Ronan O'BrienA black trans woman walks into a studio…
…want the punchline? I’ll tell you in 40 minutes and 51 seconds.
Backxwash
Zambian-Canadian rapper and producer Backxwash is not a household name by any means. I stumbled across this amazing artist last week and was instantly blown away by the sheer ferocity of her voice. In her own words, “As an angry trans woman, I don’t know any other way I can rap. This is the logical conclusion for me.” She is, without doubt, a social anomaly – and she isn’t about to let you forget that.
Her Artistic Journey
Born in Lusaka, Zambia, before relocating to Montréal, Canada, at 17, Ashanti Mutinta began performing in underground clubs, where her voice and heavy metal influences made her stand out. Her first full length album, Deviancy, fell painfully unnoticed, but she didn’t let that hinder her. Her second studio album, God Has Nothing To Do With This Leave Him Out Of It won her the 2020 Polaris Music Prize. This signalled a real breakthrough for her, following up with two more albums. I Lie Here Buried with My Rings and My Dresses and His Happiness Shall Come First Even Though We Are Suffering, completed the trilogy. Earlier this year, she followed the trilogy with a new beginning, Only Dust Remains, which took me by storm.
Only Dust Remains
In her own words, Only Dust Remains are “the songs of a person who was brought back to life but is now haunted by death itself.” I know you should never judge a book by its cover, but the dark, foreboding eeriness of the album cover is the perfect description for the music included. A very dark album indeed. She faces her own demons in terms of depression, isolation and trauma while her anger at the current state of the world breaks through just as powerfully.
Black Lazarus
The opening track to this powerhouse sees Mutinta address her mental struggles over a looped vocal sample of a tribal singer. These samples are the backbone to the entire album itself, with most tracks using a looped chant to build upon. The eeriness of this isolated chant and sporadic tribal drum sets an unsettling opening as she begins narrating her personal struggles. It feels as though she has opened her soul and let all her thoughts spill out over this track —from fighting demons, to her anger at the state of the world. She invites the audience in her head to feel the frenzy she is experiencing.
The track rises in intensity especially with the introduction of the kicks and snares. The heart-thumping beat of the kick and raw steeliness of the snare really add to the anger in her voice. Not to mention the choral backing vocals almost framing the track in an ethereal, heavenly tone. But the synths and drums ripping it all away, bring you back down to earth. The hopelessness of the lines “nobody pray for me / nobody’s saving me” wrap up the track beautifully, with sheer hopelessness and silence being all that you’re left with after the piano ends.
Wake Up
Another vocal loop on this track makes me feel like it was produced by a The Life of Pablo era Kanye West. Much like the opening track, the drums are visceral and raw. The anger-filled delivery from Mutinta reinforce her feelings of frustration, whether that be internally or at the outside world itself. The constant iteration of “Wake the fuck up” pulls the listener back into the track, almost hanging on every word she furiously utters.
The track takes a 180 degree turn in the second half, with a new vocal sample creating an entirely new feeling. Gone are the fierce deliveries from Mutinta, now being replaced by feelings of depression and weakening spirit. She is hoping for a way out, but the hopelessness really shines through here, admitting “I waste away ’cause I don’t see any options.” However, in true Backxwash style, she isn’t going down quietly, reminding us “Through the blackened skies I will not go gentle.”
9th Heaven
Much like the other two tracks mentioned, 9th Heaven has layers of vocal samples, but these stand out by far as the most surreal. They are beyond angelic. It’s clear that she had a Christian upbringing and this has never left her. The mentions of Angel Gabriel and Adam are one example of this, but they serve purely as precursors to the synthetic horns and drums that kick in. The constant reminder of “The drummer coming” accompanied by the drums themselves is beyond cool and it creates that uneasiness of the song rising and rising in intensity.
This song is the changing point of the album. We can definitely sense growing confidence, despite the challenges and traumas she has had to experience no doubt. From this point in the album, the agitated delivery begins to slow down, but the anger in her voice remains, although far more poised. And this should worry the listener, as Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.
Final Thoughts
This is my idea of an album to listen to when any bit angry at the world. It encapsulates anger, depression and hopelessness perfectly and wraps these emotions in incredible instrumentals. The drums alone are enough to get me on board, but the personal journey Mutinta reminds us of make me relate to her even more. I feel her pain, I hate the same things she does and I love the energy she brings with her. Whether you like punk, heavy metal or hip-hop, this album will appeal to you. I promise.
