Split Level Biography
Who is Split Level?
Split Level were a Christian rock band from Northern Ireland, active from the mid-1980s until 2000, celebrated for their raw energy and Celtic rock roots. Over nearly two decades, they became one of the most significant and enduring acts in the European Christian music scene despite near-constant adversity.
The roots of Split Level stretch back to the late 1960s in County Antrim, where multi-instrumentalist David Dunlop led a succession of groups -- from folk outfit Still Waters, to Supertramp-influenced Monassa, before finally arriving at the new wave sound of Split Level in the early 1980s. It was vocalist and guitarist Adrian Thompson who would become the group's constant driving force. A pivotal early moment came in 1985, when Split Level, still only one gig into their existence, performed at the Spring Harvest Fringe and had tracks featured on a Word Records compilation, The Buzz on the Streets. The response was immediate, sparking a groundswell of interest that would carry them far beyond Northern Ireland.
Their debut album, Break the Chains, was released independently in 1986 on Big Feet Records and helped establish the band on the Christian festival circuit, particularly after a legendary performance at Greenbelt Festival left the packed Big Top crowd in what one writer described as "arm-punching delirium." Their follow-up, Sons of Liberty (1987, Word Records), was a more troubled affair, hampered by production missteps, but it demonstrated a band with real songwriting depth. The years that followed were gruelling. The band survived on 30 pounds a week, weathered a revolving door of personnel changes, and relocated to England in pursuit of a wider audience.
By the early 1990s, with a settled lineup of Thompson, bassist Gary Preston, and drummer Rob Craner, Split Level signed to German label Pila Records and released View of a World (1991), their first CD release. The album that followed, Boomerang (1992), produced by Andy Piercy, cemented their reputation. Acclaimed across the Christian music press, it was named Album of the Year by the European Christian Booksellers' Journal in 1993. In 1995, the same publication awarded them Best Christian Rock Band.
Their 1994 EP Call Me White, Call Me Black was born out of their Artists Against Racism tour in Germany, where the band had developed a particularly devoted following. By 1997 their profile had grown large enough to attract a US deal, and glo.bal was released in both Europe and the United States. Their final release, Live (2000), was recorded at the Christmas Rock Night festival in Ennepetal, Germany in 1998 -- a fitting farewell document from a band that had always been at their best on stage.
Throughout their career, Split Level shared stages with artists including Steve Taylor, Altar Boys, Guardian, P.O.D., and Larry Norman, and were often described as "the Christian subculture's U2" -- a nod both to the unmistakable Edge-inflected guitar tones of their early years and to the earnest, anthemic spirit that ran through everything they did. In 2023, their live album was remixed and remastered by 7Core Music to mark its 25th anniversary, introducing a new generation of listeners to a band that never quite got the recognition they deserved.