Ben Lasky, better known by his stage name, Quadeca, is a force of nature. His 2025 album “Vanisher, Horizon Scraper” pushed boundaries with its wide array of sounds, ranging from experimental hip-hop to Brazilian samba, all framed around a nautical narrative. After his Oct. 22 show at the 9:30 Club, I interviewed him about his music, new label and art form.

Lasky introduced himself humbly as simply a musician and talked about Washington, D.C., being his most anticipated and biggest show. After selling out at The Atlantis, he was upgraded to the 9:30 Club, which can seat 1,200. When asked what five words he’d use to describe “Vanisher,” he answered, “fantasy, whimsical, ascension, worldly and groovy.”

“Vanisher” is lush with layers and otherworldly harmonics, and Lasky said “Godstained,” the album’s first single, was the hardest to produce because each instrument plays a unique role on the track. 

“Listening through the whole song for the flute is its own listen and if you listen all the way just for the guitar, that’s its own listen,” Lasky told The Hoya.

“Godstained” is truly a beautiful display of music — it sounds as though each instrument has a mind of its own, all coming together in an enchanting collective. Quadeca’s openness and love for unique sounds and boundary-pushing art extends beyond himself, and Lasky said this was one of the reasons he founded his new label, X8 Music. Lasky said he sees the label as a form of self-expression, whether that be for creative rollouts or a platform for budding artists with unique musical styles he believes deserve a chance in the spotlight. Olēka, flute player for the “Vanisher” tour and a musician of X8 Music exemplifies this mission; her latest single, “Sunshine When It Rains / See The World,” is a beautiful chamber pop piece with angelic vocals.

Lasky said he sees his position as a unique one, especially given his enthusiastic fan base.

 “They’re so receptive to so many different styles because I incorporate so many different styles into my music,” Lasky said. “They will listen with open ears.” 

Lasky’s love and commitment to music is evident in the way he curates his albums. “Vanisher” has multiple vinyl variants for sale, each one with exclusive cut tracks on their D-sides. 

Lasky said adding these tracks adds to the album’s lore and intrigue. 

“I like having unreleased music on physical releases,” Lasky said. “It makes the vinyl feel like even more of a relic.” 

When listening to his albums, Lasky said he determines if any song feels out of place within the album’s story. Each song has to be purposeful, and the only way to tell if that’s the case is to listen to the album all the way through.

Listening to an amazing album in its entirety is an amazing feeling. The wave that washes over the listener once it’s over is a unique feeling, one that Lasky said he understands well. 

“Every song needs to be its own thing. I try not to do full album listens until they’re all the way done,” Lasky said. “I think doing full listens can give you a cop out because when you listen to everything it’s like, ‘wow!’” 

Lasky said that by focusing on the completion of the individual songs, each track becomes its own experience. 

“Once it’s there, you can indulge yourself with the full listen, you know?” Lasky emphasized.

“Vanisher” isn’t just an album — it’s a concept. Visual storytelling plays a large role in this piece, and a big part of that came from Quadeca’s collaboration with Oregon-based photographer Brendon Burton. Lasky’s creative team got to explore a vast array of locations in the creation of “Vanisher’s” photo book and movie, shooting in locations like Greece, Oregon and the Philippines. When talking about a photo he took on a tall, treacherous rock, Lasky noted that the photo exemplifies the creative connection between him and Burton, who is known for his haunting photography and brilliant use of abandoned spaces. 

“We have a similar perspective when it comes to location-based art,” Lasky said. “He understands, you know, it’s all or nothing with this art.” 

Lasky doesn’t see music videos solely as promo; to him, they are an art form in their own right. 

He previewed a full-length music video detailing “Vanisher’s” nautical concept that runs over an hour long and that accompanied the album’s release in select theaters. 

“It’s a way to explore the album,” Lasky said. “The visuals of an album helps it click with people.”

Lasky encouraged those who are creatively driven to pursue their passion for art as a way to reconnect with oneself within the craziness of today’s world. 

“To any of the Georgetown students that like art and want to be creative, they should do it,” Lasky said. “The world is unpredictable and messed up, so chase that little thing that frees your heart.”