The Intelligate/Small Moves EP was released by Infected Mushroom back in the days of old, when goa trance was just beginning to surface, and their music mainly consisted of guttural acid trance synths and dark, heavy basslines. This was also back in the days when the only vocal contributions Duvdev made to the music were his creepy modulated noises that appeared sporadically within the music itself (sometimes I wish he’d kept it that way). That’s not to say those were the only voice samples; most of the voices they did use were taken from old sci-fi movies. Such is the case in both of the following tracks, and it is from those samples that we get not only the titles, but the foundations that give the music its meaning.
Tracks:
INTELLIGATE
This track jumps immediately into a clip from the movie Contact in which Ellie Arroway delivers a speech about making contact with alien civilizations. In response, the music fades in with a maelstrom of futuristic sound effects and synth melodies. Even in the first days of Infected Mushroom, they’ve made a name for themselves with their distinct sound, and the fact that their version of psychedelic trance delivers more than just random spacey loops and effects. Their intricate compositions feature layers and layers of harmonies, baslines, soundscapes, samples, crescendos and decrescendos, build-ups and drops (not speaking in the dubstep sense, don’t get it confused).
SMALL MOVES
The samples from this track are also taken from the movie Contact, only the voice is coming from Ellie’s dad, Ted. This track is significantly less heavy than the first, but still that dark, extraterrestrial tone prevails. Another thing to note is that at one point there lies a subtle melody very similar to a certain track from the album B.P. Empire (Here’s a hint: the track on BPM is actually a remix).
Conclusion:
Being the very first release by Amit and Erez as a duo (to the best of my knowledge), this EP is a notable album in its own right, if only for that reason. For all the old-school trancers and ravers out there, this is one album you must listen to at least once or twice. However, it’s over a decade old by now, and the days of vinyl are dwindling away, so you might just want to get your hands on a copy before it’s gone forever.
Favorite track: Intelligate
