The album Cycles is where American jazz meets the nordic jazz sound. The title Cycles reflects the many phases we go through in life. When one thing ends another begins. After four years at Berklee College of Music, Magnus has influences from both nordic jazz and the rich traditions in American jazz. It was cultural exchange, and a journey across the Atlantic ocean that inspired the album Cycles. During his time at Berklee, Magnus studied with the saxophone master George Garonze. The mentorship developed into a friendship, and the interplay between the two is beyond generations and nationalities. Cycles was recorded in Propeller Studio, Oslo, July 2015. It is the debut album of saxophonist and composer Magnus Bakken.