Divide and Dissolve Share Video for 'Prove It'

Multidimensional duo Divide and Dissolve share the video for 'Prove It', originally released as a stand alone single in 2019, and appearing on their forthcoming album Gas Lit (Invada, 29th Jan).

The visual expression of Divide and Dissolve's message has varied across each of their music videos to date (revisit "We Are Really Worried About You" and "Denial") but the intention of the music remains unchanged: 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.

About this latest single, Divide and Dissolve explains, "Prove It - calls into question the need to prove you experienced something. If someone wasn't there to witness it, it still happened and may have caused harm. Colonial power structures, power dynamics, and societal expectations rely on Black, Indigenous, and people of colour being Gas Lit and denying our experiences, because the predominant white supremacist narrative demands us to. When a tree falls in the forest, it has fallen. 'Prove It' is about the acceptance of experiences of pain without expectation."

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 band comment, "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."

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."

Supporting the work, and lifting the experience of talented people around them is another key aspect of the Divide and Dissolve vision. This is apparent in their collaborations with music video directors such as Amber Beaton mentioned above, and Chi Chi Castillo (director) and Sepand Mashiahof (producer) who made the video for the lead single "We Are Really Worried About You". On the new 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.

Gas Lit is the third full-length album from Divide and Dissolve, and first for Invada. The album is due out digitally on 29th January and special color vinyl forthcoming. Produced by Ruban Neilson of Unknown Mortal Orchestra.

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.

Listen here:

To post a comment, you must register and login.