Austin-based ambient artist TJ Dumser shares how his decade of sobriety, move from New York, and love of vintage synthesizers shaped his meditative project Six Missing and its emotional new EP 'Gentle Breath.'

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The Spotlight shines On Six Missing, the musical project of ambient artist TJ Dumser, who creates music that helps us connect with the present moment in ways we often forget.
After encountering an intense phase of burnout, TJ turned his mental health struggles into Gentle Breath, a dark, lush EP that marks a new direction for this Austin-based artist. It's music that explores uncertainty with stunning depth—think Tangerine Dream meets the cosmic GAS records, but with TJ's distinct voice shining through.
TJ's journey from New York workaholic to finding inner calm through his compositions offers a powerful look at how music can heal. His project name also comes from a supernatural experience at a Revolutionary War battle site …

(The musical excerpts heard in the interview are from Six Missing’s Gentle Breath EP)

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[00:01:31] New York Roots & Astoria Memories
[00:04:09] The Energy of New York vs. Austin
[00:05:59] The Art of Being Alone Among People
[00:09:13] Physical Space vs. Musical Spaciousness
[00:12:18] The Skill of Self-Soothing
[00:12:53] Sobriety Journey & Addictive Behaviors
[00:15:58] Sharing Recovery Stories
[00:23:26] Creative Resistance & Finding Balance
[00:25:01] Living in New York Sober
[00:28:03] Discovering Ambient Music
[00:31:16] Jam Band Influences & Connections
[00:35:52] Improvisation vs. Composition
[00:40:17] Music as Spiritual Communication
[00:42:55] The High Art of AC/DC
[00:46:45] Conveying Meaning Without Words
[00:49:06] The Importance of Song Titles
[00:51:25] Creating Personal, Therapeutic Music
[00:53:12] The Appeal of Analog & Human Imperfection

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Visit Six Missing at https://www.sixmissing.com
and TJ Dumser at https://www.tjdumser.com

Purchase the Gentle Breath EP by Six Missing from Bandcamp → https://sixmissing.bandcamp.com/album/gentle-breath
Qobuz → https://www.qobuz.com/us-en/album/gentle-breath-six-missing/p6gqy04g1sg4a
and listen on your streaming platform of choice → https://album.link/i/1776996725

Follow Six Missing on [Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/sixmissing
SoundCloud → https://soundcloud.com/sixmissing
and YouTube → https://www.youtube.com/c/SixMissing

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