SOL INVICTO, the innovative project led by Richie Londres featuring Stephen Carpenter of DEFTONES and Eric Bobo of CYPRESS HILL, has released “Initium ft. Zach Hill” — a 21-minute single that marks the starting point of a project that was never built to follow rules. Originally recorded in 2011 and shared only with the band’s private fan club community, this is the first time the track will be available publicly, in full, without edits or post-production polish. Watch the visualizer below.
“Initium ft. Zach Hill” was produced, composed and mixed by Londres, who built SOL INVICTO to operate outside the machinery of conventional release cycles or studio expectations. His approach was, and still is. deliberately raw. Built from dense industrial textures, tribal percussion, and rhythmic structures borrowed from electronic music, “Initium” exists to communicate something that couldn’t be said another way.
Backing Londres are core members Carpenter on guitar and Bobo on percussion, with co-production and editing by AJ Cookson. The track was mastered by legendary U.K. drum-and-bass producer Technical Itch.
“Initium” also features a rare, extended guest performance from Zach Hill, captured in a single early session. Known for his work with HELLA, DEATH GRIPS and TEAM SLEEP, Hill brought a level of speed and volatility that reshaped the track’s energy from the ground up. His performance doesn’t settle. It pulls the piece forward without warning, fracturing the rhythm and rebuilding it in real time. Across 21 minutes, there’s no repetition — just movement.
The “Initium” release is dedicated to Jack, a young boy whose story stayed with Londres long after the track was finished. Jack lived with high-sensory autism and physical disabilities. Music, sound and even light were too much for him to process. His mother wrote to Londres years ago to share what happened when “Initium” was accidentally played during one of Jack‘s dental appointments. He didn’t shut down. He didn’t cry. He tapped along and he smiled. It was the first time in his life he had done so. Jack connected deeply with Londres‘s work and only his work. Nothing else broke through. Not even DEFTONES. Jack has since passed away. He was buried with a copy of SOL INVICTO‘s music.
Londres said: “Jack‘s mother’s testimony meant more to me than any Grammy or award ever could. In a cold and heartless industry that exploits and controls creativity, her message gave me a reason to carry on. As a non-conformist who has always rejected mainstream pressures, I realized I wasn’t making music for myself but for a higher calling — to create art that connects, heals, and transforms lives. This release of ‘Initium’ is dedicated to Jack‘s memory and his family, honoring the miraculous connection we shared and the purpose they inspired in my work.”
“Initium” is for the outliers. The purists. The ones who hear music in shapes and shadows. It’s for Jack.
