Artwork
Photos
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Media
Press release and biography
Gas Lit is the new album by the multidimensional duo Divide and Dissolve, incoming on Invada Records on 29th January, and produced by Ruban Neilson of Unknown Mortal Orchestra.
Divide and Dissolve members Takiaya Reed (saxophone, guitar, live effects/ (Black & Tsalagi [Cherokee]) and Sylvie Nehill (drums, live effects/ (Māori) create instrumental music that is both heavy and beautiful, classically influenced yet thrillingly contemporary, and powerfully expressive and communicative. It has the ability to speak without words, and utilises frequencies to interact with the naturally occurring resonance.
The album is preceded by two singles, the first being “We Are Really Worried About You,” with its formidable saxophone sound, giving way to a surge of crushing percussion and heavy guitar riffs. The second single, “Denial,” is a potent blend of Takiaya’s ominous and unsettling sax that blows wide open into riff city for almost 8 glorious minutes. Both encapsulate their message behind the music: to undermine and destroy the white supremacist colonial framework and to fight for Indigenous Sovereignty, Black and Indigenous Liberation, Water, Earth, and Indigenous land given back.
There is an undeniable chemistry between the two musicians when interlocked in their waves of sound. The band reveals how that connection has been there since the very beginning, “When we first started playing music together we didn’t know each other very well. However in the beginning of getting to know each other we spoke of our Indigeneity and thought it was important to share about our families. This was unique and special for us to be able to share and create a cohesive infrastructure for writing our music.”
The band continues, “Sometimes we don’t need to talk in order for others to understand what’s going on. We are also communicating with our ancestors through the music. Our ancestors help us to communicate with each other on a deeper level as well. This deep connection is able to be achieved without words.”
On album track “Did You Have Something To Do With It” the band again enlist writer/artist Minori Sanchiz-Fung who has appeared on previous releases, to perform a compelling spoken word piece.
Recommend for fans of: James Baldwin, Osa Atoe, Adrienne Davies, the ocean and freshwater, breath/breathing, Toni Morrison, Octavia Butler, Afro Futurism, Indigenous Futurism, indigenous sovereignty, slavery abolition, resistance, the forest, bodies of water, being submerged, the railroad, and Ai Ogawa
About the signing, Geoff Barrow from Invada comments: “I first became aware of Divide & Dissolve through a mutual friend. She then sent me their album and it totally freaked me out with its beauty and extreme heaviness. Takiaya & Sylvie are brilliant people who feel like part of the Invada family already.” He continues, “I’m really looking forward to them releasing their new album with us and we 100% support their fight to abolish white supremacy with their crushing doom.” Divide and Dissolve also add “We are ecstatic to sign with Invada Records. This feels like a way to make more of our dreams come true. We’re so thankful to have a beautiful team, and to be joining the Invada family in this tremendous moment for our music and message. We are never alone in the work we do as a band. We’re grateful for the opportunity to continue towards Decolonisation and the destruction of white supremacy through our music alongside Invada Records.”
Divide and Dissolve are:
Takiaya Reed (Black & Tsalagi [Cherokee])Sylvie Nehill (Māori)
OFFICIAL BIO: http://www.divideanddissolve.com
From the early protest songs that came from the violent occupation of Turtle Island (so-called United States), through punk music’s fight against the system, art has always been at the forefront of societal change. Whether that be through pointed attacks or something more existential – sung quietly or performed as loud as can be – music continues to be a spring-board for collective resistance. Even so, few bands use their voice and platform quite as powerfully as Divide and Dissolve.
Mirroring the brash, bone-crushing potency of their dynamic Drone music, the formidable Takiaya Reed (saxophone, guitar, live effects) and Sylvie Nehill (drums, live effects) carry their fight and ancestors fight forward each and every day, using the power of their performances to draw attention to the ongoing battle against systemic oppression.
“We would like to observe a radical shift in the current paradigm of complacency in regards to oppressive power dynamics, genocide, racism, white supremacy, and colonization,” the band have previously said. “To give weight and validation to voices that are traditionally misrepresented and criminalized before given a chance to speak.”
In 2020 those struggles have resurfaced in new and continually horrifying ways, however, Divide and Dissolve’s aim remains a simple one: to secure Black futures, liberation, and freedom; demand Indigenous Sovereignty; uplift people of colour’s experiences; and destroy white supremacy.
Following the release of their TFW 7” single released via Saddle Creek’s Document Series during the summer, comes news of their brand new album Gas Lit – produced by Ruban Nielson of Unknown Mortal Orchestra – set to be released in January 2021.
