"Vanisher, Horizon Scraper” is a Symphonic Reflection of the Self
Quadeca has continually been making waves in every corner of the music industry as both a producer and artist. While his 2024 mixtape SCRAPYARD received significant praise from critics and fans alike, people have been anxiously awaiting to see the artistic vision Quadeca has been cultivating for his newest album since 2022’s “I Didn’t Mean To Haunt You.” After a handful of renowned singles in preparation for an album, Quadeca finally confirmed the release of his latest project, Vanisher, Horizon Scraper, in early July, ensuring that a beautiful and artistic blend of sonics awaited for dedicated listeners ready to dive straight into the album.
Vanisher, Horizon Scraper album artwork
Before even listening to the tracks, one can tell how much artistic devotion Quadeca brings to Vanisher, Horizon Scraper. Quadeca’s got credits– often solely himself— on everything from writing to production to each and every instrument played on Vanisher, Horizon Scraper. It’s clear how much love and passion was poured into every fiber of this work, making the album one of the strongest testaments to his craft throughout his entire career. Despite his musical independence, he does not shy away from collaborations on his new record; names like Danny Brown, Olēka, and Maruja bring their flair to the project to continue the record’s fluidity and versatility, infusing their own unique genres and styles as a tasteful compliment to Quadeca’s vision.
The album opens with the hopeful “NO QUESTIONS ASKED,” setting the tone for the magical journey awaiting for the rest of the album. Quadeca leans strongly into a rugged folk sound for this track, curating a world of sound that feels living and breathing. Elements of mystery bellow throughout the song as well; the piano in particular adds stark contrast that builds the emotional brevity of the song. There’s a slight dissonance in this piano melody and a certain grit within the reverb that makes the chords strike your very heartstrings as you listen. The vocals are ominously serene… Quadeca sings “I’ll be there when no one is, no questions asked,” a phrase that both comforts and haunts in its dedicated dichotomy. “NO QUESTIONS ASKED” successfully sets the tone for the voyage ahead throughout Vanisher, Horizon Scraper, immediately drawing listeners into the powerful soundscape Quadeca has created.
Vanisher, Horizon Scraper does an incredible job of blending the symphonics of raw instrumentation with electronic and experimental sounds and production styles, developing an immersive world that harbors a sense of warmth and a sense of wariness. “WAGING WAR” is a strong example of this duality, utilizing synths, strings, woodwinds, and choral sounds to build up to the more experimental battle sound at the end of the song. Other tracks like “RUIN MY LIFE” start off more raw and slowly become increasingly orchestral and experimental to show the emotional depth of the music. All of these beginning tracks work together so seamlessly and allow listeners to place themselves into all of the feelings and moments of the album’s story as if they were their very own experiences.
One of the most compelling songs throughout the album is the gorgeous track “MONDAY.” The song is gentle with Quadeca’s emotions at the forefront, as he sings “Darling, don’t you give up on a Monday / I wanna tell you I want you / You’d probably take it the wrong way / God I’m losing my grip on the runway / I wanna get there with you now / This time I’ll take you the long way.” This track features some of the most vulnerable and genuine from his songwriting on the album alongside the dazzling melody that makes your heart melt. The instrumentation and arrangement in the song is simply gorgeous as well with the way it builds and releases. “MONDAY” is easily one of the best tracks on the album for its sophisticated and baroque beauty, making the most of the shimmers of folk sonics that decorate the album.
While the album is always flowing and exploring sounds, a significant shift in the album's thematic and sonic direction falls into place around the track “NATURAL CAUSES.” Until this moment, the album radiates a sense of warmth even in its darker moments. However, “NATURAL CAUSES” shifts to an unnerving air to reflect the turbulence of emotions surrounding the track. Quadeca excellently imbues the feeling of paranoia as he sings “Somebody’s after me / Somebody I can’t see / Somebody died on Monday.” There’s still a whimsical air about the song with the sparkling synths, the dreamlike wave that sweeps over the instrumentation, and Quadeca’s evocative vocal performance in the track.
Quadeca for “FORGONE”
If there were any doubts in the album’s tonal shift, it’s quite blatant in “THUNDRRR,” one of the most energetic tracks throughout the album. “THUNDRRR” almost fully ditches the folk instrumentation and opts to switch into the spheres of hip hop, rage, and glitch. While the song feels so different from the rest of the album, the shift it brings feels like the missing puzzle piece that all of the prior songs were bringing to fruition within their development. The song is incredibly infectious with the delicious funk groove splashes, the bouncing bassline, and every single element that makes this song feel like a wave of dark clouds purging any light left within the sky. “THUNDRR” easily cements its spot as one of the most essential songs of the album and solidifies the artistic range that Quadeca is capable of bringing into just one single project.
The track “FORGONE” features raw melancholy. The track spans seven minutes, beginning as a powerful piano ballad that begs the question “Do you like what you’ve seen? / Of forever?” The existential dissonance of the track lingers with a somber yet dreadful air that instills a complex emotional response in the listener. It’s a song that is fully immersive and breathtaking and only continues to build with the sonic deconstruction and evolution at the end. It’s a listening experience that you simply won’t forget.
The sun sets on the horizon with the album’s closing track, “CASPER.” It’s a ruminative track that slowly leads into empirical emotional panic. It’s heavy and dark sonically, integrating distorted instrumentals, a hazy interpolation of “NO QUESTIONS ASKED,” and desperate vocal performance from Quadeca that demonstrates a complex relationship with the fleeting nature of time and the attempts to control this undeniable force. “CASPER” releases any unresolved tension lingering throughout the album, a chaotic supernova that perfectly wraps up the emotional rollercoaster that is Vanisher, Horizon Scraper.
On the album’s release date, Quadeca also released the Vanisher, Horizon Scraper (Full Album Movie) on YouTube. The film was directed, edited, and written by Quadeca himself to pair with the album, and it enhances the emotions of every single track almost tenfold. Vanisher, Horizon Scraper cements itself as one of the strongest and most intentional releases of the year with the abundance of art surrounding every component of the project, signifying the record as a must-listen release. For more of Vanisher, Horizon Scraper, you can check out Quadeca’s Fall 2025 tour, where he’ll hit over 30 dates across North America and Europe with a live rendition of his new record.