We previously featured Paul Frazer Clarke when he crafted a dreamlike journey through atmosphere and freedom on Cloud To Cloud, so when we heard that Paul was back with Cycle, we were curious to say the least, and couldn’t wait to listen and share our experience.
Cycle opens with ethereal arpeggios and textured drums before Will Champlin‘s vocals emerge, featuring metaphorical prose laced with poetic prowess. The visual nature of the prose is sublime and also invites introspection. There is a zeitgeist allure, especially with the words, “I feel the weight of the world, telling me I’ve got to carry it somehow…”
There is no doubt that Cycle would work well in a TV show like Nine Perfect Strangers, or PLUR1BUS, which both have a psychedelic and conscious edge. The lyrics, “Cause we’re running in a cycle, can’t let these ways win the title, the world is turning and it’s tribal, get our spirits in a spiral, let the music break the cycle…” really cement this notion and we appreciate how music is uplifted as the antidote.
Fans of Tame Impala would be able to vibe with Cycle, although Paul Frazer Clarke is clearly also in a league of his own. We appreciate the hypnotic nature of the production and the dynamics. The astral synth that emerges before and during the second verse adds a cosmic energy to the piece.
For some background, Will Champlin is the son of Bill Champlin (Chicago), was a Top 3 finalist on The Voice US, and is a Grammy-winning co-writer for Heather Headley. Speaking on the collaborative nature of this song, Paul says, “Working with someone of the calibre of Will has made the creative development of this track a great experience — we both ‘got it’ in terms of the direction immediately.”
Cycle is the second single from the Perth-based composer and music industry veteran’s Five Coordinates EP. Paul has over 35 years of global experience and was formerly signed to Epic Records, MCA Music and Warner Chappell. His collaborators include Grammy-winner Lucky Oceans, jazz-fusion legend Jeff Lorber, and vocalists from The Voice Australia and Fun Lovin’ Criminals.
We love Cycle, and have added the song to our New Music Spotlight playlist, and our TIMELESS playlist, whilst we continue to stream the wider discography of Paul Frazer Clarke, and anticipate the entirety of the Five Coordinates EP.