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Bahraini music producer Hamad Ebrahim, who goes by the moniker 7MND, is rocking streaming platforms with his progressive metal song Light After, boasting musical distortions and dream-like sounds, which was released this month…with more to come.
The 29-year-old music producer and audio engineer, who has been creating music since 2016 as an independent artist, has officially signed with Saudi Arabian record label Wall of Sound and is stoked to share his style that tells a tale while also pulling on the heart strings.
“Wall of Sound is an indie and alternative record label based in Jeddah, founded by Ahmed Shawly, Ayman Nooh and Mostafa Fahmy,” said 7MND.
“I have been part of the Wall of Sound family since 2022, but was on the sister label Wall of Sound Dark Mode, which was more towards heavy or aggressive music.
“Starting July this year, I’ve officially signed with the main label Wall of Sound as an artist alongside an eclectic roster filled with talent from Saudi and the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region. They’re a great record label who truly care about growing the artists in their roster as well as and fostering and nurturing a community and scene.”
Hamad had released EPs called Cataclysm and Life After with the Wall of Sound Dark Mode and then released a remix-version of Light After on July 14 with the Wall of Sound. Now, he is working with his progressive metal band Wazin on a six-track EP with plenty more to come.
“I’m preparing to release a number of singles for 2023 as 7MND, working with my Wazin on and collaborating with different musicians and artists from the region and internationally on some truly cool stuff,” said 7MND, who graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in web media from Bahrain Polytechnic and worked as a videographer for an agency and as a freelancer. He is currently working as IT support while dedicating the rest of his time to his passion project—music production and audio engineering in his home studio in Hamad Town.
“I’ve already worked with several artists from
Wall of Sound like
ana.n7n, Skeleton Crowd, and Statues of Sinking Men in several capacities (as an artist, producer, and mixing engineer).
“As an artist, I’d love to make as much music as I can; express and evoke emotions, tell stories, and form musical and creative bonds. Being part of a crazy roster of artists is an absolute pleasure and honour and I look forward to working, releasing, and playing live alongside them.
“As a producer, I’d like to bring the visions of the artists I work with to life to get the best I can out of them in performances and ideas as well as enable them to create amazing music. I love working with passionate people who know what they want, sound fresh, and are unafraid to bear their hearts and souls in pursuit of their craft.”
In terms of his sound, 7MND’s music swims between the seas of progressive metal, shoegaze, melodic hardcore and electronica.
Shoegaze is a style of rock characterised by a sound in which the distinctions between separate instruments and vocals are blurred. As for electronica, it is a style of popular music stemming from techno and rave and having a more ambient, esoteric or cerebral quality.
“The genres vary depending on what I’m feeling, I like to draw from different influences and blend different styles together,” he shared.
It probably helps that he grew up in an artistic family as well.
“From my siblings to my cousins, there was always someone doing something creative, be it painting, playing instruments or photography,” said 7MND who took up guitar at around 13 and has been writing music ever since.
“We all encouraged each other and sometimes even collaborated. I have always been fascinated with music since childhood, especially nu-metal and hip-hop. I knew from an early age that music was my calling because I wanted to deconstruct what I was listening to and add my own spin to it.
“In terms of my musical direction and the way I work, it’s been learned and inspired from the likes of Misha Mansoor and Adam ‘Nolly’ Getgood who have pioneered the one-man home studio approach in modern progressive metal— enabling and teaching many on how possible it is to create studio-grade music with the right tools and techniques, from the comfort of your home.”
While his music is captivating listeners online through Spotify, YouTube Music, Apple Music, Anghami and other platforms, he is looking forward to playing his music live.
“I’m assembling a small team, and re-imagining how I can bring my music to a live audience in a way that’s different from the studio version; more raw and intimate but still retaining the same spirit the songs have,” he explained.
“I’d like to also offer a word of encouragement to anyone considering starting their journey as a musician or producer. There has never been a better time to start! With the amount of free resources and tools available online and affordable gear that is capable of making high quality sounds and recordings, the obstacles and walls are less than ever. Take the leap!”
For details, follow @7MND on Instagram.
