Reminiscents

Riviera. Gentle Breeze. Holding Hands. Sound good? No, smell good. All of these are selections from a new line of products that the manufacturer, Charles of the Ritz, calls "the next frontier in home entertainment." Starting next fall, living-room Lotharios will be able to set the appropriate mood not only with sights and sounds but with scents as well. Right there between the stereo and the chilled bottle of Dom Perignon will be a small electronic unit about the size of a Kleenex box huffing and puffing out little clouds of Passion or Seduction.

Called the Aroma Disc system, the new machine is expected to retail for $20. Upscale versions, priced as high as $125, will include a choice of ceramic camouflage (cats, clowns and art deco birds) designed by Giorgio Sant'Angelo. To improve the smell of the surroundings, one inserts a "fragrance record" into the machine. The company will not divulge its proprietary technology, but the scent is released when the oil-filled discs are warmed slightly in the machine. The discs will come in both long-playing versions that put out the same odor for five hours (price: $4) and olfactory 45s that play for an hour ($1.50).

The company's nose experts have created something for just about everyone. Families may enjoy spending a rainy afternoon at home with a hint of Tailgate Lunch in the air. Hypochondriacs will be able to relax to Medi-Scent. And for that day when you just want to sit there and smell nothing, there is a record titled Neutral. This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so viewer discretion is required.