Visionary new age music for nourishing and rejuvenating body, mind and spirit
Visionary new age music for nourishing and rejuvenating body, mind and spirit
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Liquid Mind VII: Reflection by Liquid Mind CDs and digital downloads available for purchase at:
This beautiful album is ideal for sleeping, meditation, anxiety and stress management. The seventh in Liquid Mind’s slow relaxation albums, the music ebbs and flows with a peaceful and introspective elegance, the very slow tempo perfect for massage and healing therapies.
| 1. Gently Down 14:14 |
| 2. Into the Silence of My Being 12:33 |
| 3. Into the Stillness 6:30 |
| 4. Finding My Way 9:20 |
| 5. Reflection 8:18 |
| 6. My Orchid Spirit 7:40 |
As a general rule, I believe that meditation or contemplative prayer are best practiced in silence — which means no TV blaring in the background, no MP3 player churning out sound, no computer or stereo making noise within earshot. Even using a so-called white noise machine is, to me, at best a necessary evil: perhaps required to mask the normal distracting sounds of children playing or whatever else might be happening in an adjacent room or apartment: but far less desirable than the pure absence (or near absence) of aural stimulation that only silence embodies.
So with that in mind, perhaps it is a bit ironic that in this post I am going to praise an album of ambient music called Meditation. But I am not recommending this album for use while you are meditating. Rather, this is perfect music for the other 15 or so hours that you are awake each day. This most recent offering from the ambient music maestro Chuck Wild (who records under the name “Liquid Mind”) is one of the loveliest recordings of deeply introspective, truly relaxing, and — most important of all — serenely beautiful music that I’ve come across in quite a while.
But first, a disclaimer: I’ve been a fan of Liquid Mind for over a decade now. I first encountered Chuck Wild’s unique ability to create truly expansive and profoundly peaceful music when I was working for a music distributor. In my position there as a new age music buyer, I listened to ambient music all day long — and yes, much of it lives up to its stereotype of being bland, boring, and self-indulgent. If the stereotypes point to how forgettable most new age music is, they also indicate how difficult it is for musicians to create truly good, artistic, and distinctive ambient recordings. Over the years I’ve collected maybe a handful of ambient albums that bear repeated listening: Brian Eno’s Music for Airports, Laraaji’s Day of Radiance, or Bruce & Brian Becvar’s The Magic of Healing Music. These are all albums that live up to Eno’s definition of creative ambient music: music that is “able to accommodate many levels of listening attention without enforcing one in particular.”
Liquid Mind’s music belongs on any select list of must-have ambient albums — and while I think the newest album is arguably the best, the entire Liquid Mind catalogue is worth exploring. Among the previous Liquid Mind albums, I particularly love Unity, and Spirit — in fact, the track “Through My Eyes” from Liquid Mind VI: Spirit was used in several videos featuring me.
But today I want to focus on Liquid Mind X: Meditation. Comprising six tracks with a combined length of just over an hour, this musical suite can be the perfect soundtrack for massage, reading, quiet conversation, or mealtime. But I think what separates out truly creative ambient music from run-of-the-mill new age recordings is that it makes an authentic musical statement, far more than just functioning as a kind of soothing soundtrack for busy lives. This is certainly the case for Liquid Mind X: Meditation. This album speaks of spaciousness, openness, and letting go. The first track, “In Fields of Peace,” creates a soundscape of unhurried presence, with a gradual unfolding of atmospheric chords, its cadence slower than the rhythm of deep, relaxed breathing. This leads into the title track, beginning with a sonic texture reminiscent of Tibetan chanting before opening into a calm melody that evokes the openness of a mind lulled into silence by a deep contemplative experience. “In the Silence of My Soul” and “When Time Slows” continue this sonic journey. The third track evokes a sense of transcendence, while the fourth simply seems to deepen the overall sense of unhurried presence. “Soft Focus,” perhaps the most subtly dynamic of the six tracks, reminds me of the whispering cognitive activity that lurks at the heart of even the most deeply relaxing meditative experience. The album closes with “The Joy of Quiet,” a coda to the suite that echoes the opening track with a slightly more invigorating melody: the meditation is ending, leaving one refreshed and ready to engage with the hustle and bustle of life.
Writing about ambient music is probably the next hardest thing to actually creating it well, and so I am conscious that my words really do not begin to capture the sense of wide-open loveliness that this music embodies. So I’d encourage you to check it out for yourself.
If you're a fan of previous recordings from Chuck Wild, a.k.a. Liquid Mind, you can rightly expect another serene album of musical bliss on volume seven of the series, sub-titled Reflection. The artist's first release on the Real Music label does not deviate from his usual path, i.e. wave after wave of gently billowing layers of ethereal, silken lush synthesizers that persuade the listener to leave his/her cares from modern urban life behind. This is Wild's goal, i.e. to help people achieve more balance and peacefulness in the hectic world we have created for ourselves. Reflection reinforces my belief that Chuck Wild is a master at creating calming and beautiful music which is elegantly simple and soothes you the same way soft light, a gentle breeze, or pleasing colors do. Its effect is unobtrusive but almost undeniable.
Casual listeners may hear Reflection and wonder how, if at all, this differs from previous releases in the Liquid Mind series. Of course, as someone who listens to music in order to critique it, I can hear subtle differences, especially in the background elements that Wild uses on this album. Overall, though, this is not markedly distinct from previous offerings, except that I sense a stronger push toward a more purely electronic sound at times. There are definite times when, in the background of the mix, spacey textures are present (especially so when listening on headphones). For example, there are subtle ping-ponging (back and forth) sequencer-style notes (yes, even somewhat Berlin school-ish) buried underneath the patient washes on “Into The Silence Of My Being” and when they are there, the song has a slight playfulness that inspires a smile. Likewise, the opening track, “Gently Down” begins with a short whoosh of cosmic spacemusic and gently pulsing electronics before the more characteristic Liquid Mind motif comes into the frame. There are also overt vocals later in the track (wordless but clearly not synthesized) that sound vaguely reminiscent of Ligeti's “Lux Aeterna.”
There are six tracks on the album, two are over ten minutes long and the others are between six and half and nine and a half minutes in duration. “In the Stillness,” besides being the literal center of the album, is also the heart and soul of this sublime and peaceful recording. It's quite minimal at times (actually, it may bring comparisons to Larry Kucharz to mind for some people) and the sustained synth string chords melt into one another with the ease of clouds drifting through a late summer sky. "Finding my Way" is another song where a more overt electronic style of synthesizers is heard, but the track also sounds as if it were influenced by classical adagio motifs. On the title track, I hear synth chorales sharing the lead with strings. This track also features what may be the most evident electronic effects peppered in the background, as mildly percolating notes twinkle and sparkle behind the soft sighs of the chorales.
I can't promise you that listening to Liquid Mind VII: Reflection is guaranteed to ease your troubled mind or pave the way to a restful night's sleep when you are too stressed out to relax, but I doubt any other music could do the job better. Unless you have a distaste for the instrumentation (synth strings, chorales, and subtle washes of electronic textures) or you just flat out dislike "pretty" (to say the least) music, I'm guessing that you will find yourself drifting pleasantly and forgetting, at least temporarily, about that overdue report, an argument with a colleague, or the looming car repair. Relax and settle in while Chuck Wild takes you on a musical vacation from your troubles. Obviously, this CD comes with a strong recommendation from yours truly.
This disc comes with the warning that it "...may cause drowsiness. Use care when operating vehicles or dangerous machinery. Slow music may cause a heightened state of suggestibility." And [this] review comes with the same caveat: that Liquid Mind has a very specific purpose...to create a cocoon in a fast world that requires you to shut down and relax. With this goal in mind, Chuck Wild utterly succeeds.
An active member of the successful '80s band Missing Persons, Chuck Wild was the keyboard player [who] lived the highlife in a rock and roll world. With continued success as a programmer on projects associated with the likes of Michael Jackson, Paula Abdul, Philip Bailey and even the eccentric Frank Zappa, Wild realized that there was need to for solitude to counter his busy lifestyle. He found that escape via the creative outlet of composing his own music and naming it Liquid Mind. Initially, Chuck began releasing these albums back in 1994 to the general public on his privately owned label Chuck Wild Records. He has more recently given Real Music the license to release and distribute his older projects as well as his latest endeavor Reflection.
The project revolves around six tracks that despite the short intervals between them still seem to flow seamlessly into one another making for a very cohesive mission - bringing the listener to heightened state of relaxation. The musical instrumentation focuses on Wild's airy and flighty keyboards, and while the entire scope of the keys is used, the artist avoids any hard edges or distortion to keep within the mindset of relaxing the listener. Apparently, there is some vocal sampling used, but the utilization is so nominal and unobtrusive that I have yet to hear it. There is an emphasis on an intentional slow tempo with the use of extended lower chords to bring down the breathing and heartbeat to a relaxed state of mind, but not in a hypnotic sense.
The songs, though melodious, lack any specific structure such as verse, chorus and bridge, thus focusing more on a theme than an articulate statement. But if you were attracted to the genteel embellishments similar to 2002's Chrysalis era, then the likelihood of enjoying this label mate is highly probable. Keeping with the theme of focusing on tension-reducing attributes, the songs are very lengthy. The shortest track, “In The Stillness,” clocks in [at] less that seven minutes with the longest, "Gently Down" opening the album with its fourteen minutes of wanderlust. The most melodic song is probably the title track, "Reflection," though the word melodic should be viewed within the vernacular of the project's aspiration...to soothe and slumber.
So if you have a tough time switching off and the nuisance of white noise does not assist you, then try Liquid Mind. Floating effortlessly like a carousel in slow motion, from the supple artwork to the sinuous simple symphonies of Liquid Music, this album, though not boring, will cause dreamy drowsiness. Wild will make you tame; placing your mind in a state of unequivocal liquid.
Help clients delve inside themselves by combining a treatment with Liquid Mind VII: Reflection (Real Music) by Chuck Wild. Long and fluid, each track promotes deep and lasting relaxation. This CD is ideal for meditation or any healing oriented treatment.
The music on Liquid Mind VII: Reflection is an oasis of calm. The latest in a series of recordings by Liquid Mind, aka Los Angeles composer Chuck Wild, the synthesized music is as slow and spacey as an interstellar hydrogen cloud. It's the perfect companion when having a massage, going to sleep, or reading Isaac Asimov.
This astral-sounding collection, composed and performed by New Age artist Chuck Wild, is a wonderfully slow collection of synthesized sounds that help your breath slow down to what feels like the earth’s own rhythm. This collection of six songs will work well for massage therapists who like to have music that is gentle and unintrusive — almost white noise, but with more character. (The light strings and woodwinds sound like the soft-tuning of an orchestra before it gets to full crescendo.) The six songs, “Gently Down,” “Into the Silence of My Being,” “In the Stillness,” “Finding My Way,” “Reflection” and “My Orchid Spirit,” are all sublimely calming and peaceful.
Using synthesizers to create a heavenly, magical world, Liquid Mind performs six pieces of a soft, romantic, magic, and deliberate style, whose structure quite reminds the listener of that of Classical Music. The music turns out to be dreamy, even oniric, with ethereal sounds, cosmic textures and a careful musical sensitivity that make this album an ideal vehicle for relaxation and meditation. The cosmic style present in the album is melodic and symphonic, often with spectacular orchestrations.
Chuck Wild is back with Liquid Mind VII: Reflection, another collection of soothing ambient synth sounds to satisfy his audience. It is hard for me to believe Wild started recording as Liquid Mind a whole decade ago, pursuing such themes as unity, serenity, spirit, balance, slowing down, and ambience.
In the seventh album in the Liquid Mind series, Wild creates an experience of reflection. He opens with the 14-minute “Gently Down,” which guides listeners from their everyday stress into a much more meditative and relaxed state of being. The rest of the tracks follow suit, moving in a slow, unhurried manner that is meant to strip away any thoughts of our to-do lists. Offer Liquid Mind VII: Reflection on your store’s headphones, because with in-store play you might risk melting away all your customers right where they stand!
Dancing keyboard tones, dense synthesizer atmospheres, dreamy ambiance…this can only mean one thing — a release from the maestro of moods, Chuck Wild. The seventh in his “Liquid Mind” series of utterly transfixing relaxation albums, Reflection presents a full hour of heavenly music that will surely fill your world with peace and tranquility. This music is the very definition of uplifting — the synthesized ambience utilized seems to billow with celestial innocence and otherworldly beauty. This is music that makes you want to forget your troubles and let your mind depart to a place of everlasting serenity and comfort. In other words, if you need to relax, this is the album for you.
Chuck Wild, the mind behind Liquid Mind kicks off his new decade in the form with a very in the moment set that sets new courses rather than rely on old cliches. Taking in consideration that sensitive music like this can work well with yoga, massage and other inner directed diversions, he creates a set to compliment these activities that falls into that realm of deceptive background music that seems to be just there but somehow commands center stage when you aren't thinking about it. A tasty, well conceived work that hits that target dead on.
Chuck Wild, aka Liquid Mind, has found a formula that works so he has stayed with it. (“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!”) Liquid Mind VII: Reflection is definitely within that formula and an improvement at the same time. The basics — colorful drones, gentle atmospheres and euphoric melodies — are there in great quantities and there is a little extra.
(A personal anecdote will clarify the power of this disc).
In my position as a Corrections Addictions Specialist, I work with and serve clientele from the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections. These men are often hardened criminals and — more often than not — do not want help. In order to be as effective as possible, I am compelled to implement creative treatment plans and modalities. I have instituted a bi-weekly relaxation group in which I use mood music and lighting to create a safety zone.
In my first group in this setting, I used Reflection as the mood definer. I was amazed at how these “hard cases” responded and reacted. They talked about being in their “happy places,” with their families, in God’s presence and “on a gentle brook, floating away.” One hardcore heroin addict described the sense as being the closest he had ever come to the warmth and security of “being in the womb.” (That is a common description of the effect of opiates.)
Now, that treatment mode is not — by any stretch of the imagination — a miracle cure. About one third of my clients do not complete our program and more than half of those who do complete it relapse within a year of their release. My personal experience tells me that the majority of my “successful” clients embrace some of the more radical elements of a holistic recovery plan. While this is not a radical concept to you — our readers — it is to my clients.
The other element that remains the same is the overtone quality of Chuck’s music. His process involves the use of overtones that align and center the body’s biorhythms. It is almost impossible to ignore the psychoactive properties of this disc.
This CD is 2005’s top healing album — so far. There are not enough superlatives in the English language to do it justice. (And I only know a little bit of German — so it will have to do!)