REVIEW: Quadeca - Vanisher, Horizon Scraper

Are you willing to set sail?

69:24 // July 25, 2025 // X8

Have you ever searched for something that seemed to vanish before your eyes? Perhaps it was a lifelong dream you had been pursuing, or maybe it was a relationship you thought would last forever but it slowly began to crumble as time persisted. No matter how big or small, the pain of losing sight of something important that had just been there moments before is disheartening and crushing – yet you search. You know you can’t just let go of it. It has to be out there somewhere… right?

Do you feel that? That mix of hopefulness and dread as you begin to seek, holding onto the tiniest of slivers that what you are looking for isn’t entirely lost? That feeling, that emotion – that’s what Vanisher, Horizon Scraper embodies. With his newest and most ambitious full-length, Quadeca weaves a conceptual narrative of this search. On the surface, the album tells the adventure of a sailor at sea, traveling in hopes of finding what he’s looking for even when it seems so far away. This story is not just told through the music or lyrics, but it is also displayed through a visually stunning movie component that brings the record to life in a more descriptive way. Though the concept is practically laid out in the movie, the story and meaning itself are not so apparent. This isn’t just about a sailor searching the seas, this is your own search. The music isn’t an isolated narrative, it’s the catalyst that sparks your personal story. This is the soundtrack to your journey.

I’ll be there when no one is

The waves wash upon the shore.

So you set off. You know what you’re looking for, but you’re not quite sure what you’ll find along the way. I mean, you don’t even know if it will ever end, but you’re determined. It’s an ambitious trek, and it’s almost dreamy. The whimsical soundscapes of “NO QUESTIONS ASKED” and “THAT’S WHY” lay the foundation of what’s before you, with slow-burning progressions that build an ethereal and beautiful atmosphere. “GODSTAINED” and “MONDAY” lean into an airy ambiance, filled with soft orchestral composition and rich melodies. It all feels so surreal as you venture out into the unknown, looking for what you lost and holding onto hope that it’s out there somewhere. But you know it won’t be this lovely forever.

What’s the point of trying at a time like, at a time like this?

Suddenly, you start to hit road blocks. The eerie synths and haunting vocal production of “WAGING WAR” underscore your feelings, everything slowly turning to chaos as you try to continue forward. Yet you press on, even as the overwhelming cacophony of percussion and orchestration of “AT A TIME LIKE THIS” embody your struggle with a looming sense of danger in the journey. Thoughts come creeping in, leaving you in a pit of despair as you try to look for the hope that spurred your motivation to begin in the first place. The grave reminder of “NATURAL CAUSES” lingering on the concept of people dying makes you think about your own search and how those relationships and dreams you once had may have died. What if what you’re looking for doesn’t exist anymore? What if this was all over the moment it started?

Somebody’s after me / Somebody I can’t see

Everything is going awry, and you dive headfirst into a spiral as a mental storm runs its course. The abrasive and eerie beats of “THUNDRRR” overtake you, with the underlying clock ticking noises counting down the final moments of your search. Quadeca’s nearly unintelligible shouts reflect your inner thoughts as you hit your worst moment of hysteria, even assuming you’re stronger than what you’re up against. “I love to steal your thunder,” you say to… well, we don’t know who, but you’re shouting it regardless because you think you’ve got it all under control. But you don’t, and it’s only getting worse. You come face-to-face with your biggest obstacle – your own mind. Danny Brown’s flows and Quadeca’s rebuttals on “THE GREAT BAKUNAWA” are your thoughts internalized as the journey becomes even more disastrous, with every bit of hope slipping away the further you press on…

Through it all / You are the one that remains

But then it all goes calm; almost too calm. Is it over? The lush piano and orchestral elements of “FORGONE” swell as you find serenity. But there’s something just slightly off. While the soundtrack itself is beautiful and serene, the words in your mind repeating “through it all” never seem to find the resolution you’re looking for. That relationship and dream was always there through it all… but why isn’t it here now? Your mind takes you back to “GODSTAINED,” full of a similar beauty accentuated by the soft percussion and melodious woodwinds – but now that message is tainted looking back on it as the words “Don’t you see that I’ll never get over you” turn in your head. We’re right back at the beginning, and we haven’t gotten anywhere. Nothing has been truly resolved.

This is the end.

The water in the sea of your mind reflects what you’ve endured, now distorted and rippled by the growing waves that take over. Harry Wilkinson of Maruja’s spoken word-esque vocals narrate your thoughts as everything begins to crumble down just as quickly as it started. “CASPER” slowly builds itself up with layers of atmosphere and post-rock instrumentation, only for it to collapse inward violently, with a swell of distortion and intense volume as you drown in the defeat of your own search.

But the darkness so consuming, the only life he's shown / Is that heaven's open wide, it's hell on earth he knows

The waves wash upon the shore, just as they did when you first set out. You’re defeated but not done yet. You know what you’re looking for is still out there – so you set off once more.

Quadeca’s most ambitious release in turn becomes his most rewarding. Beyond the immense talent displayed through the production and songwriting, the narrative is what truly drives the beauty and mastery behind the album. With the sailor’s story, Vanisher, Horizon Scraper lays out this idea of a cyclical nature. While the individual interpretation may vary, the album captures the emotions and sounds of the journey ahead; a journey that the sailor repeatedly returns to, even after defeat. Perhaps what you were once looking for has disappeared beyond the horizon. Maybe you’ve already been down this road before and failed. But take a minute and ask yourself: what will you go through to bring it back?

10/10