7and5

Bio:

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7AND5: Hope, Destiny, And Choice


"Whispering In The Trees", on Celtic Lounge III!..
Visit Amazon.com below



7and5 at iTUNES

"Forward Way Back", on Buddha Lounge 6! (Amazon.com link below)


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"Forward Way Back" also featured on Buddha Groove 5



7AND5: Trading Stories -->




Also...

7AND5: In A Moment's Time -->



What is 7and5?

Hmm…

I guess it began back as far as 1995 when I was commissioned to contribute some music to a fledgling Detroit techno music label. I found that I was far more interested in created music with melody, flow, emotion, and impact; than the type of music that this label was actually looking for. As a result, my ideas were un-published and went on the shelf.

A few years later, I started a project called Mr. Radio, which was a pop/art rock project attempting to re-capture and modernize the sounds of bands like ELO, Pink Floyd, Queen, etc. After a 2 year recording process, I released the album “Hello, Mr. Radio” in 2000. I immediately began the process of creating its successor, when it became evident that restarting the process of creating these massive arrangements, and dealing with the scheduling conflicts of all the musicians involved, the album may never get done…whether due to logistics or mental fatigue.

I was looking for a musical project that I could perform alone; allowing me to do it on my time, when I felt inspired, and un-encumbered by any external hurdles. At this time, I happened to be going through some old tapes from “back in the day” and stumbled across the aforementioned techno demos that sat on the shelf. I listened…and realized…I really liked where this was going and wanted to pursue it. I coincidently found myself discovering new artists an the Sirius Spa and Chill stations that were also doing music in this style and made me realize there may be a public home for this style. Not sure whether to call it New Age, or Chill, or Downtempo; but I was hearing artists such as Amethystium, Ryan Farish, Jon Hopkins, William Orbit, Blue Stone among others that were growing a genre that in some ways was New Age, but it was far more dynamic than the old cliché of a reverbed piano over the sound of a running stream that was my preconception of the idiom.

So, the first album began, with seeds from the old days…In fact, 2 songs from those old techno recordings made it on to the first album which was released in 2005 called “In A Moment’s Time”. The album contained the track “Never Look Back” which garnered the attention of Sequoia Records, and was added to their Buddha Lounge 6 album under the title “Forward Way Back”. My goal however, was not to just create an album; but to create a sound palette that I could grow and evolve with. So, I challenged myself to create not one, but three albums …each one growing out of the last with new sounds and ideas each time. “Trading Stories” was released in 2007, and jumped out of the gate quickly, receiving sales orders from all over the globe, and again The Weather Channel embraced it in their broadcasts. The song “Sleepwalking” was listed in the “Best of 2007” by RadioMystic internet radio. 2010 brought new sounds, new ideas, and a new album called “Hope, Destiny, and Choice”. This saw the first use of lyric by 7and5, featuring ambient vocal wizard Stella13 on 2 songs; “Driftwood” and “Whispering” which was also tabbed for another Sequoia Records compilation. This time it was Celtic Lounge 3 where Whispering was included under the name “Whispering In The Trees”.

2012 sees the release of the 4th album entitled “Oceans”. Inspired by the short novel “Anthem” by Ayn Rand and the themes in the Jonathan Livingston Seagull soundtrack and movie; this represents an ever broadening sound in the evolution of 7and5, and makes one wonder if 7and5 is only just “Taking Flight”…

Member Since:

March 12, 2006

Members:

John H. Nixon

Influences:

7and5 ON iTUNES!!

7and5 on Buddha Lounge 6!
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Influences and many thanks to...Ryan Farish, Keiko Matsui, Moby/Voodoo Child, Blue Stone, Amethystium, Babble, Delerium, William Orbit...

Sounds Like:

New Age beauty, with the rhythmic feel and synth work of electro-chill; and with hooks as memorable as any great pop song. Melodies from moody to uplifting; on grand piano, laid across a swath of detailed layers and textures...