Cycler is the alias used by Ioan Bârlădeanu when he’s tripping into music. This journey kicked out back in ’97, first influences came from acts such as Kraftwerk, Photek, ZX Spectrum Orchestra, Plaid, Modeselektor, Amon Tobin, Haus Arafna, Yvat, Distance, Brazda lui Novac, but two years later he saw a HBO documentary about “rave parties” and pushed forward by The Prodigy, he split his rebellious spirit between heavy metal and big-beat.
On April 26th ’07 made his main stage debut at the 2nd edition of experimental/electronic underground festival Cybermental at Bucharest followed by several other festivals and gigs along other Romanian artist of the electro scene like Matze, Brazda Lui Novac, Silent Strike, Clock:Divider, Luntaire, etc.
Cycler featured on several releases, the first was along Karsten Hamre (NO) on the project “The Flux Komplex”, and release of the album “Lost Illusions” through Trinity Records, Hong Kong. He also appeared on some compilations: “Diferenta 01” and “The DeviantArt Compilation” in 2008.
The time seems right for his debut album and Raumklang Music released it on March 1st Cycler’s debut album, “Polymath”. And if you enjoyed “Dizzy” , the latest album by Brazda lui Novac, definitively you don’t want to miss this one!
Cycler worked at the begining with ReBirth, now he works with Reaper as DAW, and using several VST plug-ins such as TAL Noisemaker, ERS Drums, Polyibilit, LazySnake, Fish Fillets, but also some hardware: Behringer BCR2000, Emu Xboard25, Novation Launchpad and XioSynth, Yamaha AN200, FB-01 and RM1x, Waldorf Pulse, Korg ER-1 and Kaosspad, Roland R5 (circuit-bent), a laptop and two old computers he keeps and maintain since he’s teenager years.
A Polymath is a person whose expertise spans a significant number of different subject areas.
“Polymath”, the debut album of Cycler consist of 11 tracks and Ioan take us into a narcotic journey.
Cycler is definitively synonym to chill. And actually my only “critical” observation is that Cycler is too chill through this album, I’m kind of missing his noisier explosions from his live acts, “Polymath” flows smoothly, cinematic and downtrodden. Cycler build up nice and subtle layers of sounds, he’s music is well structured and almost mathematically precise, definitively relaxing and meditative, but once again, in lack of that energy and force which Cycler manage to introduce and control in his live acts. On the other hand I really enjoy the spaces he creates, the smooth and gentle flow of his sounds.
“Polymath” it’s like falling into a deep, hypnotic dream, there are no interruptions, no disturbances, only positive flow. And maybe I’m a sick person, but I definitively feel the need of some “dirt”, the urge for some murderous noises crushing down, shift and changing of the tempo and inserts of some cutting edge turbulence. Cycler delivered a very chilled, very calm, kind of dream-IDM music, a subtle journey gently colored with clever noises and groovy rhythmic which will definitively draw you down deeper in this strange, but beautiful universe made of sounds and… sparks of imagination. This is a cyclic, never ending trip, take a deep breath before dive into it.
Cycler – Polymath @ Raumklang Music/Bandcamp Buy: 7 EUR.
Cycler @ MySpace
Cycler @ SoundClick
Cycler @ Facebook
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYLYFDui27g]
