In this time of stress, fear and anxiety, here comes Liquid Mind with a new album to calm, soothe and reassure us that life is still beautiful and all will be well. Titled Liquid Mind XIII: Mindfulness, this is actually the sixteenth album from Liquid Mind/ Chuck Wild and is more than an hour of smooth, ambient sound that moves slowly and fluidly, inducing sleep and relieving stress. There is actually a disclaimer on the Liquid Mind website that says: “Warning: Do not operate vehicles or dangerous machinery while listening to Liquid Mind®, as slow music may cause slower reaction times and drowsiness. Slow music may also cause a heightened state of suggestibility.” Promotional materials for the album suggest that it is “an ideal choice for pre-sleep, anxiety management, massage, meditation and dozens of other therapeutic regimens.” A toe-tapper it is not, but the warmth and the easy flow of the sounds can certainly take the edge off of any difficult time.

I found it interesting to learn that Chuck Wild started writing the music of Liquid Mind “to be of service to myself, my friends, and my family in dealing with the anxiety & stress of working long hours in our ‘information overload’ world, and also for friends and family dealing with the stress of life-threatening illnesses like cancer & HIV… The ultimate compliment to me is that people fall asleep to my music. Liquid Mind is functional music, assisting us to be tranquil at those times when that many not be easy….I’m a shameless advocate of life in the slow lane. For many years, I worked eighteen or more hours a day, seven days a week….Composing slow music helps me find peace and quiet, to get back in touch with the fact that I am responsible for the pace of my own life, to help me unify body, mind, and spirit.”

The six tracks range in duration from 9 1/2 to almost 13 minutes, and each creates a slowly-evolving sound painting. This is music with a purpose, so if you are looking for an album with melodic phrases and rhythmic patterns, it probably won’t work for you. However, Liquid Mind’s albums have consistently charted on Billboard’s sales charts and have hit the #1 spot on the iTunes USA new age chart several times. Chuck Wild’s music career spans 48 years and includes writing songs and compositions used in TV, films and on music albums for other artists. He received a special President’s Award from Barbara Wheeler, president of the American Music Therapy Association in 2009. He is also on the advisory board of “Dream A World Education,” a non-profit organization that brings the arts to young children in underserved and underprivileged communities, giving them experience in dance, music, painting, writing, speaking and acting.

Liquid Mind XIII: Mindfulness is available from Amazon, iTunes, Spotify and many other streaming sites.