‘As they pray for me, but ain’t nobody here saving me’
I thought I was late to this release, but actually I’m right on cue as Birmingham prepares to welcome Backxwash to the annual celebration of cosmic colour, a musical migration as the underground ventures above ground, to the truly global and inclusive spectacular that is the Supersonic Festival. Winner of the 2020 Polaris Music Prize, Ashanti Mutinta aka Backxwash returns with her new album, ‘Only Dust Remains’ and we are reminded, well actually we are punctuated with an ice pick through our beleaguered bodies of the disgraceful state of affairs that we call life.
We begin with a resurrection ‘Black Lazarus’ it is a time to awaken and realise where we stand, what our values are, and how we shape our environs.
As an ‘Undesirable’ she garners respect, her songs filled with sadness, anger and confusion, are ultimately a tonic for the masses that look for someone, or something to make sense of it all. Backxwash uses language that is coarse at times, but the subject matter lends itself to that and don’t tell me you’ve never uttered curse words, I know I have.
The images are violent and virulent, they wreak havoc with whatever they touch, the ensuing collision is as painful as it is graceful in the arms of Ashanti.
Always thoughtful, always provocative, always wrenching at your heart and mind to keep you focused and aware as she recounts life through her lens.
She is an artist that will play knock door run, but she will remain standing there, pounding at the door until you answer. She is the gun to the head, the unanswered prayer, the unfinished meal, the unmade bed, the heart, the mind, the soul, the purpose and understanding, all these elements fuse together in harmony or hostility, to paint a picture that will be a vehicle for her expression, her anguish and her aptitude.
One of the best outros I have ever heard you will find in ‘History of Violence’ a damning register of how those in power play a savage game of trickery, and deceit, we are caught in their trap, which is exactly what they want. The key is to pick it all apart yourself and find the truth, because no one is going to hand it on a plate to you. The album has religious references, another contentious topic, however they mirror the biblical challenges we face today when society is turbulent and chaotic, and insubordination seems to be the only way out.
We are in for a treat this year as she sits in conversation with Stephanie Phillips (Big Joanie, Decolonise Fest.) a landmark moment as two icons of the industry discuss creativity on your own terms, identity, resistance and so much more. I can feel the sparks coming off that stage right now.
We end with the title track, featuring Fernie, MAGELLA, Pet Wife and Morgan-Paige, a song about trust, about being a whole person, inside and out, and being assured with people that you meet. A welcome prospect, and one that I hope we can all aspire to.
As pessimistic as it may sound, I fear the dust will never settle, there are too many variables at play, there are too many people who do not sing from the same hymn book of a shared world, of a global community. It has been said that musicians should stay out of politics, but when politicians, the very people that should be creating a fair and just world, are in fact villainous and treacherous creatures, there will be an uprising, there will be a fightback. There are many artists that can lead, but only one that can lead on the world stage, an absolute privilege to be able to host Backxwash in my home city.
Wake the fuck up, do not make me repeat myself.
Azra Pathan
Backxwash – Only Dust Remains out now