"Foti centers each track around the elegantly ecstatic chanting of guest vocalist Sri Sastry, who sings mantras from the Taittiriya Upanishad. With Sastry’s vocals suspended in a variety of roiling synthetic cloud banks, each piece moves effortlessly into the next, putting your brain right where you want it to be, in the middle of a dark, slow-moving river."
Steve Roberts (ZNR Records)
"While his first three CDs were certainly influenced by the likes of Pekka Pojola, Mike Oldfield, Michael Manring,
Jade Warrior, a.o. , this fourth release is a little different. The main focus here is the Vedic Chanting of guest vocalist
Sri Sastry. The flavor of this CD is much more 'world music' and much more geared toward meditation. The singing is
very Eastern inflected and as such may be a bit off-putting to some prog fans. Ultimately this is another great release
from Gino that rewards with repeated listenings, however I can only recommend this to someone who already knows
his work. Therefore I would suggest that you start with "Orbis Terrarum" or "Sphere of Influence" first."
top of page
Gerald Van Waes (Psyche van het Folk)
and (Radio Centraal - Belgium)
"This last piece is accompanying music for a Mantra reciting recording. The CD consists of three tracks with three parts,
with one introduction. The voice itself isn't too attractive, but Gino in a clever way added in the first section hypnotic
layers of acoustic and keyboard drones with subtonal melodic musical references, working like a more complex-in-sound
tampura. Of course there's a certain repetition, first of all in the rhythmical monotone reciting. The arrangements of
each section have a certain variation within the same musical concept.
The second series and mantra ('Brahmananda Valli'), on 'part 1' has a surprisingly different arrangement of rather
progressive rock (acoustic and electric guitars, drum, and some ethnical instruments on the background, and some
keyboards). An interesting composition. The second part however falls back on the sphere of the droning repetition form.
Last mantra has the most repetitive and monotone arrangement, something which might work to get intentionally into
the droning effect of the mantra reciting itself. The voice itself could have been recorded better, but that doesn't take
away the effect and purpose of the music. Rather late but very good as a conclusion an additional drum part is added
to the latest part, with some orchestral loops. (I could have imagined some additional sitar conclusion too)...."
top of page