Melbourne-based US musician Takiaya Reed draws from her Black and Cherokee roots to build the imposing, sludge-thickened walls of noise she crafts under Divide And Dissolve. Once a duo also composed of Sylvie Nehill, the project is now fully Reed’s. Imbuing these nearly wordless instrumentals with Indigenous fury, Reed prefers to let the inherent meaning behind them speak for itself. Sans an appearance from poet Minori Sanchiz-Fung in their latest album, their wordless hymns hang heavy in meaning, wrapped in a deceptively harsh package. Layered in saxophonic embellishments, soft harmonium and otherworldly synths, the vast heaviness of Reed and Nehill’s creations reveal unmistakable beauty and a deft ear for details behind the crusty, grinding doom.

In their duo configuration, Divide And Dissolve have released the LPs Basic (2017) and Abomination (2018) through DERO Arcade, with Gas Lit (2021) and 2023’s Systemic on Geoff Barrow and Paul Horlick’s Invada label.

• Systemic, by Divide and Dissolve

• Systemic, by Divide and Dissolve