Review excerpt from Music and Media Focus
5
By MDiamond
I’m sure that anyone who has been following the new age music genre for any length of time will be familiar with the name Liquid Mind, one of the premier producers of soothing sounds. Liquid Mind is actually the name that composer, keyboardist, and Emmy®-nominated songwriter Chuck Wild records under. Since 1994, Chuck has released 14 albums under the Liquid Mind moniker. In Chuck’s words: “Liquid Mind® is "therapeutic" music, specifically designed to reduce anxiety and cause a deep state of relaxation.” The compositions are longer than most music, with the 6 tracks ranging from 8 to 14 minutes each for a total of over an hour’s worth of music.
Liquid Mind’s best-selling albums have consistently charted in Billboard sales charts and have hit the #1 spot on the iTunes USA new age chart several times, indicating that there is definitely a demand for this kind of “sedative music.” Interestingly, out of the first 13 Liquid Mind titles, the most popular release has been the eighth album, “Liquid Mind VIII: Sleep.” According to Chuck: “With that in mind, on the tenth anniversary of that album, I thought it fitting to release “Liquid Mind XI: Deep Sleep” as a follow-up album designed to enhance pre-sleep.” While no scientific claims are made for the music, Liquid Mind has been used successfully in many traditional and alternative medical settings.
Writing about Liquid Mind music is a bit different than with other music. As Chuck himself says: “Like the Tao, I envision that nothing in Liquid Mind attracts unnecessary attention to itself, and that the music's strength emanates from its softness.” So by nature, nothing in the music really stands out or has any overtly distinguishing features, other than its overall ambiance. This factor makes it both difficult and ultimately unnecessary to go into detail about individual tracks. The music is designed to flow from one track to the next with continuity and equanimity. Liquid Mind music is created more as a sonic tapestry to be listened to in the background, rather than active listening as is normally the case. To this end, the music totally achieves its goal as it drifts peacefully by like gentle clouds on a moonlit summer night. In today’s fast-paced, hyper-connected world, the tranquil tones of Liquid Mind fulfill a deeply intrinsic need for stillness and inner attunement, not to mention a good night’s sleep.
To read a full-length feature article on this album, as well as others, please visit: MichaelDiamondMusic.com