Album Review: Backcapwoods – “As a Matter of Matter”

rIn case you did not know, Cape Town based electronic musician, producer and DJ, Backcapwoods (Matt Ilbury) released his second full length album As a Matter of Matter in August this year.

Over the course of 19 tracks, the album explores everything from 4/4 inspired house grooves, topped with messed-up breaks and squelchy synths to hyperactive poppy maximalism and everything in between.

The tracks are laced together with obscure field recordings with a heavy focus on texture. The album is sure to keep you guessing as songs continuously morph into different directions whilst maintaining an underlying  tone that is stylistically unique to Backcapwoods, keeping it both experimental and cohesive.

“I’m very excited to have this album out. As a Matter of Matter is my 2^nd full length album and by far the most substantial. It’s been in the works for a long time and I’m relieved that its finally done. I’d like to thank my family and friends for the support and Ross at Fin Mastering for doing a great job with the masters”. Backcapwoods

More about Backcapwoods

Having played guitar for many years, Matt is a multi-instrumentalist and this passion for his craft can be experienced in the live sets. Since becoming Backcapwoods in 2014, Matt has been tantalising the minds of his audiences with his experimental approach. He’s released 3 EP’s: Lights and Fancy Sounds (2014), BCKPWDS (2015) and EP1 (2017), and his debut full length album Hornbills and Hellfire (2017).

His musical journey has taken him to the streets of Berlin. There he embraced the electronic music scene of the city, attending Ableton Live user meetings. He also attended workshops with Brian Smith of Big Brain Audio. He returned to South Africa in late 2015, with more focus on live music.

Here’s my review of “As a Matter of Matter”

I have to admit that this isn’t normally my cup of tea. I’m very picky when it comes to electronic music. Something really has to grab me to spark my interest.

Backcapwoods managed to grab my attention with the first track on the album, “92 Sea-Goat (Capricornus Enormous)”. Initially expecting something upbeat, I was surprised to hear weird and wonderful sounds. This album transported me to a focused plain. It definitely increased my Friday morning productivity levels. “As a Matter of Matter” really is something different.

My favorite track on the album has to be “Bishop Fish Theme (Red Herring)”…

Watch this space for regular updates in the Music category on Running Wolf’s Rant.