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At their essence, Liquid Mind recordings are slo-mo electronic symphonies created for frantic souls who yearn to take a mental float trip across their own private Sea of Tranquility. Credit these restful, unhurried soundscapes to Chuck Wild, once the keyboardist for Missing Persons, the inventive, short-lived 1980s new wave act that also included future instrumental auteurs Patrick O'Hearn (bass) and Terry Bozzio (drums). Relax is a 65-minute compilation of works from six of Wild's previous recordings (plus one unreleased track, "I Am Willing") and, for the uninitiated, stands as an inviting introduction to his languid, affecting sound designs. Wild explains in his liner notes that the Liquid Mind series was spawned when he made the decision to rely on music, not pharmaceuticals, to calm his own work-intensive, overtaxed psyche. Beyond the music's therapeutic subtext, a faint melodic thread weaves through Wild's spacey compositions to provide just enough structure, as demonstrated in the inviting sonic afterglow generated by "Teach Me to Whisper" and "Reflection," that makes his music appealing to more than just the stressed-out or sleep-deprived. Wild is not the first to travel this ethereal path, and some may find his approach a touch one-dimensional for their tastes. But for any urbanite seeking dependable bliss-out music that avoids side trips into mysterious or experimental realms, Relax is a worthwhile starter disc. –Terry Wood

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