New Age Chill: 7and5-Rhythm of Life

Release Date: September 20, 2019

Label: Nix Records

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7and5 is Mr. John Nixon, a man of many colors that has produced a lot of music over the years. I am now embarking on my third journey with his instrumental voyages on the Rhythm of Life.

I love the way this album started with “Gravity.” It is an energetic opener and just the perfect setting to get your pulse to rise. It makes it rise in a chill kind of way, the only way John knows how, with thumping dance-like beats and a layer of keys that invite you on this magic carpet ride of music. I absolutely love it. I made it my Spotify Playlist pick without a second thought.

If I had been born during a different decade, I think I would have lived in the dance halls filled with trance and thumping beats. But alas folks, I am a rocker at heart that happens to enjoy a wide variety of music and I have a true appreciation of any creative process. Music just happens to be my sweet spot that I derive so much happiness and peace through. It serves as the looking glass into my soul, the mirror of my true self. Speaking of that, check out “Reflection,” it’s an epic ride on the clouds that brings you peace and makes your heart smile.

With music that portrays the Rhythm of Life, what more could I possibly ask for? The eleven tracks encompassing this recording shines the light on a very talented and creative human being. He wants to impart all of these sounds, textures, and colors into one beautiful package for us to consume. I think there is a lot of crossover appeal with this release as well, not fitting into a neat little box but a broad scope covering new age, chill, ambient, and contemporary instrumental slots on your streaming stations all over the planet.

I appreciated the nice gentle touches of the piano with the other key layers and beats swooshing in and out, creating a colorful tapestry of instrumental bliss. It comes together very nicely and I am sure this kind of project takes a while to put together considering it is one person doing all the composing.

The maestro is 7and5, the alter ego of John Nixon, a brilliant instrumentalist, and composer that knows how to touch your soul with his music. I say play it again maestro! I can’t wait for the next album in 2020!

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck

September 26, 2019

Founder of:

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Tracks: 
01. Gravity
02. Take Me Back
03. Air Meets Water
04. So It Begins
05. While the Rain Falls
06. Wildflower
07. Rhythm of Life
08. Reflection
09. Paradise
10. Heartbeat
11. A New Horizon
 

Instrumental New Age Chill Review: 7and5-The Lost Voice

Release Date: March 30, 2018

Label: Independent

Website

The name 7and5 (John Nixon) came from the fact that all musical notes can be expressed within an octave on a piano as 7 white keys and 5 black keys. That is the explanation I received from John Nixon over 3 years ago when I covered his album Themes For A Grey Day.

So, you probably got the hint that 7and5 is a keyboard player. Well, now you know if you didn’t. So, one day after its release I am listening to The Lost Voice. Now I remember why I enjoyed his music so much.

I got one step “Closer to Heaven,” with the atmospheric and intriguing opening track. I think we all get closer to the heavens when we let the music do all the work. For 7and5 it has been a musical evolution since the beginning when his first release In A Moments Time came out in 2006.  

7and5 is a clever composer and musician. It is not always the easiest thing taking highly technical music and giving it rhythm and purpose. That is exactly what he does on The Lost Voice. The cover is very interesting and thought-provoking, which is yet another aspect of artistry that I appreciate. Some artist will tell that there is no meaning to the cover on the CD and say “I thought it was a cool picture.” I do not think that is the case here. 

What you see is a pure white phone on what appears to be on the white sand of a beach. The main message here is the cord connecting the phone has no end to it. There is a voice, it is connected but for now, it is just lost. Perhaps the music will elevate the voice’s purpose so it finds its way home? Are the cords end at the beginning of the water's edge or at the skyline? Your guess is as good as mine. Maybe the answer is that we are all connected to Mother Nature and the significance of the cord leads back to the ocean from whence all life came from. Are we a lost human race looking for our way home?

Ok, that is a lot of thought about one picture, I know. That is positive proof that images can be powerful and when you combine images and sound you can find your way home. You find your “Presence” is necessary to receive the messages inside the music. That makes sense to me because I let the music envelop me, which allows relaxation and complete freedom of thought and expression. That is what the listening “experience” is for me. It is different for everyone.

I know one thing for sure, The Lost Voice is a very good album. Once again, this kind of music reminded of some of my favorite ambient and atmospheric bands like Tangerine Dream and Kraftwerk. The elements of simplicity with the piano combined with the synths and computer-generated sounds is like the meeting of the best of both worlds. It takes vision and intelligence to stand alone and create music like this. It all flows together from one track to the next like our brain synapses growing with each thought. The more you use it the stronger and more useful it becomes.

4/5 Stars

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck

March 31, 2018

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Tracks:
01. Closer to Heaven
02. Life at Once
03. Father
04. Mi Deh Yah
05. Glistening
06. Blue Flame
07. Open Up
08. Presence
09. Winter Frost
10. Heart to Heart
11. Man Plans, God Laughs
12. Distant Memory
13. Wavecrest
14. Epilogue

New Age/Chill Instrumental Review: 7and5-Themes For A Grey Day

Release Date: September 30, 2014

Label: Nix Music

Website

John Nixon A.K.A. 7and5 and his new Themes For A Grey Day CD is ten tracks of new age instrumental chill. It could be a soundtrack to a film or your life, the choice is yours.

The name came from the fact that all musical notes can be expressed within an octave on a piano as 7 white keys and 5 black keys. Clever yet simple and direct, I like that explanation.

When you think about the title of the album it makes you wonder what kind of listening experience you are about have. The “grey” area as it is referred to in common everyday life is a neutral space, the unknown; it’s neither negative nor positive. This is music we are talking about here so where is the difference and how does the term apply?

As we dive into this aural journey of sound and color “Cloudburst” invites you into a menagerie of sounds and textures. It is uplifting and refreshing as cool rain drops hitting your face on a steamy hot July afternoon. For my senses it was a pleasure and I heard and felt no “grey” areas. This is a solid opener and a terrific way to kick off the album. The next track “Nightfall” starts off slower and more introspective before reaching an apex of sound with keyboards. It is filled with anticipation and the wonder of nature’s gifts.

I can see how the artist is able to implement all the instruments and sounds at his disposal to create something that matches up well with the title of the track. With instrumentals it is difficult to do that however 7and5 has his pulse on the human condition and knows how to manipulate sounds to make everything work together beautifully. I am not one that can stay focused on chill music for too long; I get bored easily and lose interest after a fashion. This did not happen to me listening to Themes For A Grey Day. The reason is that there is the right combination of new age and chill mixed together to make one complete sound that satisfies and intrigues you.

“Frozen” is as prolific as the title. It is a “what you see is what you get” kind of term. Picture a river flowing underneath the frozen ice ever so slow then as you look closer it starts to move faster. That is the best way to describe how this track unfolds. I really enjoy how new age artists take the essence of nature and our surroundings and turn it into beautiful sounds that create images within the Third Eye Chakra.

“Passing Storms” keeps up the momentum and spirit of this recording going. This could relate to what nature brings us or certain life situations and challenges. The passing storm eventually leaves and the sunshine comes back if we have a positive outlook on life. 

Instrumental music holds so much within for one individual listener to interpret and that is a blessing for those who have an open heart and mind. The instruments are healers and the one that administers the sounds is like your own personal shaman. Themes For A Grey Day is a relaxing and exhilarating experience all at once. This is a journey you will want to take again and again.

4.5/5 Stars

Key Tracks: Cloudburst, Nightfall, Passing Storms

Tracks: 
01.Cloudburst
02.Nightfall
03.13 Days
04. Frozen
05.Passing Storms
06.November
07.No Moon, Fallen Stars
08.The Pulse of Rain
09.Flow
10.Clear
 

Keith “MuzikMan” Hannaleck-New Age Music Reviews Founder

September 26, 2014

Review Provided By New Age Music Reviews