Split Level were a

Christian rock Christian rock is a form of rock music that features lyrics focusing on matters of Christian faith, often with an emphasis on Jesus, typically performed by self-proclaimed Christian individuals. The extent to which their lyrics are explicitly Ch ...

band from

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...

, active from 1986 to 2000.

History

Split Level first began their career in the mid-1980s, playing local Christian gatherings and festivals in Northern Ireland. A song of theirs appeared on a 1985

Word Records Word Records is a Christian faith-based entertainment company based in Nashville, Tennessee. It is owned by Curb Records, and is a part of Word Entertainment. It is distributed by Warner Records (the former Warner Bros. Records). History In 1 ...

compilation called ''The Buzz on the Streets''. Their debut recording appeared in 1986 on Big Feet Records, followed by the 1987 release ''Sons of Liberty'' on

. They began playing events in

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

soon after, and eventually relocated to England permanently.Split Level
''The Phantom Tollbooth'', 1997. In 1991 they released ''View of a World'', their first record to be pressed on CD, on

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

label Pila Records. Working with renowned producer Andy Piercy, the full-length ''Boomerang'' followed in 1992 to critical acclaim in the Christian music press. The '' European Christian Booksellers' Journal'' named ''Boomerang'' its Album of the Year in 1993.Review of ''glo.bal''
Jesus Freak Hideout.Mark Allan Powell, ''The Encyclopedia of Contemporary Christian Music''. Hendrickson, 2002, pp. 854-55. Their 1994 EP, ''Call Me White Call Me Black,'' was first recorded with the intent of selling during their Artists Against Racism tour in Germany, but was later tapped for general release. In 1995, the ''European Christian Booksellers' Journal'' gave Split Level its award for Best Christian Rock Band. Their next full-length, ''glo.bal'', was released in both the UK and the U.S. in 1997 on

Pamplin Music Pamplin Music was an independent Christian record label founded in 1995 by Robert B. Pamplin Jr. The label was a subunit of Pamplin Entertainment and in turn Pamplin Communications, which was already established in the Christian media market thr ...

. Their 2000 live release was recorded in

Ennepetal Ennepetal (; wep, Iämpedal) is a town in the district of Ennepe-Ruhr-Kreis, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It was created in 1949 out of the former municipalities Milspe and Voerde. It was named after the river Ennepe, which flows through t ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

at the Christmas Rock Night festival 1998.Split Level's Christmas
''

Cross Rhythms Cross Rhythms is a Christian media organisation based in Stoke-on-Trent, England. It operates an FM and online radio station, produces radio shows sent internationally, and its website has resources about contemporary Christian music. Hi ...

'' No. 56, April 2000.

Members

Final Lineup

*Adrian Thompson - vocals, guitar *Rob Craner - drums, backing vocals *Gary Preston - bass, backing vocals

Other past members

*Chuck Cummings - drums *Derek (Del) Currie - bass, backing vocals *Barry Kennedy - drums, backing vocals *Jaz Greer - drums *Shane Jackson - keyboards *Fionn Brannigan - Guitar *David Dunlop - Guitar, Vocals *William Rea - synths, keyboards *Mervyn Dunlop *Richard Morrison

Discography

*''Break the Chains'' (1986) *''Sons of Liberty'' (1987) *''Bootleg Demos'' (1989) *''View of a World'' (1991) *''Boomerang'' (1992) *''Call Me White Call Me Black'' EP (1994) *''glo.bal'' (1997) *''Live'' (2000) "Live" (Remixed) (2023)

References

{{Authority control Rock music groups from Northern Ireland British Christian rock groups