DIVIDE AND DISSOLVE - Insatiable

Just two years after “Systemic”, Takiaya Reed returns with a new work under the name Divide And Dissolve. The American multi-instrumentalist, now settled permanently in Australia, continues her sonic exploration through the volcanic depths of sludge and drone metal. And even if the blend of mammoth percussion, guitar quagmires and saxophone melodies no longer surprises the way it once did, Reed still manages to trigger tremors capable of completely overwhelming the listener. The drone mixture is now murkier than on “Systemic”, but less radical than on “Gas Lit”. The result is a deafening darkness, offset by delicate, luminous interludes, voices floating in an atmospheric limbo, in search of compassion and help.

The motifs repeat throughout the collection's 34 minutes, the prayers echo one another, and hope is rekindled at the core of physical and emotional resistance. As per tradition, Reed's political message is entrusted to the song titles, which, together with the uncompromising sound of the guitars, stand opposed to the colonial mechanisms of oppression and exploitation of racialised bodies. “Hegemonic”, “Grief”, “Disintegrate”, “Dichotomy”, “Death Cult”: the composer's music speaks with few but clear words and an immensely powerful sound (with “Holding Pattern” reaching its peak destructive force).

“Insatiable” is a solid album, one that expands the excellent catalogue of the Divide And Dissolve project, though it doesn't reach the jolting results of “Gas Lit” nor the magnetism of “Systemic”. Certainly, though, Takiaya Reed continues to shake the walls of racism, colonialism and the social injustices that still grip our contemporary world, hoping, with optimism, that the inexhaustible purifying energy of her music will bring them down.

Ride the wave of great music

Add OndaRock to your favorite sources on Google Discover. Don't miss our reviews, milestones and latest news straight in your feed.

Follow on Google

02/05/2025