Born in Messina, Sicily, Gino Foti has been exposed to diverse types of music from an early age. Although
not from a musical family, some of his earliest recollections are of
his father playing European classical works and folk music from various
Mediterranean countries on their record player, and his mother singing
along to operas and popular Italian songs on the radio.
Emigrating to the United States in the early seventies, at a time when jazz fusion and progressive rock were at the zenith of their popularity, he discovered the music of groups and artists like: Cream, Miles Davis, Al Di Meola, King Crimson, Lifetime, Mahavishnu Orchestra, John McLaughlin, Jaco Pastorius, Jean-Luc Ponty, Return To Forever, Rush, Carlos Santana, and Weather Report. The juxtaposition of classical elements and ethnic rhythms, along with the finesse and improvisation of jazz and the power and intensity of rock, were musical forms that were at once familiar and brand new, creating a lasting impression on him.
Following a near-fatal automobile accident in the early nineties, he decided to devote more time on music and purchased his first bass guitar. Unlike many of his contemporaries who have switched from electric guitar, he chose the bass because of its timbre and the challenge of exploring the instrument's built-in dichotomy of melody and rhythm.
After supporting several groups in the greater Boston area for a few years, he turned his focus to starting his own band to compose and perform original instrumental music. In late 1995, answering an ad posted on "The National Midnight Star", then the Rush online digest, he met Dave Kulju, an electric guitarist who shared numerous influences, a love of odd time signatures, and a penchant for exploring unorthodox musical themes with him. Kindred spirit and percussionist Joe Musmanno completed the power trio, now known as Electrum, in 1996.
Adopting the Do-It-Yourself ethic, Gino built a home studio and started a music label which helped the group record and release two compact discs: "Frames Of Mind" in 1998 and "Standard Deviation" in 2002 to considerable success, mainly due to the strong Internet presence of instrumental and progressive rock fans, musicians, and dealers.
A few months after "Standard Deviation" was released, Gino began working with software samplers in an effort to arrange new material for Electrum. After discovering all the ethnic percussion and instrumentation loops and samples available, he decided to embark on several solo projects that would blend all of his favorite musical styles, in the tradition of first-generation jazz-rock and world fusion artists.
Simultaneously released in 2006, "Orbis Terrarum", "Sphere Of Influence", "Bhavachakra", and "Vedic Mantras" reveal a dynamic balance of rhythm, melody, and harmony by integrating diverse ethnic traditions into his jazz-rock fusion palette.
