Aton's

Progressive Rock Band

A Mellow Records Band...
Back to Mellow Records Catalog

In Autumn 1977 Pietro Ratto founded Aton's, an Italian progressive band based in Turin. The original line-up featured also Vito Frallonardo, faithful and never-to-be-defeated Pietro's collaborator who at the time played rhythm guitar: only in 1988 he switched on to bass.

The concept behind the band was to face the dominion of Punk and the rise of New Wave by playing a kind of music which drew its inspiration from classical and folk atmospheres, tracing its way back to Italian and English Pop Rock.

The first event in Atones' career was the participation to "Festival Rock" in 1982: they got good responses and reached the quarter of the regional final. Paradoxically the Turin newspaper "La Stampa" defined their music "New Wave"! In that particular occasion the band's line-up also included the third fundamental member, drummer Massimo Trasente.

Between 1982 and 1983 the band played a series of concerts in Turin theatres (Teatro Massaua, Teatro Nuovo...). Audiences were astonished at listening to so ancient but at the same time so fresh atmospheres, obtained with electric instruments and more traditional ones such as balalajkas, mandolins, horns and percussions. The band was now formed by eight (!) persons.

In 1983 shone the first sunray: their first 7" single "Ore tre/Sogni" is released. The money to cover the costs of the recording had been earned by winning a contest sponsored by Radio Italia 1. At last Pietro, Vito and the other members of the band could be heard by the Italian public. Note also that at the time of this first recording Massimo was 13 years old and both Pietro and Vito were 16.

This record increased Aton's' popularity and, at the end of 1983 they were third at "Il Talentiere", famous Italian music contest.

In 1984 the band recorded one of their first demos: "Monica / E canterò / Ritornerai / Senti che...", in which their sound gets more and more prog-oriented.

In the summer of the same year Pietro started composing his first Rock Opera: "H". It is the first rock opera ever recorded in Italy, an hour long, divided into two acts and accompanied by a video of the same length.

"H" is a very difficult and refined work, almost a challenge to the listener. Traditional acoustic instruments are blended with "futuristic" ones like synthesizers and drum machines; its lyrics are very critical towards war, drugs and indifference, and there are even bitter remarks on women treated as objects and politics which interferes in music and arts.

In 1985 "H" is finally accomplished. It is first shown privately in selected theatres and discos, then at the "Cinema Giovani" Film Festival, and broadcasted three times on Videomusic, the Italian MTV.

Reviewing them on Ciao 2001, Aldo Bagli said that "Aton's are one of the most future-projected Italian bands... very interesting and modern, they have won our hearts!"

Even if Ciao 2001's was the most authoritative review, it was not the only one; a local newspaper defined "H" a masterpiece: "H is the title of this mighty and mind-blowing fairy tale destined to the people who doesn't want to just listen to music (in this case outstanding, just like the lyrics) but to visualize emotions as well" then he added "we have to acknowledge Aton's' genius and wish them to stay pure both in their soul and their bodies." And this is what they have always done!

In 1987 things begin to settle... The sound of the band gets nearer and nearer to the actual one, now they really ARE a progressive band, that blends the English experience with the Italian Pop Rock tradition. The result is a unique and interesting music.

At the beginning of 1988 the band line-up included three musicians only: Pietro, Vito and Massimo, and the Rock side is prevailing on the Pop one.

While working on the new LP Pietro conceives and composes his "Sinfonia per tastiere Midi dirette da un computer, Vitae Motus". It is a very peculiar way to testify how much keyboards and computers are vital to this band, not used as an end but as a means.

At the end of 1988 Atones release their long-awaited first album, "A.I.2984". This album gets very good reviews, especially from the progscene, either abroad and in Italy. According Davide Grassi of the Italian progressive magazine Paperlate "Figli del Buio" and "Sulla Ferrovia" are two little big masterpieces whose "epic atmospheres sum up all the best progressive of the last twenty years... Aton's are among the best bands of the Italian new prog, and my favorite one!"

In December 1989 "A.I.2984" is re-released due to public demand bothin Europe and in Japan. 1990 has been a relatively 'quiet' year for Aton's. They recorded a second album, "Caccia Grossa" out at the beginning of March on CONTEMPO RECORDS. During the recording sessions of the album Aton's met Francesco Di Giacomo, member of Banco, legendary Italian band, who gave them advises and encouragement.

"Caccia Grossa" is a further step forward both for technical ability and the songwriting. The music is now tense and aggressive, its lyrics more introspective, but there are also a couple of tracks which deal with social matters.

In 1991 Massimo Trasente left the group to move to Paris: for the Aton's it was as heavy strike, and month after month Pietro and Vito spent their time looking for a drummer prepared to join the band.

Finally in February 1992 they found Paolo Bonito, a 21 years old drummer coming from Basilicata, who knew the group because he knew the last two records of the band.

Bonito had big passion if compared to Trasente, less technic, this kind of obstacle was rapidly overcome with a lot of work.

With Bonito behind the drums the Aton's recorded "Dr. Faust" published by MELLOW RECORD, as Pietro and Vito had been aware that the CONTEMPO RECORDS was in difficulty. Mauro Moroni's Mellow Records had already called them to issue "H", the video rock-opera written by Pietro Ratto in 1985, which was finally published in 1992. "Dr. Faust" was issued when Paolo Bonito had already left the group. The separation was due to the fact that Bonito could not face all the engagement of the band as he often went to see his family in the south of Italy.

"Dr. Faust" is a great piece of work, very "rocky", a free reinterpretation of Goethe's Faust. Pietro worked on the album for three years but unfortunately the landscape of Progressive Rock music was in crisis and newspaper focused on lot of works less original or merely copies from the well known names of the Progressive scenes.

In spite of bad criticism given by newspapers "Dr. Faust" sold well. The Aton's presented some songs during the meeting for the 30 years of the Nomadi in Novellara. The Jig was filmed by RAI and MTV.

Encouraged by the good results of the group, Mauro Moroni decided to produce "Klein & Wagner", the latest work of the group. It is a brilliant piece of work, full of colors and it was composed after Pietro read Herman Hesse's novel. This is the most mature work of the group where songs such as "E DIO SENZA TE", "ANGORA",and "WAGNER" witness the originality achieved by the group. Meanwhile the 16 years old young drummer Riccardo Lombardo, winner of a lot of prizes in Europe and Italy, has joined the band. "Klein & Wagner" was issued a few month before the first Aton's' Live album: "Ombre di musica".

Soon it will also see the light of day "Xenia", the first Ratto's solo album. it will be a pleasant surprise to all Aton's fans.