I'm not slagging them off... This cd isn't flawless, but there are some killer-tracks on here... I'll give it 8/10!
Alright, throw on the second CD... The aptly named The Other Side. Now things are really heading in another direction... But hey, that's good! ;o) This is freestyle-chill all the way ... With just enough psychedelic-trippiness sprinkled around to satisfy everyone with an open mind!
[CD2#1] Converting Vegetarians... Great music, very experimental... But what the hell is up with Duvdevs crazy ass rap vocals? Damn, I don't dig them! "Minding the gap, since 1996!"... Wtf? I know you've been at it since then, but minding the gap? You're not on the tube! Well, you've leapt across the gap into rapping I'll give you that much! I'm sure there's a deeper meaning about the track/albumname too... Refer to various forums for that!
[CD2#2] is Elation Station and this is simply a beautiful track. Very uplifting and trippy... On one hand it's chilled and relaxing, but there's a lot psychedelic sprayed around to satisfy even the hardest psyheads. Very innovative. Great!
[CD2#3] Ahh... The famous Drop Out... This is the closest Infected has ever gotten to Shpongle... Veeeeery trippy sounds in this masterpiece... All kinds of different influences flavours this track... Industrial sounds, acoustic guitars, piano, perfectly fitted vocal samples, synths, etc... Smashing track!
[CD2#4] Avratz starts off beautifully... Great piano-melody... Relaxed atmosphere... At 3'00 some break-beats are thrown in alongside random IM-studio wizardry-blips and blops... And then Duvdev sings again... But this time it actually fits the track... Another brilliant ambient track!
[CD2#5] is Blink... Well, this track is totally vocal-driven... But, we don't have to listen to Duvdev for 6 minutes, but the gorgeous Michele Adamson...[We all know her from the Shpongle CDz, Fly Ageric, etc...Simon Posford's ex-girlfriend...] She has a great voice - kinda husky at times, but very sexy! It'll be too much to go into the lyrics, but they are printed in the cover alongside a pic of Michele... I could have wished for less lyrics in this track though - but with her voice I can cope... But hey - don't tell me not to smoke or drink! Average track!
[CD2#6] The psychedelia is back with Shakawkaw... The track itself is great, but I hate the samples... Average track!
[CD2#7] Pletzturra starts of with more great piano-riffs alongside a lazy beat... Lovely! Better fitted vocals this time - Gregorian chants - perhaps a little over the top, but actually I think it's quite tastefull...
[CD2#8] Ahr damn, more lyrics from Duvdev on I Wish... The best thing about this track is that it is only 3 minutes. Sorry, I don't like it at all!
[CD2#9] Ballerium doesn't quite reach the same highs as some of the previous tracks, but it's still pretty damn good... I especially like the acid-bleeps - it's not often you hear those in chilled tracks. Nice change! Also the break-beat stuff at the end... Nice!
[CD2#10] Oy, "Bo Selecta!" This is a crazy track. Fast-paced mostly, but slows down a little sometimes. This is a bit to hectic for my taste, but it's kinda funny with some freestyle I guess... Check out the saloon-variety sounds near the end...;o)
[CD2#11] Michele is with us again on Illuminaughty..."Darkness rises... Calling out my name...". Sounds like Bjork, but that's good! The vocals are kinda cheesy I guess, but I can live with that 'cause the Infected-touch is still intact! Quite ok track!
[CD2#12] Once again we have acoustic guitars, this time starting off Jeenga... Very nice! Soooooo relaxed, so subtle, so beautiful... But as usual, we have to have a little beats, so they are present. Very well-fitted though...Perfectly done! Another amazing track!
[CD2#13] Elevation finishes of the 'Other Side' CD... This was already released on "Another Life" but what a great track this is... This is perhaps the most relaxed tune here... What a nice way to end this great CD!
To sum up, there are some really, really bad tracks here, but also some fantastic, beautiful tracks... Quite hard to judge... Of course I could have been without the bad tracks, and definitely most of Duvdevs singing... But the good tracks make up for this... I'll give this 9/10!
Overall rating for Converting Vegetarians: 8,5/10!
Recommended!
DeathPosture
