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First drop of the year from XCPT landing in March, introduces the 4th chapter of the Time Horizon saga, delivering six firm contributions courtesy of Pushlock, Eduardo, Marco Segato, Low End Activist and Cel, plus a re-mastered version of “FWD” by 2nd II None, previously released back in 2007.

Mastered & cut by Marco Pellegrino at Analogcut
Design by Linkin Bios

Psycho 2000 - A dark but funky theme that begins with an occulting Italian echo-oscillator drone that is soon followed by pulsating bass and breakbeat drums, leads to tremolo guitars, an ostinato on electric mandolas, strings climbing eloquent ladders, otherworldly electronics, and a cinematic finale.
An evocation of a parade of wooden nutcracker soldiers elaborately dressed in gold-trimmed black uniforms down a wide avenue decorated with mardi gras beads and animal skulls upon golden cobblestones toward a tornado spiralling out purple-hued glissandos and curlicues of elephant smoke.

White Spiritual - Head nod action, the twinkling of a late 60’s Vox Continental II with sickly transistors, the noodling matrix of an intergalactic telephone exchange carried on a bed of bouncy bass with a firm backbeat.
The Johnny Guitar Watson-esque bite and sting of a ‘67 Teisco guitar preludes slabs of unison dark brown moog and organ giving way to the dance of fingers over the black naturals and white sharps of the Continental II.

There’s more than a hint of ambition on the double LP sophomore effort from Sam Austin Rabede, the producer known as DJ Black Low. Pretoria, South Africa-born and based, the young man makes amapiano with new ways of expressing this local turned-global style of dance music.

In DJ Black Low’s musical imagination, the songs manage to smoothly vacillate between dreamy and firmly-grounded. Adorned with vocalists across most of the twelve tracks, there’s a new dimension to Black Low’s now-signature approach to abstract, angular deconstruction of the rhythmic developments in his songs.

The album references influences and ambitions in its song titles and lyrics while the music itself is anthemic in its sonic and structural aspirations. On many of the songs a slow-burning tension transforms into something unexpected until you’re somewhere else as the track concludes. There is an emotional and compositional maturity that builds on his earlier work. Vocals and lyrics are in focus.

Production collaborators among Black Low’s Gauteng Province circle add to the constantly churning array of ideas that populate this consistently surprising release. Despite being a relative newcomer, DJ Black Low is onto something here.

British musician, multi-instrumentalist, producer and DJ cktrl returns with the release of his new EP ‘Yield’. Born from a desire to change the narrative around contemporary Black British music, the boundary-pushing musician aims with this project to prioritise the art of bonafide musicianship. A stark departure from cktrl’s previous work, ‘Yield’ is a celestial and palpably more inward body of work that harkens back to the pre-electric age of modal jazz while simultaneously pulling in elements from the disciplines of classical and baroque music. Speaking on the project’s sonic identity, cktrl says: “I want to be able to show that you can make things from scratch again that have that feeling and beauty without having to sample an old record. Even though that’s an art-form within itself, I want to show raw orchestration and instrumentation can be the sole source” The origins of the title came from a period where cktrl was looking to find solace in himself after an introspective period of grief and heartbreak. As an intentionally instrumental project with minimal vocals, cktrl wants prospective listeners to see these new songs as guided meditations where they can wholly insert themselves in it. Eliciting and reaping whatever feelings come to the fore. Speaking on what ‘Yield’ means to him as a concept, cktrl explains: “Some people who I've asked to define the word ‘yield’ have looked at it from a harvest point of view, whereas others have seen it as something to submit to, to render, like you're giving up yourself. I see it as a barometer for how you feel - no matter if you're at your lowest or your highest vibration, you still need to show up for yourself. You still have to be present. It’s about getting the best from yourself no matter where you are in life” The new project is the follow up to last year’s ‘Zero’ which featured collaborations with esteemed contemporaries like the GRAMMY-nominated Mereba and anaiis. Upon the project’s release, it was met with a plethora of critical acclaim from highly regarded publications and platform such as British Vogue, Dazed, CRACK Magazine, Resident Advisor, NOTION, Harper's Bazaar and ES Magazine for its sprawling and experimental scope, spanning avant-garde jazz, classical music, alternative R&B and electronica. cktrl has a tune for every occasion: as content making beats by himself at home in Lewisham as he is amongst this generation’s fashion and cultural vanguards. Music has been a part of his life for as long as he can remember: from clarinet lessons throughout his school life to fond memories from his NTS days. Moulded by a unique blend of his West Indian heritage, years of classical training in both the clarinet and saxophone, cktrl strives to do what hasn’t been done before. His approach to creation is decidedly wide-ranging and broad. In fact, where sonic descriptions might fail to encompass the breadth of cktrl’s scope, three words surface when he unpacks his musical aims: freedom, range and feeling. Elsewhere, throughout his career, cktrl has been recognised and heralded by fashion and film VIPs as he firmly embeds himself within the black cultural renaissance emerging here in Britain. Acquiring a global network of creatives that include the late Virgil Abloh, Bianca Saunders, Tremaine Emory, Saul Nash, Maximilian Davis, Ahluwalia, Stephen Isaac Wilson, Sean Frank, Campbell Addy, Ib Kamara and Jenn Nkiru who secured him a cameo in Beyoncé’s ground-breaking film ‘Black Is King’.

limited to 200 copies!

After we have been rolling out three singles and two remixes, it’s time to present to you the full album by the Belgium duo Pelace, titled ‘Echoes’. The digital version drops October 7 and to make it even better, the album will appear on vinyl too at end the of 2022, which will be the first ever vinyl release on Infinite Depth.

The album represents the energetic sound of Pelace (Jordy Cosemans & Janick Warnier), hailing from Hasselt. Besides being Pelace they are very good friends in life, which is playing big part in their tracks. They dug deep into their own experiences and emotions that have been influencing their lives and this resulted in the album. The careful composed collection of tracks forms a 10-track story of uncompromising breaks, deep and compelling melodies and beautiful repetitive vocals.

The album starts off with ‘Trapped Forever’. An ambient intro to immediately show their characteristic raw and uplifting synthwork. When it stops it makes sure you want to carry on listening. After the intro, ‘Deep Sea Dreaming’ follows, through which they bring forward their strong breakbeats and firm basslines. Where ‘Deep Sea Dreaming’ is pretty low-key, the next one titled ‘Patterns’ is one of the more compelling tracks on the album. Long-stretched bass lines are forming a solid base, on top of which uplifting arps and pads are making this track very lively.

The fourth track ‘Kali’ goes a bit deeper. The track was written and produced when there was the news that clubs were allowed to open in Belgium again. A hard 4×4 kick, raw percussion elements and a driven bass are the key elements. After this it goes through to ‘Forever Together’. This one is about always being Pelace together. It’s a break track with a suppressed, but also very special energy.

‘Break Ups’ represents the more calm and dreamy side of the album. The regular beat gets broken up by a breakbeat, after which it continues in its lo-fi focused four-the-floor pattern. Throughout the track harmonious pads are melting together with high pitched synths, giving you a hopeful and warm feeling. The main song ‘Echoes From The Past’ defines the signature sound of Pelace, a blend of all kinds of electronica. Broken beats, intertwining synths, an appealing repetitive vocal and a reese bass, combined to evoke intense moments on the dancefloor.

The eighth track is called ‘Floating’ and refers to old-school no-nonsense electronica. A pulsing and stabby synth, a powerful jungle kick and the up-tempo rhythm are providing a powerful energy. ‘Pushing You Away’ brings us back to the duo’s characteristic drum parts and vocal use, but with a deeper lower part and a somewhat trancey and ravey higher part. Then the cooling-down begins in the form of the outro ‘I Won’t Hesitate’. A very hopeful end to this story told by Pelace

Finnish Heavy Metal legends, Spiritus Mortis unveil a grand–scale epic of antique Doom on 16th of September via Svart Records.

Erecting a new monolith in the halls of Doom Metal history with their fifth album The Great Seal, Spiritus Mortis certify true classic status as one of the scene’s modern greats.

There are few modern-day bands that can be uttered under the same breath as the giants of Traditional Doom and Heavy Metal like Spiritus Mortis. Formed in 1987 as Rigor Mortis they can firmly attest to having been “the first Finnish Doom Metal band”, uncovering hallowed ground before the later imitators. Carrying the banner of powerful true Metal, the likes of which stands proudly next to the masters such as Dio era Sabbath, Solitude Aeturnus and Trouble, Spiritus Mortis have established a tradition of catchy song-writing and consummate knowledge of sacred riff-craft. The Great Seal is a collosal album which Spiritus Mortis describes as “a rite of collective suicide and an orgy of self-immolation” and plumbs the depths of epic sorrow with gargantuan slabs of igneous riffs and emotional vocals.

Synonymous with classic Finnish Doom bands like Reverend Bizarre, whose singer Albert Witchfinder intoned previous albums’ vocals, Spiritus Mortis continue to define and cement their formidable legacy. Albert’s replacement, Kimmo Perämäki is more than worthy of the consecrated robes he inherits, delivering a performance which is flawlessly dominating and instantly gratifying. Tracks like Martyrdom Operation and Visions Of Immortality see Perämäki boldly carving his own name in the stone tablets of future history, marrying the riffs of the Maijala brothers and guitarist Kari Lavila with the splendor of magnificent melancholy that Spiritus Mortis is so known and admired for.

Not only will true devotees of the Spiritus Mortis Doom church be raising their fists with full hearts, but those who seek knowledge of the faithful spirit of real Metal can surely look no further than within The Great Seal.

The next release in CUE Music's catalogue sees Butane teaming up once more with Riko Forinson for "Brainstorm" EP alongside Nima Gorji on remix duties. The record definitely adds extra magic to the label's discography, lining up to the previous releases from Elchinsoul, Sascha Dive, Sascha Sonido, Danilo Schneider, Dubphone, Heerd and label head Sven Jaeger, among many many others.

A firm believer that the long hours of studio work keep a musician grounded, Butane boasts an impressive discography, released by some of the most highly regarded labels in the business, such as Crosstown Rebels, Sci+Tec, Hottrax, Fuse Records, Lauter and Get Physical. As a label owner, he's the founder of three influential underground dance music imprints of his own, Alphahouse, Little Helpers and Extrasketch.

Riko Forinson is an Italian artist passionate about the sound of drums and piano which he studied intensively from an early age. After a while of exploring the acoustic dimensions of music, he immersed himself in the world of digital electronica, performing as a DJ at various events and releasing with labels like Orpheus Recordings, Lucidflow, Dushe Label and Bar 25 Music. Nowadays he's an author, composer and producer who loves to play with various techniques while integrating jazz, reggae or classical aspects into his compositions or sets.

In charge of the reinterpretation of the title track, Ibiza-based Nima Gorji is well-known on the international scene, with a career that spans more than three decades. In 1999 he founded Welt Recordings followed by NG Trax and Need For Sound, relentlessly following his passion for electronic music by releasing numerous personal works as well as promoting other artists. His rich discography includes materials published through labels like Sci+Tec, Deeperfect, Fuse London, Bondage Music, Out Of Orbit, Love Letters From Oslo, Indigo Raw, Out Of Orbit, Cocoon, Murmur, Natural Rhythm, Bla Bla Records, ÉTÉ,

It might seem tongue-in-cheek on the surface, but the fact that the title of Eldritch Priest's sprawling debut vinyl release, Omphaloskepsis, is the Greek translation for “navel-gazing” unlocks something essential to the Vancouver-based composer and writer's singular outlook.

Perhaps even more telling is the title of Priest's 2013 book Boring Formless Nonsense: Experimental Music and the Aesthetics of Failure (Bloomsbury), whose 300-odd pages read as though you've been dosed with potent hallucinogens. Throughout the text Priest addresses—celebrates, even—the titular elements via various musical examples, including that of his peers. What's so bewildering it is that his descriptions of how boredom, formlessness, and nonsense manifest are laced with the very tactics he's depicting. Passages tie themselves in knots, footnotes engulf the “primary text,” he even deliberately misleads the reader.

The restless stasis of Omphaloskepsis could be regarded as an extension of this book's wayward spirit. Things unfold fairly slowly and consistently but it'd be a stretch to describe it as properly contemplative. Like attempting to meditate with a high fever, any sense of tranquility is constantly derailed as one succumbs to queasy agitation. The piece's foundation is a seemingly endless guitar melody; an organic meander that neither seems to repeat or offer any concessions to narrative directionality. Priest unfurls this rambling cantus firmus in a rich, clean, jazz-like tone, but as it's played, it's repeatedly tangled with snarls of dense digital processing and shadowed by stumbling virtual “band.” These strident interjections blatantly contrast with the guitar, yet they aren't so violent as to offer more than a faint itch of distraction. As such, the distinctive amorphousness that this piece asks us to inhabit for its 54-minute duration leaves a strong impression, but also feels utterly intangible.

In addition to his recorded forays, Priest's disorienting music has also been performed by top-tier interpreters such as the Arditti Quartet, Quatuor Bozzini, Philip Thomas, Anton Lukoszevieze, and Continuum. While living in Toronto he co-founded the collective neither/nor with John Mark Sherlock, which featured a cross section of musician-composers playing each other's work including Eric Chenaux, Doug Tielli, Eric KM Clark, Heather Roche, and Rob Clutton. “Though the name refers specifically to a loosely knit group of composers and performers,” remark's the collective's website “neither/nor is also a sensibility that refuses art’s messianic pretensions and the gaping maw of commercialized society, opting instead for art’s right to be esoteric.” In 2021, when Eric Chenaux and Martin Arnold relaunched their neither/nor-adjacent Rat-drifting imprint, an album by Priest, Many Traceries, was among the first to be released. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Priest was a student at the University of Victoria, a school that's come to be known for fostering such staunch individualists as Arnold, Linda Catlin Smith, Allison Cameron, and Anna Höstman.

As a scholar, Priest writes from a 'pataphysical perspective and deals with topics such as sonic culture, experimental aesthetics and the philosophy of experience. Priest brings these interests to his job as an Associate Professor in the School for the Contemporary Arts at Simon Fraser University, interests that also inform his work as a member the experimental theory group The Occulture. In addition to Omphaloskepsis, his new book, Earworm and Event: Music, Daydreams and Other Imaginary Refrains,

Hot on the heels of two wicked releases on Lobster Theremin and SITU Records, London based producer Kempston Hardwick readies 4 bubbling cuts of summer jams with all the zesty twists of an ice cold radler on Distant Horizons.

Whilst his last releases on LT took a more UK-centred sound approach, DISTANT005 has you jumping on the first plane out of London and onto a white, sandy beach somewhere in the South Pacific. The skippy, bright beats of ‘Step With Me’ raise the curtain before the sounds of thes streets of Chicago take over on ‘Roxy’s Party’ - a classic cut of contemporary house that lends from the past while keeping one eye firmly fixated on the future.

‘Leonila’ sees Kempston take on a more experimental aesthetic; tribal drum patterns and vocal samples blend with bending synthwork and and the inspired calm that can only come from the sound of wooden instruments.

Bowing us out is ‘Cascasde’, the most quintessential Kempston track on there; his distinctive take on house shining across five minutes of late-night grooves.