Divide and Dissolve

{{Short description|Australian instrumental doom metal band}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2021}}

{{Use Australian English|date=December 2021}}

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = Divide and Dissolve

| image =

| image_size =

| caption =

| genre = Doom metal

| origin = Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

| years_active = 2015–present

| label = Invada

| website = {{URL|divideanddissolve.com}}

| current_members = Takiaya Reed

| past_members = Sylvie Nehill

}}

Divide and Dissolve is an instrumental doom metal band based in Melbourne, Australia.{{Cite web |title=The Quietus {{!}} Features {{!}} Escape Velocity {{!}} Heavy Is The Head: Divide And Dissolve Interviewed |url=https://thequietus.com/articles/29418-divide-and-dissolve-interview-takiaya-reed-sylvie-nehill-gas-lit |access-date=2021-12-11 |website=The Quietus |language=en-us}} The band was founded by saxophonist and guitarist Takiaya Reed, who is of Tsalagi and African-American heritage.{{Cite web|date=2021-01-25|title=Divide and Dissolve wield sonic extremes against white supremacy|url=https://www.nme.com/en_au/features/divide-and-dissolve-gas-lit-album-2021-interview-radar-2863647|access-date=2021-12-11|website=NME|language=en-AU}} From 2017 to 2022, its other member was percussionist Sylvie Nehill, who is of Māori and White-Australian heritage.{{cite news |last1=Phillips |first1=Stephanie |title=‘Not many people in metal look like me’: Divide and Dissolve, the doom band celebrating Indigenous sovereignty |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/jul/03/divide-and-dissolve-doom-band-indigenous-heritage-takiaya-reed |access-date=20 November 2023 |work=The Guardian |date=3 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231010223222/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/jul/03/divide-and-dissolve-doom-band-indigenous-heritage-takiaya-reed |archive-date=10 October 2023 |language=en}}

In 2018, the music video for "Resistance" was removed from YouTube after it was criticised by a number of politicians and media outlets. The video features the band spitting and spraying urine-coloured water on monuments of colonial figures like Captain James Cook and John Batman.{{Cite web |date=2018-05-23 |title=Melbourne Doom Band Has Controversial Music Video Removed From YouTube |url=https://musicfeeds.com.au/news/melbourne-doom-band-divide-dissolve-controversial-music-video-removed-youtube/ |access-date=2021-12-11 |website=Music Feeds}} The video was subsequently reinstated, and YouTube apologised for the removal, stating, "When it’s brought to our attention that a video has been removed mistakenly, we act quickly to reinstate it."{{Cite web |date=2018-05-23 |title=YouTube Admits It "Mistakenly" Removed Melbourne Band's Controversial Music Video |url=https://musicfeeds.com.au/news/youtube-admits-it-mistakenly-removed-melbourne-bands-controversial-music-video/ |access-date=2021-12-11 |website=Music Feeds}}

Following two albums released by Australian record label Dero Arcade, the band's third album Gas Lit was released on vinyl and CD by English-based Invada Records in 2021,{{Cite web |title=15 questions {{!}} Interview {{!}} Sylvie Nehill {{!}} Our Ancestors |url=https://www.15questions.net/interview/fifteen-questions-interview-divide-and-dissolve/page-1/ |access-date=2021-12-11 |website=www.15questions.net}} after a digital release in 2020.{{Cite web |title=Gas Lit, by Divide and Dissolve |url=https://divideanddissolve.bandcamp.com/album/gas-lit-2 |access-date=2021-12-11 |website=Divide and Dissolve |language=en}} The album was produced by Unknown Mortal Orchestra’s Ruban Nielson.{{Cite web |title=Divide and Dissolve announce new album, share Ruban Nielson-produced single |url=https://www.thefader.com/2020/10/06/divide-and-dissolve-new-album-unknown-mortal-orchestra-produced-single |access-date=2021-12-11 |website=The FADER |language=en}}

The band's fourth album, Systemic, also produced by Nielson, was released in 2023. Its fifth, Insatiable, came out in 2025.

While the band's songs are primarily instrumental, their song titles are often highly political, and in interviews they have referenced their wish for their music to be "decolonising, decentralising, disestablishing, and destroying white supremacy."{{Cite web |date=2018-03-18|title=Divide and Dissolve are Here to Destroy |url=https://www.monsterchildren.com/divide-dissolve-destroy/ |access-date=2021-12-11 |website=Monster Children |language=en-AU}}{{Cite web |date=2018-03-02 |title=Divide and Dissolve Use Drone to Combat Oppression and Intolerance |url=https://daily.bandcamp.com/features/divide-and-dissolve-abomination-interview |access-date=2021-12-11 |website=Bandcamp Daily}}