Respire

Toronto DIY post-everything collective Respire pushes the boundaries of heavy music, intertwining intricate, uplifting orchestral arrangements with the intensity of hardcore and the desperation of black metal. They have released three albums, the latest being Hiraeth (2024). The title is a Welsh word for deep longing for a home.

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Respire comes from the promise of freedom, the dream of modernity, and acceptance. They come from crises, as well as from peace. They are leaving behind everything, their belongings, their friends and families, and entire futures that might have been. While we fight each other, the world burns, the forests die, and the rich fly private jets. The future knows no race, no gender, no salvation. Yet, in their maximalist way, Respire call upon all of us to embrace our shared and fragile humanity and reconfigure a future home in the name of hope.

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