Cadence Weapon announced Forager, his new album arriving April 24, alongside a new single Alpenflage out today. The Hamilton-based rapper’s sixth album is his first recorded with completely live instrumentation, a shift from the electronic and industrial sound that’s defined his work since his 2005 debut Breaking Kayfabe. He debuted the new material at CBC’s Road to the JUNOS, performing with a full band for the first time.
The album pulls from vintage fashion and classic hip-hop, with tracks titled Raghouse, 501XX, and Fall 2012 Couture sitting alongside references to camouflage patterns and archival clothing. Producer Junia-T shaped the sound around jazz-influenced bass and beats. “True vintage is made from natural materials and was made with a higher standard of craftsmanship,” Cadence Weapon said. “It was built to last. This made me think of the classic hip-hop that I grew up listening to.”
The live band includes Scott McCannell on bass, Daniel Espina on guitar, Mark Anthony King Edward James on keys, Adrian Irvine on violin, The Chmst on trumpet, Joseph Callender on flute and saxophone, and Chino DeVilla on drums. The shift to live instrumentation marks a departure for an artist who built his reputation on electronic production and what Pitchfork once called a “grimy clarion call.”
To celebrate the release, Cadence Weapon is hosting a series of Forager Markets combining vintage pop-ups with exclusive vinyl and live music. The free events kick off April 25 in Hamilton at Cotton Factory with HVC Markets, followed by April 26 in Toronto at Standard Time, May 2 in Montreal at Essai Futile, and May 9 in Edmonton at Orange Hall. The markets connect directly to the album’s themes of curation, archiving, and thrifting culture.
Cadence Weapon’s second book, Ways of Listening, an essay collection, arrives May 26 via Coach House Books. The Polaris Music Prize winner and former Edmonton Poet Laureate has also contributed writing to CBC Commotion, Hazlitt, and the docuseries Paid in Full. Forager is available for pre-save and pre-order now.
Photo – Vonny Lorde
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