The types of music covered by "Cyclic Defrost" are mostly those ignored by larger, more mainstream publications. "Cyclic Defrost" covers such genres and subgenres as independent electronica, avant-rock, leftfield hiphop and experimental sound art. The magazine offers both news regarding the genres and reviews of new albums and artists. The magazine itself also features photography sections as well as different types of cover art and the meaning behind them.
"Cyclic Defrost" is more than your average magazine. The magazine not only covers the types of music specified above, but also attempts to live the genres by adopting certain restrictions for advertising, as well as a stylistic air about it that lends credence to their sincerity. As mentioned on the "Cyclic Defrost" website, "We have no interest in fashion spreads, alcohol or clothing advertising, nor do we accept advertising in the guise of 'editorial,'"
"Cyclic Defrost" is available for free at record stores across Australia, as indicated on the magazine's cover. This particular magazine is published and distributed three times a year, though free downloads of many issues are available on the magazine's website. At the time of this article's publication, the editors are Shaun Prescott and Alexandra Savvides, and the art director is Thommy Tran. The magazine lists their mailing address as of August 2011 from a P.O. Box in Sidney South.
"Cyclic Defrost" varies their layout and style from time to time, and experimentation with new styles is nothing foreign to them. However, at the time of writing, most issues contain between five and seven full articles, as well as a section about sleeve reviews and a "Cyclic Selects" section, which highlights a particular artist. The cover of the magazine is done like an album cover, generally by an artist commissioned for the job or a member of the staff.