Vedic Mantras - Reviews

Stephen Bocioaca (Jazz World Quest)

 
"Playing world music fusion demands understanding and respect of the cultures involved in the creational process. Capturing the essence of the various musical heritages, is another challenge. And here comes Gino Foti! He is one of the rare musicians whose sensitivity to spiritual and magical is mixed with unparalleled musical skills. His profound understanding of cultures and world's main philosophies is embedded in his compositions rewarding the listener with an amazing palette of melodies, sounds and rhythms."

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John Kuhlman (Global Rhythm)

 
"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."

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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."

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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)...."

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