Vanisher, Horizon Scraper

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Vanisher, Horizon Scraper
Quadeca Vanisher, Horizon Scraper.jpeg
Studio album by
ReleasedJuly 24, 2025 (2025-07-24) (movie)
July 25, 2025 (2025-07-25) (album)
Genre
Length69:24
Label X8
Producer Quadeca
Quadeca chronology
Scrapyard
(2024)
Vanisher, Horizon Scraper
(2025)
Singles from Vanisher, Horizon Scraper
  1. "Godstained"
    Released: March 25, 2025
  2. "Monday"
    Released: April 22, 2025
  3. "Forgone"
    Released: June 12, 2025

Vanisher, Horizon Scraper is the fourth studio album by the American musician Quadeca. It was released on July 25, 2025, via Quadeca's own label, X8 Music. It was preceded by the singles "Godstained", "Monday", and "Forgone". The album contains features by Oleka [5] , Danny Brown, and Maruja.

Contents

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
The Needle Drop 8/10 [a]
Paste 6/10 [1]
Pitchfork 6.7/10 [7]
The Rice Thresher Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [8]
Spill MagazineStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [9]

Background and promotion

Quadeca first teased Vanisher, Horizon Scraper in February 2024, at the end of the music video for "Way Too Many Friends" from his mixtape Scrapyard . On March 25, 2025, he officially released the album's lead single, "Godstained", alongside a music video in which he portrays himself as a sailor. [10] On April 22, he released the album's second single "Monday", also alongside a music video. [11] The same day, he announced a headlining US tour in support of the album, scheduled to begin in October and conclude in November. [12] On June 11, he revealed the album's official cover art. [13] The following day, he released the album's third single, "Forgone", alongside a music video, and officially announced the album's release window of July 2025. [14] The album was also made available for pre-order digitally, as well as on vinyl, CD, and cassette, via Quadeca's official website. [15] On June 16, a UK/EU continuation of the "Vanisher, Horizon Scraper Tour" was announced, scheduled to begin and conclude in December of 2025. [16]

Composition

The opening track, "No Questions Asked", loops the first three seconds of Chico Buarque's 1971 album Construção , [1] [7] accompanied by an acoustic instrumental arrangement with multitracked vocal harmonies. [17] The song ends with sound effects of waves crashing on the shore. [18] The second track, "Waging War", blends "flamenco dance-clops with Lex Luger snares" under flute, string, and piano instrumentation. [1] [7] The track progresses with arpeggiated synth music and "surreal effects" onto a final rap verse where Quadeca raps about the choice of life over death. [19]

The third track, "Ruin My Life", is an acoustic ballad in triple metre (3
4
), based on themes of youth, love, and mortality, expressed through lyrics such as "might have to ruin my life to make it mine." [20] Its bridge is led by Harry Wilkinson from Maruja as the strings gradually become more frantic. [1] The fourth track, "Godstained", blends its acoustic sound with R&B between the melodies and chord progressions, also containing woodwind instruments. [21]

Transitioning seamlessly onto the fifth track, "At a Time Like This", building in a more progressive rap sound with multi-tracked vocals and woodwind instruments, filling in with horns and swirling arpeggios. [22] The sixth track, "Monday", is a baroque pop ballad. [2] The seventh track, "Dancing Without Moving", mixes baroque pop with hip-hop, with the lyrics being about going through regrets and rejections. [23] The eighth track, "That's Why", samples "Samoa", a 70s erotic film track composed by Baldan Bembo. [7] Layered with strings, the track continues its theme of existential crisis from the previous track. [24] Following the ninth track, "I Dream About Sinking", an instrumental interlude, [25] the tenth track, "Natural Causes", features Quadeca singing about escaping a psychic torment he can't get out of. [7]

The eleventh track, "Thundrrr", is an experimental hip-hop track that contains oversaturated vocals and distorted sound effects, marking a turning point on the album where Quadeca is uncertain about his journey. [3] The twelfth track, "The Great Bakunawa", shows guest artist Danny Brown rapping from the viewpoint of a moon-eating dragon, a serpent in Philippine mythology. [26] The thirteenth track, "Forgone", marks a contrast to its two previous tracks, being a sad piano ballad under orchestral production. [27] [1] The fourteenth and final track, "Casper", contains melodies from its first track, "No Questions Asked", and evolves into an "experimental post-rock art punk rager" with Maruja as a guest artist, [4] where Quadeca finally accepts his immediate death. [7]

Track listing

All tracks written and produced by Benjamin Lasky, unless noted otherwise. All tracks are stylized in all caps.

Vanisher, Horizon Scraper track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Producer(s)Length
1."No Questions Asked"
6:00
2."Waging War" (with Oleka)  5:15
3."Ruin My Life"
  • Lasky
  • Fahem Erfan
 4:42
4."Godstained"
  • Lasky
  • Beviacqua
 3:25
5."At a Time Like This"  4:37
6."Monday"
  • Lasky
  • Johnny May
  • Lasky
  • May
4:04
7."Dancing Without Moving"  3:19
8."That's Why"
  • Lasky
  • Alberto Bembo
 4:29
9."I Dream About Sinking"  3:55
10."Natural Causes" 
  • Lasky
  • Lenox
3:50
11."Thundrrr" 
  • Lasky
  • Noah Ehler
4:40
12."The Great Bakunawa" (with Danny Brown)
  • Lasky
  • Danny Brown
  • Lasky
  • Lenox
5:40
13."Forgone"  7:54
14."Casper" (with Maruja)
  • Lasky
  • Harry Wilkinson
  • Joe Carroll
  • Matt Buonaccorsi
  • Jacob Hayes
 7:34
Total length:69:24
CD release
No.TitleLength
15."Melisa"2:52
16."Begging the Witness"3:31
Total length:75:47

Personnel

Credits adapted from Tidal. [28]

Charts

Chart performance for Vanisher, Horizon Scraper
Chart (2025)Peak
position
Scottish Albums (OCC) [29] 19
UK Albums Sales (OCC) [30] 24
UK Independent Albums (OCC) [31] 13
US Top Album Sales ( Billboard ) [32] 13
US Independent Albums ( Billboard ) [33] 39

Notes

  1. Specifically, Fantano rated the album a "light decent 8". [6]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Leake, Desmond (August 4, 2025). "Quadeca's Vanisher, Horizon Scraper Is a Turbulent, Uneven Epic". Paste . Retrieved August 5, 2025.
  2. 1 2 Fantano 2025, 7:09.
  3. 1 2 Fantano 2025, 9:31.
  4. 1 2 Fantano 2025, 11:19.
  5. "Spotify". open.spotify.com. Retrieved August 4, 2025.
  6. Fantano 2025, 14:18.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Press-Reynolds, Kieran (August 13, 2025). "Quadeca: Vanisher, Horizon Scraper". Pitchfork . Retrieved August 13, 2025.
  8. Saxena, Arman (August 26, 2025). "Review: Quadeca rises from the sea fully-formed on "Vanisher, Horizon Scraper"". The Rice Thresher . Archived from the original on September 7, 2025. Retrieved September 7, 2025.
  9. Zivkovic, Ljubinko (September 12, 2025). "Spill Album Review: Quadeca – Vanisher, Horizon Scraper". Spill Magazine. Retrieved September 12, 2025.
  10. Horvath, Zachary (March 26, 2025). "Quadeca Presents Intriguing Themes & Ideas on "Godstained"". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved June 12, 2025.
  11. Cole, Alexander (April 22, 2025). "Quadeca Returns With Gorgeous And String-Driven New Single "MONDAY"". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved June 12, 2025.
  12. "QUADECA on X: "VANISHER HORIZON SCRAPER TOUR. FALL 2025"". X . April 22, 2025. Retrieved June 12, 2025.
  13. "QUADECA on X". X . June 11, 2025. Retrieved June 12, 2025.
  14. Nevares, Gabriel Bras (June 12, 2025). "Quadeca Evokes Gorgeous Nostalgia On New Single "FORGONE"". HotNewHipHop. Retrieved June 12, 2025.
  15. "QUADECA on X". X . June 12, 2025. Retrieved June 12, 2025.
  16. @Quadeca (June 16, 2025). "Proud to announce the vanisher tour will be coming to UK/Europe Also for the Americans, 2nd night added in SF+LA and the sold out DC venue was just upgraded" (Tweet). Retrieved July 26, 2025 via Twitter.
  17. Fantano 2025, 1:50.
  18. Fantano 2025, 2:23.
  19. Fantano 2025, 4:15.
  20. Fantano 2025, 4:57.
  21. Fantano 2025, 5:56.
  22. Fantano 2025, 6:32.
  23. Fantano 2025, 7:36.
  24. Fantano 2025, 8:21.
  25. Fantano 2025, 8:56.
  26. Fantano 2025, 10:13.
  27. Fantano 2025, 10:59.
  28. "Vanisher, Horizon Scraper / Quadeca / Credits". Tidal . Retrieved July 25, 2025.
  29. "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 2, 2025.
  30. "Official Albums Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company . Retrieved August 1, 2025.
  31. "Official Independent Albums Chart Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 2, 2025.
  32. "Top Album Sales: Week of August 9, 2025". Billboard . Retrieved August 5, 2025.
  33. "Independent Albums: Week of August 9, 2025". Billboard . Retrieved August 5, 2025.

Video sources