  A unique bistable transition has been identified in granular/colloidal
gel-composites, resulting from shear-induced phase separation of the gel phase
into dense blobs. In energy applications, it is critical to understand how this
transition influences electrical performance. Mixing conductive colloids with
conductive inclusions, we find the conductivity and elasticity move in concert,
both decreasing in the collapsed phase-separated state. Surprisingly, with
insulating inclusions these properties can become decoupled, with the
conductivity instead increasing despite the collapse of the gel structure.
