Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Elation Cycle. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Yadiel and Shane, appreciate you making time for us and sharing your wisdom with the community. So many of us go through similar pain points throughout our journeys and so hearing about how others overcame obstacles can be helpful. One of those struggles is keeping creativity alive despite all the stresses, challenges and problems we might be dealing with. How do you keep your creativity alive?
Shane: I build it into my routines. Consistently expressing yourself creatively requires maintenance. I get a sort of anxiety when I’m not practicing or writing that is akin to one of eating poorly or not exercising. When I meet my creative goals or hit a performance milestone, I get a feeling of ELATION. Naturally that feeling is fleeting and I’m motivated to pursue my goals further. That CYCLE helps me grow as a musician, pushing me to test my limits and stay consistent in my dedication.
Yadiel: I enjoyed what Shane did there. As for me, I find myself keeping my creativity alive by staying engaged with musical projects. I try to keep my plate full by recording and producing other artists, playing guitar in public or on stream or collaborating with others online. It’s hard to balance all of these at once, but I notice that the constant exposure to musical “stress” will add to your own creative growth. It’s important to make sure, however, that one doesn’t burn out.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
Yadiel: Elation Cycle is a musical project that I had been experimenting with since I was a teenager in high school. Its main purpose was to explore my musical limits with friends and other musicians in order to create a sound that was brand new. At the start of 2022, Elation Cycle gained the traction to pursue the sound we’ve grown into, which led to our first album Delete Dream! Now we have a plethora of new ideas, the assets to turn those ideas into reality and the support to propel our creations forward. We intend to keep pushing our limits in a way that will keep listeners engaged. Expect something new from us in 2024!
Shane: Playing guitar and writing music with my friends is my most entertaining and fruitful pursuit. The feeling of cooperatively constructing some musical monstrosity that pushes you both to your performative and creative limits is an exhilaration unlike any other.
In Elation Cycle’s upcoming release, we’re trying to push ourselves further than ever before. We want to create a sound that puts the listener on the edge of a cliff in the sky with clouds below and the wind in their face, but also deep in a cozy, nostalgia ridden soundscape full of ear candy and flowing harmonies.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Yadiel: Looking back, the three biggest nuggets of knowledge that pushed me forward the most were music theory, creatively incorporating advanced guitar techniques into one’s own music, and music production. I am very fortunate to have grown up with people who were excellent at making me a better musician. Shane was actually a big part of my guitar journey as he helped me understand how to incorporate certain techniques into my writing. I also have a good friend named Cameron Franchi who excels at music production and taught me everything I know now. Without those two guys, I probably wouldn’t be making music anymore. So, my advice to people starting out is to surround yourself with like minded musicians who respect you and want you to succeed alongside them.
Shane: To add onto that, a large part of the music that you create is an amalgamation of your musical influences. Because of this, I strongly believe that it’s important to diversify your ear. Objectively listening to as many types of music as possible is an essential step to developing your own taste and style. Surface level listening can lead to imitation instead of innovation. Diving deeper into any piece of music allows you to determine the fundamental principles upon which it moves, and internalize the techniques that the artist applies.
Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?
Shane: I have an issue with fixation on small song sections. Focusing on such a minute part of the song consumes time, and potentially leads to overwriting or the song losing direction. However, if applied correctly, this fixation can help develop intricate musical tapestries, each small detail working towards a common harmonic movement. Moderating the fixation and broadening the tunnel vision that results is a challenging balance I’m working to improve.
Yadiel: When it comes to the writing of Elation Cycle’s music, I sometimes find myself torn between two mutually exclusive options. Like how much singing should be over a certain song or if there should be any singing at all. Oh, another example is deciding on how heavy or aggressive a song should be. Some of our listeners are brought in by our guitar-focused instrumentals but might be turned away by singing. On the other hand, some of the listeners enjoy the vocals but don’t care much for complicated riffs or the technical drumming. As much as I would love to include everyone’s preference, I always decide on the sound that makes me feel the most fulfilled. If my mind goes “wow..” after writing something, I know we’ve done it right.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yadicruzadi/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@YadiCruzado
- Other: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6m9Qgp7wd2QBDFGS9tJExD Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/elation-cycle/1657856544
Image Credits
Delete Dream! cover art created by Heather Yu
