Scrapyard
Mixtape by Quadeca
Released 16 February 2024
Experimental Hip Hop / Emo Rap
Label – deadAir
Rating – 7.5/10
Quadeca’s emo emphasis prevails.
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Quadeca is a complexity all-rounder. Like a quaint, distant setting in the age of the internet, he bundles the traditions of the human psyche with hip hop so experimental that it often ceases to be hip hop. His abstract ball knowledge has taken him far; I Didn’t Mean to Haunt You is one of the top albums, with the word ‘abstract’ attached, of the decade so far, and his Scrapyard EP series has proven that Quadeca can sleep-doodle and garner the same level of ambition.
The Scrapyard series was supposed to continue into 2024, but instead of releasing more EPs, Quadeca has decided to create the Scrapyard mixtape; a compilation of the previously-released EPs and new songs for the scrap.
Scrapyard showcases Quadeca’s eclecticism much like I Didn’t Mean to Haunt You. While the experimental jargon of his previous album was plenty nutritious, the mixtape lays everything out with clarity in mind; nothing dumbs itself down too much, but nobody will have to try too hard to “get it” either.
Musically, emotionally, little is unpleasantly indecipherable. Quadeca’s penchant for reimagining emo rap is a solid help; Easier aches with a wobbling background and Quadeca’s vocal flinches that maintain melodicism despite obvious pain; A La Carte comprises midwestern guitar lines whilst Quadeca goes Joji. As joyfully stray as the mixtape may be, it’s the emo that reels.
While these songs may cower from the “rap” part of emo rap, Way Too Many Friends revitalises a classic hip hop beat with modern texture, as Quadeca inflects coolly yet cracked amid a jaunting piano sample. It summarises his ease in rapping/singing about ordinary problems (usually heartbreak), but the pinnacle of such is U Tried That Thing Where Ur Human, in which the “emo” yin dominates; Quadeca doesn’t bother trying to hide his tears, openly weeping over a minimalist backdrop, and a monologue about no longer trying to be a real person – it’s divinely surreal.
Surrealism is the adhesive that’ll stick to those who purely respect Quadeca’s abstract chops. From chopped-guitar lines hung by breathy raps (Dustcutter), to adeptly-industrialised soundscapes (Being Yourself), to adeptly-industrialised soundscapes with even more going on (Even If I Tried), plenty is surreal.
Sticky synthesisers are utilised to recreate ‘90s club atmospheres (Guess Who) whilst solo Pharrell-like confidence collides with NERD Pharrell-like weirdness (I Make It Look Effortless).
It’s constant, never letting up and never failing. But even if it did fail, Quadeca would be able to tuck himself into his emo bed and we’d all have a better night’s sleep. Scrapyard’s insistence on letting its bleeding heart bleed is what separates it from I Didn’t Mean to Haunt You, going gentle into that good night as the mixtape fades with passionate waltzes Guided Dog and Texas Blue, the latter of which features an ardent contribution from Kevin Abstract.
So, maybe Scrapyard is better viewed through an emo lens than it is a concupiscent, musically ambidextrous lens? It has both of those going for it, and neither faulters, so I may as well not even ask the question.
Best track – Way Too Many Friends.
Rating – 7.5 out of 10
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