Category Archives: Recording

The Story Behind “Respire,” the Upcoming Single

Matthew S. Rosin, Respire
Matthew S. Rosin, “Respire,” to be released by Meristem Music on March 12, 2021.

I recorded “Respire” in 2014 as a way to rediscover my own breath.

I sang in falsetto with a resonant space in my mouth but lips closed and vibrating slightly. I was inspired by how Arve Henriksen makes his trumpet sound like a cooing voice. I tried to do the opposite: make my voice sound like a gospel-inflected cousin of a trumpet, theremin, or flute. Doing so got me out of my own head and into my body.

Then I brought in the accordion, which also breathes: vibrating chords and the simple pull and push of air.

I put the resulting piece away for another time—until the COVID-19 pandemic, when I returned to “Respire” and finished the mix.

So many have suffered, struggled to breathe, and lost their breath entirely to COVID-19. “Respire” reminds me to be grateful for my breath and all that might flow from it.

May you, the listener, breathe easy and be well.

“Respire” will be released digitally by Meristem Music on March 12, 2021 via Bandcamp and all streaming platforms.

Coming soon: “Respire” single

Matthew S. Rosin, “Respire” single (2021)

I’m releasing a new single, “Respire,” on March 12, 2021! It will be available for download on Bandcamp and for streaming on all the usual platforms.

“Respire” is a meditation for wordless voice and accordion, and it’s radically different from my previous release, the Singing Is Contagious EP.

I’ll share the story behind the single during the coming weeks.

Singing Is Contagious EP – release on Dec. 4

Matthew S. Rosin, Singing Is Contagious EP, 2020.
Matthew S. Rosin, Singing Is Contagious EP, 2020.

My new EP, Singing Is Contagious, releases on December 4! The EP will available digitally from me on Bandcamp and for streaming and digital download from all the usual services.

From the press sheet:

Matthew S. Rosin releases his first new collection of music in six years, a searing fusion of modern progressive, post-punk, and ambient drone.

Driven by Rosin’s disarming poetry and sung and spoken-word vocals, Singing Is Contagious is a visceral plea for honoring our common humanity and learning from one another, beyond the received ideas and prejudices that alienate and wound us.

Recorded mostly during the COVID-19 pandemic, Singing Is Contagious is released digitally via Rosin’s Meristem Music.