Today, I am speaking with one of the most inspirational artists I’ve heard in recent times. Her album, ‘Insatiable,’ was released on April 18th. It is under Bella Union and produced by composer and multi-instrumentalist Takiaya Reed.
Listening to your record, it strikes me quickly that it’s a game of two halves. I’m going to concentrate on the first half first. You’re a classically trained saxophonist. Was this your first instrument?
“The saxophone is definitely my first love. I started learning music on the piano when I was really little, but I didn’t pursue it, and saxophone is the thing that I’ve just always picked up, always played, something that I always refer to.”
It’s taken you to the BBC Concert Orchestra. You’re doing your first symphony with them. How did this come about?
“They have this thing called BBC Unclassified, and it takes three composers a year, and they pair the composers with the symphony, and then it happens. I feel so grateful and so lucky to have been chosen for this because I really enjoyed working with the symphony.”
I understand you’re arranging your symphony with Fiona Brice.
“Fiona Brice is such an excellent arranger. She is incredible, she’s a genius, and I feel so lucky to have worked with her.”
Fiona has worked with Placebo and Beyonce, and it’s pretty mind-blowing.
“She is stunning. I hope to get to work with her again. She was just so easy to work with. She is a genius. I’m blown away by her!”
So then we get to the other half of what you do, which is doom metal. How did this love of heavy metal and slow riffing evolve?
“Honestly, it was just super organic. I started playing guitar really, it feels very recent and that’s just what came out. It was the first thing that came out, and I was like, okay, this is what it sounds like. This is what I’m enjoying, and this is what I’m going to play. I really love the guitar. Also, I just love the slow pace of things; it just feels right. Slow, heavy. It’s my vibe.”
When I put on your record for the first time, and I listened to it, and that track Monolithic comes on, it’s funny; I didn’t even know the title of the track. But as soon as that riff kicked in, I couldn’t help but blurt out, that’s Monolithic!! Then I saw that was the track title!
“That’s incredible. To me, that feels really good and super succinct that you were able to pick up on that. I think that’s the magic of instrumental music. You make it, and then you’re like, “Oh, I feel this way about the song.” I felt that way, but you also felt that way about the song. This is great.”
Regarding titles, I understand that ‘Insatiable’ came to you in a dream and formed the record’s theme. Is this correct? What’s the musical narrative going on here?
“Yeah, I have lots of very vivid dreams all the time. And I thought, “Wow, the album called Insatiable,” and I’m very happy about it.”
I also understand the theme is about love.
“Yeah love, joy and hope, just wanting the world to be a better place.”
Your saxophone and deep Avant classical pieces link with the doom metal and the more fed-back sounds. When did it occur to you that you could fuse those two things?
“Immediately. Typically, the saxophone is an instrument that people try to place a lot of limitations upon. “Oh, well, that really doesn’t have much of a place in the classical realm.” And I’m a classical musician, and I will just put the saxophone anywhere I want to. However, I play in like my particular style. So it just made a lot of sense. I’ve never thought saxophone is limited to this or that. It’s just the thing that I play.”
When I first heard those pieces, I didn’t realise it was saxophone.
“Yeah, the saxophone is very special in that way. It’s just like, oh, wow, it sounds like a voice, it sounds like strings, it sounds like a trumpet, and it sounds like a clarinet. I like that it’s not a very limited instrument, so that helps me not limit myself with my instrument.”
As a listener of this record, I take away a lot of play, like tonality, texture, and juxtaposition between the textures. Is that something you aimed to highlight, or is that just what I’m taking from it?
“Definitely intentional. I love textures, and you can achieve that with tonality, they’re intricately woven into each other.”
Is that where your name, Divide and Dissolve, comes from? Is that from the two different elements?
“No, but you’re just picking up on an intention with the music, which is great. It seems like you’re very connected to it. I appreciate it so much.”
I just say what it says to me.
“It’s great to just feel what you feel. Let the music do the talking.”
Talking about textures and tonality, one thing I’m researching a bit at the moment is ASMR, and there’s something about the guitars in your music, the tone of your guitars, which is almost ASMR-like in the fact that they wash off like overdriven guitar is quite texturally satisfying in the same way.
“Yeah, I love ASMR! I was on a tour with Chelsea Wolfe, and we made these like ASMR videos. I wish we made more of them, but I’m really into it, and I’m glad you can pick up on that as well. I think it’s like you put gifts in your music for people, and certain people will appreciate them, and they’ll pick them up, and they’ll be like, “Oh, this is great!” It’s just like finding a hidden level in a video game. If you get it, you’ll be able to access it, and you were able to, so I’m very happy that you were into that.”
In 2023, you performed at the Supersonic Festival alongside artists such as Lankum, Godflesh, and Backxwash. Interestingly, Backxwash released an album during the same two weeks as your album, and the same public relations team represents you both. Are you aware of each other?
“Oh yeah, she’s so cool. I appreciate her so much. I wish we could get to know each other better. It’s been really nice to be able to see each other at different festivals, and backstage, I’m always like, “Hi!” I’m very happy; she’s so lovely.”
It would be amazing if you two made a song together, especially since Backxwash has previously incorporated metal into their work.
“Yeah, I would be down; that would be great!”
So aside from the work with the BBC on the symphony, what else has summer in store for you? Are you back out playing live again?
“Yes, I’m going to go on tour and also I have to think about the work, it’s more of like an idea or a dream, but I have a feeling it’s going to happen. So I’m excited.”
It seems like your dreams do tend to come true.
“That’s a good vibe.”
The album is out now, and the symphony?
“The Symphony is available now on BBC iPlayer, you can listen to it, and you can check the album. Thank you so much for having me. Have a beautiful day!”
There she goes, an artist who gives us extreme hope for the future, a woman who approaches music with a purity unswayed by anything other than her inspirations and bolstered by a massive amount of talent and vision.
https://www.facebook.com/divideanddissolve
Interview By George Miller
All Photos By Tosh Basco