A name inspired to John Cage's Fontanamix, painter Lucio Fontana and the fountain (in Italian: "fontana") at via Turati, in Milano.

Fontana were a trio: Al Aprile, Luca Majer, Maurizio Marsico. The band published just one single (Takita/Kamati, 1982) produced by the La Bionda Bros. (the fathers of Italian disco-music) and recorded in Munich.  One song's lyrics (Kamati) were in Maori language, the other song was based on a karnatic rhythm pattern.

None of the two songs had a disco feel, nor could be frankly considered commercial.

The La Bionda Bros. did not desist from their talent-scouting activities and the following year launched Vamos A La Playa by Righeira. It became one of the biggest European hits to be produced in Italy in the Eighties.

In "Matita Emostatica" you can find described parts of Fontana's history. Maurizio Marsico, the master behind the "Monofonic Orchestra" nickname, noted that:

"Fontana collapsed and each member went solo, like in a famous rock band. But we were not famous - we had just had one ghost single. So much of a ghost single, that today nobody remembers it anymore, such a ghost 45 RPM record that today it has become a rarity amongst vinyl collectors". 

Had the term already been invented, back then, we would have at least earned ourselves the title of "first Italian Art-Rock band"...