Ghozt’s Debut ‘BAUTISMO’ Works Best When It Quakes

New York-based producer Markus Cabrera, working as Ghozt since 2022, has gravitated toward the avant-garde fringes of dance music. His debut album BAUTISMO stitches together glitches, distortion, and saturated textures into a sound designed for sweaty, queer-centric raves, not polite listening. That commitment to volatility gives the record its charge.

Vocals from JHL act as a through-line, stretched across the frantic stomp of “ARANA” and pivoting from vamping confidence on the electric “WORK IT” to belting through the distorted blasts of “KYS.” Their shape-shifting presence anchors the chaos. Collaborators bring further range: Khx05 and SiNNY NOVA trade deadpan snark and bruising energy on “GET BUCK” and “S&G,” while princess xixi navigates steamrolling breakbeats on “SICKO.” Dom McLennon’s sharp flows cut through the ghostly trap atmosphere of “MURKY,” a track that balances menace with precision.

Where BAUTISMO falters is in its sequencing. After a strong, quaking first half, the album gestures toward introspection on “SHOULD I” and “MIDHEAVEN,” where vocalizers and piano suggest a brighter, more meditative register. But the surrounding tracks still burst at the seams, so the quieter passages feel like afterthoughts rather than a developed second arc. The intended interplay of heavy and solemn never fully materializes.

Still, the debut coheres as an introduction to Ghozt’s world. The compositions are engrossing when they lean into abrasion, and the lineup of guests adds genuine versatility. Cabrera’s take on club music is rooted in motion and friction; the next challenge will be making the stillness as compelling as the noise.