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In his album liner notes, Chuck explains that peace between feuding nations takes time to heal yet peace between people, specifically one-on-one is the subject the album is dedicated to. From his liner notes, Chuck explains, “Peace on a person-to-person basis is possible between any two willing individuals, regardless of their backgrounds.” The CD features tracks with titles such as “At The Center Is Love”, “Person To Person”, “Trust” and “Spirit Of Peace”. The calmness and composure of the album is very clear, making Peace: Liquid Mind XII an outstanding listening experience for chilling out and also for meditation. In the past Chuck Wild has said that Liquid Mind makes music to promote wellness, manage stress, alleviate pain and to help remedy other human conditions exacerbated by stress in the modern age. After giving the album a few good spins, clearly Liquid Mind: XII is the perfect album to bring peace to a person, a relationship or even a planet. Whether you’re seeking a restful state of being or a state of physical / mental regeneration, tune in to the serene sounds of Chuck Wild and Liquid Mind on the sublime, meditative sounding Liquid Mind XII: Peace.
mwe3.com presents a new interview with Liquid Mind Chuck Wild: Yes, it was the last album prior to the 2018 purchase of Real Music by the British Cutting Edge Group, with headquarters in London and offices in Beverly Hills. In a sense this was the end of an era, indeed. New Age music began in the 1960's and 70's and by the 1980's there were many New Age labels and artists. The genre has often been ill-defined, but I believe it is the positive intention of the music was what set it apart. That said, by the early 2000's, almost all New Age labels were purchased by major players. This increased distribution for many artists in a good way. Real Music for many years was the sole remaining fully ‘independent' New Age label, which is why I chose to work with them. Terence Yallop (Real Music founder) and Karen Kael (the President, and his wife) had meditated to my music since the mid-1990’s, and were focused on helping the world with their label and the comfort the music could bring to people. Real Music was located in peaceful Sausalito, California, and I remember frequent trips to visit and discuss with Terence the themes and focus for our efforts. So Sylvia was right, it truly was the end of an era as Terence and Karen retired and entrusted their label to Cutting Edge. mwe3: On the twelfth Liquid Mind studio album, how did you come up with the concept of Peace? These days Peace seems to be not only indefinable but also nearly impossible. Do you think this era we are living in now comes out of the Covid / virus era and do you have some fresh thoughts regarding the lack of peace in the world today?
We learned these values in school, in group travel, in camps, in scouting, in religious and non-religious settings, and in a multitude of local organizations that were devoted to teaching kids. Back then, everyday life focused on training kids in a way that is unfortunately no longer available for everyone these days. And yes, Covid was complicit and causal in this, to some degree. More importantly, perhaps, when I was growing up there was no internet, so every activity was 'in person', which gave us interpersonal skills that only come from being ‘in person’ with another. As well, there were fewer terror events, fewer mass shootings back then, so not as much fear in going to public events. Regarding Peace, as with all the Liquid Mind albums, the titles reflect my path to learning, and sometimes my struggle to accept things. The increasing violence in our world, especially since 9-11 has weighed on me and everyone I know. No one is born hating another person; people can and do change every day. But peace between differing ideologies and cultures, though not impossible to achieve, may be challenging to attain. The saving grace for me is that peace on a “person-to-person” basis is possible between any two willing individuals, regardless of their backgrounds. It was this process of engendering person-to-person peace to which Liquid Mind XII: Peace is dedicated. Liquid Mind XII: Peace is my conversation with myself to remind me of the techniques I could personally use to achieve peace in my relationships with others. The titles of the compositions on this album are steps we can each take to achieve conflict resolution (peace) between any two willing people.
Chuck Wild: I believe that world peace begins with inner peace. There are many paths to inner peace, and most are free if we're willing to put in the effort: Meditation, counseling, learning, having a support system, family, friends, associates, healthy activities, living a life aligned with our goals and values, cognitive self-therapy, working towards robust health and creating sustainable streams of income. For me, one aspect of sustaining some degree of inner peace includes limiting my 'online' time. It's easy to be distracted by “chasing the news”. It helps me to remind myself that mainstream media makes their money selling ads, and that exaggerating stories and headlines makes more people watch, thus increasing income for the media. mwe3: You speak about the different forms of peace, say for instance, that it’s easier for two people to find peace between themselves than for the bigger picture say of world peace. It seems like it takes a lot of death and destruction to end war and create peace. I remember my Dad got drafted in World War 2 and he told me he didn’t think he would survive it. And he was only 18 when he got drafted. Chuck Wild: I served as an officer in the Navy for four years during the Vietnam War, as there was a draft when I was in college, and I chose to get into ROTC instead of being drafted into the Army. I have to accept that there are a lot of things in this world I can't affect or change, which is why I try to focus on changing the things I can. For me that is one of the keys to staying sane in our world. It makes common sense to me not to spin out over things I can't personally change, and to instead change the things I can… like myself.
Chuck Wild: Yes, I did... the 8 titles are a possible path to peace between any two people, including those who may not share the same values. This is how I describe a process of achieving peace: We begin by acknowledging that At the Center Is Love. Where there is a capacity for love, which all humans share, there can be peace. The peace process begins with respectful Communication between two people, Person to Person, which leads to a discovery of their Shared Values. These shared values create a willingness to Surrender to Love, and we are able to move forward together as a measure of Trust develops. As trust grows, we become aware of our Oneness, and the Spirit of Peace prevails. mwe3: The CD booklet for Peace lists Jonathan Marozik as associate producer and additional programming. Can you share some new reflections about working with Jonathan on the Peace album? Chuck Wild: Jonathan has been my assistant for many years, and his participation originally was primarily programming in the DAW (digital audio workstation) on this album. As time goes on, as I'm busier with non-musical business, it is a great help to have Jonathan do some of the production work. Since 2020, Jonathan is co-producer of Liquid Mind albums, and takes on more recording/programming/mixing responsibilities. I'm grateful to Jonathan, as his help has allowed me to continue the series, given my other responsibilities. mwe3: Why do you think that people that champion peace are always the first targets? I am thinking of the Kennedy’s and also John Lennon. I think Ghandi and Martin Luther King Jr. are also on that list.
That is one of the reasons I chose to include this quote from Martin Luther King Jr: “Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” I think that the icons of peace you mention were likely widely misunderstood by those who disagreed with them, and that this misunderstanding led to their demise by those afraid of the changes they proposed. mwe3: The lead-off track, “At The Center Is Love” is one of your finest, most orchestral tracks. It sounds like you’re ‘zero-ing’ in on a very heartfelt moment. Chuck Wild: To be honest, I just write and record the music without thinking too hard about matching a certain title, so whatever resonance there is with the title was likely the result of a subconscious process. I was and am concerned the conflict going on in our world and tried to create the opposite in this album. Love is something everyone in the world, at some point in their lives, has in common. So for me, that is the starting point. We meet someone new and perhaps ask them about their family, or friends, or their community activities, and from there we gain a deeper understanding of others. mwe3: “Communication” is the longest track on the Peace album. The track sounds very classical inspired. Is “Communication” one of your most classically inspired pieces? How did you approach this track both compositionally and in the way it was recorded?
I was also studying composition, as I have off and on for many years. As well, I played organ in a church every summer as a teenager, and learned the value of meditational music at a young age. mwe3: “Surrender To Love” also goes through several key changes. It almost sounds like a butterfly looking for the best place to land to find a safe space. Chuck Wild: The concept of "surrendering" to love was definitely on my mind, a letting go of preconceived notions about myself and about others, in an attempt to connect with others based upon things we have in common. Love is something most everyone has in common, so I was perhaps using key modulation, a classical and pop music technique, to try to express that. mwe3: “Spirit of Peace” is a great way to end the album. What does the track symbolize for you, and did you want to find the most peaceful way to end the album? Chuck Wild: I did want the album to close with the thought that we all might someday live our lives in peace, a oneness based on what we have in common… based on what connects us, as opposed to what separates us from others. That's a tall order of course, but one step at a time. I believe this is possible. mwe3: The cover art for Peace: Liquid Mind XII actually uses the most well-known symbol for peace, the universal sign of the dove. Tell us about the art and what it means to you.
I also like the idea that the dove is a 'free' bird, unencumbered by a cage or other limitation. For many, doves are a symbol of hope and renewal, and we wanted to suggest the possibility of world harmony with the cover. Glen Wexler suggested putting the world in the background to emphasize the dove being 'above' the conflicts we have in our world. If only for a moment, I wanted to suggest the possibilities for peace in our world. mwe3: Could you share any other memories or reflections about the Peace: Liquid Mind XII album? And also, what have you got planned for the rest of the year? You mentioned an album you are planning to release. Chuck Wild: I chose peace as the concept not only for myself, but in the hopes that others would listen. I sent the CD to every member of the US Congress, Senators and Representatives, the executive branch, and all members of the US Supreme Court as well. I actually did hear back from 2 members of the court and a few senators, some of whom said they had begun listening to the music in their time off. The late Ruth Bader Ginsburg was one of those who sent me a note. As for new music, Jonathan and I are just in the final phases of mastering a new album, aiming for release in early 2025. Thank you for the great questions, Robert, and my deepest gratitude to all the Liquid Mind listeners who have supported me over the years.
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After eleven albums of New Age electronic instrumental music majesty, composer and recording artist Chuck Wild took his Liquid Mind project in a fresh direction in 2018 with Liquid Mind XII: Peace. On the twelfth Liquid Mind studio album Chuck Wild was inspired by the concept of peace.
