Voojoo Rituals is a somewhat obscure Israeli psytrance compilation “mixed” by DJ Gidi. I say “mixed” because the mixing here is truly awful—but at least it is all in the form of short fades rather than long beatmatching. The packaging is peculiar; this CD comes in a kind of plastic case with a blue switch at the corner to eject the disc. Worth noting: Hovek Olam also released a vinyl sampler EP featuring four of the better tracks from Voojoo Rituals.

The compilation opens with Scotch, a killer collaboration between Domestic and Infected Mushroom. Ranging from dark and minimal to full-on melodic bliss, this track covers a lot of territory. It is easily my favourite from this release and a surefire winner for all fans of the early Infected sound. The mix into the next track is the worst on the CD, unfortunately. I wish that beautiful lead-out could be recovered somehow…

The Race, taken from Full On 4, is a serious piece of power trance featuring samples from the speedway. Instead of overt melodies, Passenger (Guy Zukrel) uses layers of tonal constructions that accentuate the bass line. Simple yet deadly, but not the best from this MFG side project.

The Psycraft remix of BLT’s Lemon is bubbly and cheerful. It combines a fast bass-heavy groove with fluttering melodies and pleasant atmospheric themes. Something nice for the morning time.

After Infected Mushroom, Dark Soho was seen as the next big thing from Israel in the year 2000. Madness features a menacing blend of grinding guitars, cinematic atmospheres, and heavy beats, remaining true to the sound of their debut album Sun Spot. This is one of the better early singles from the group.

Satlanation AKA Gorlation Corporation is made up of Assaf Dor and Nir Shoshani (better known as Hujaboy). Alongside DJ Gidi they provide a lesson in Bassology with fat chunky beats and dazzling psychedelic effects. There is definitely a bit of Plastic Zeus in this one (see my review of U.F.S. 2 for more about that).

Creatures From Outer Space is a collaboration between DJ Goblin (of Psysex) and Talamasca. It originally appeared on a vinyl single from 3D Vision Records, though this version may differ slightly as it is the “Interactive Mix” (and I haven’t got the vinyl handy to double check). This deeply alien track is pure quality—Goblin and Lestat really know their business. It casts the listener deep into the shining void, building toward an extraordinary climax that seems to go on forever. Fantastic stuff!

BLT’s Fluffer is a playful piece of trance. The stodgy beat clunks and grooves as wispy melodies spiral through the air. Deep and interesting: a sign of things to come for Yuli.

Look At Me is not the best from Infected Mushroom but that isn’t saying much; they’ve got a lot of range and even some of their less successful tracks are better than the gems of other producers. This particular offering sounds a lot like other tracks from this era—a mix between The Gathering and Classical Mushroom. Aside from the insanely cool melodies, this track undergoes a bizarre metamorphosis at the halfway point when the title sample plays and the kick drum fattens up considerably. This is certainly a keeper for fans of the iconic Israeli group.

Psycraft rounds it out with Wild 19, a strange tune with spooky hints of melody, a plodding groove, and ill-fitting samples about executions and other nonsense. The BLT influences are strong in this one but the results are mediocre.

Voojoo Rituals is a strange one. Like many listeners, I really don’t appreciate the so-called mixing—and the order of tracks is odd, to say the least. Still, this compilation offers great insight into the development of what Shahar, in his Isratrance review, refers to as the “new generation” of Israeli trance producers. As such, it is certainly worth a listen.

Release Data

Title: Voojoo Rituals
Label: Hovek Olam
Format: CD compilation
Released: 2000

More Information

Discogs: Detailed release information and user-submitted reviews.
Isratrance: User-submitted review forum.