Hybrid Fury is a three-piece local collective founded out of a desire to make music outside of their usual comfort zones. Jared Celemin is a member of Curse & Bless, an electronic band. He is also a Chicago-based music producer who has worked with big labels in the Philippines. Theo Martel, on the other hand, is a self-taught electronic dance music producer who also works for Star Music and Cornerstone Studio as a music producer and sound engineer. Rogel Simon is the lead vocalist of Valley Of Chrome, a well-known Filipino metal band.
They seek to create experimental soundscapes that blur the lines between their specialized genres. The ensemble, which is entirely self-funded, seeks to create exciting and unique music by renouncing formulas and putting an emphasis on expression above all else.
The fact that “The Need to Breathe” was written in the band’s isolated personal spaces lends the song a distinct sound, as they were unable to record it together. Due to the band’s unique songwriting setting, they believed that the song encapsulates their emotions while creating this masterpiece, making it sentimental for them.
The Story Behind The Need to Breathe
As with any new music, it does not immediately gain widespread popularity, notably in the Philippines and among the members’ respective fan bases. The group chose to dip their toes in the water in order to try something new and possibly risky for the locals, considering that their single has an unusual mix of several genres. The track’s objective is to create something that can compete with an international audience while also demonstrating to Filipinos that they, too, are capable of producing something of this caliber. Mixing multiple genres was something that musicians experimented with in order to produce new, distinct music that transcended stereotypes.
Members discussed their experiences while writing the song. Jared informed Rogel of his new endeavor and forwarded the demo to the latter. Rogel found it intriguing and wrote the words and recorded the vocals in his room with just a phone app recorder. He sent it back to Jared, thinking it was simply a demo, but Jared was able to use it and sculpt it into a new song later on. Jared liked the personal touch Rogel gave to his demo, which he recorded in his room using a phone and a headset rather than in a studio. Though Rogel was well-known in the metal world, attempting something new and exploring new genres was an enjoyable challenge for him. Rogel also mentioned that he listens to a variety of genres and utilizes his band (Hybrid Fury) as a platform for experimenting with various genres. Additionally, he claimed that they were Linkin Park fans, which motivated them to create this style of distinctive music. After Jared finished the beat and Rogel recorded the vocals, the song was out for final phase. Theo Martel was in charge of the final output after the mastering and mixing were completed. He’s completely exceeded himself on this track, so it goes without saying that he’s not your typical joe in the music studio. He performed admirably since he had a thorough understanding of sound design and complex sound separation.
Message Conveyed in The Need to Breathe
It’s remarkable how local collective can develop music that meets the global standard for music, particularly in the rock and EDM genres. We understand that not all Filipinos enjoy loud beats and singing in their playlists. However, The Need to Breathe provides us with more than these noisy aspects. These past few months have been difficult for everyone, but especially Filipinos, as we grapple with the pandemic’s problems. The Need to Breathe embodies the feelings and trials we’ve encountered in our lives, affecting our hearts and causing our heads to pound in time with the song’s rhythm. The song speaks directly to us, expressing that it understands how much we’ve been through and that we, too, need to breathe since we’re being smothered by many variables in our lives, whether they’re tasks and responsibilities, challenges, or troubles.
Hybrid Fury gave us the sense that someone understands us with this song, which is reassuring given how insane the world can go. They also provide us with a sense of nostalgia by transporting us to the golden age of fusion music. This song will undoubtedly send you into a frenzy, singing along to every line while confronting our adversaries head-on. The Need to Breathe teaches us to avoid letting our difficulties and burdens suffocate us to the point of abandoning our ambitions and hopes. The need to breathe is constant as we confront various hurdles in life, and it is never your fault or a sign of weakness to request time to breathe as self-care. Allowing yourself to breathe enables you to handle strong emotions more effectively and come up with a more effective solution to your dilemma.
As previously said, genre fusion challenges stereotypes; in the case of The Need to Breathe, it challenges the stigma and stereotypes surrounding mental health. This song demonstrates that just because you cannot see something does not imply that it is not real. Oftentimes, the things we cannot see are the most difficult to carry and the most difficult battles we face. Through this song, Hybrid Fury communicates to their audience that they are not alone and that we will overcome our issues and obstacles together. Sometimes, discussing a certain issue is ineffective because not everyone is receptive to the concept. There are also issues that we must resolve on an individual level, and perhaps all you need is to breathe to properly process and ponder.
Stream: The Need to Breathe
Through their masterwork, “The Need to Breathe,” Hybrid Fury showed that OPM artists and bands can be just as brilliant and capable as international music artists and bands. Don’t miss your chance to listen to it on Spotify.
