Finding the Present Moment Through Music with TJ Dumser - Six Missing
TJ Dumser is an ambient artist who makes music as Six Missing. His newest album Here For Now combines modular synths, electronic and acoustic instruments, and immersive field recordings. TJ's music explores human resilience and the power of finding the present.
TJ and I had a great conversation about his writing process and how he uses music to immerse himself in the present moment. We discussed how so many musical concepts and strategies also apply to everyday life. He also spoke about his musical gear and balancing his work as an artist with his day job.
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Show Notes:
Six Missing - https://www.sixmissing.com
Six Missing Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/sixmissing
Here for Now - https://nettwerkpublicity.disco.ac/
Six Missing Orb Jam Performance - https://www.orbmag.com/orb-jam-series/orb-jam-series-six-missing/
Brian Funk Website - https://brianfunk.com
Music Production Club - https://brianfunk.com/mpc
5-Minute Music Producer - https://brianfunk.com/book
Intro Music Made with 16-Bit Ableton Live Pack - https://brianfunk.com/blog/16-bit
Music Production Podcast - https://brianfunk.com/podcast
Save 25% on Ableton Live Packs at my store with the code: PODCAST - https://brianfunk.com/store
This episode was edited by Animus Invidious of PerforModule - https://performodule.com/
Thank you for listening.
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Episode Transcript:
Brian Funk (00:00.23)
So TJ, welcome to the show. Thanks for being here.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (00:01.302)
Okay. Awesome. Thanks.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (00:07.974)
Thank you so much for having me, Brian.
Brian Funk (00:10.838)
It's been really great getting to know some of your music recently, especially I think this time of year, it's December, it's the holiday season. I think we have one more day left in 2023 as we talk here. And it's really calming, relaxing music in what can be a very hectic time period. I've found it just fits really nice with, um, I was telling you before we started recording, I was put it on last night, kind of in that
before bedtime feeling. Love it, really nice stuff you're doing and really interesting musically as well.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (00:47.186)
Oh, well, thank you so much. I mean, like I said earlier, but also again, thank you for listening to it and spending time with it. And yeah, it seems to be that ambient finds its way into the winter pretty easily and makes a lot more sense like in the winding down of the year and in the slower moments and in the moments where you need to like kind of.
drop out and relax a little bit, especially during the holidays. But yeah, it's kind of crazy, right? Like we have, it's December 30th when we're recording right now. So we're almost done with 2023, which is wild.
Brian Funk (01:28.011)
Yeah, the time does fly and your album is called Here For Now, which fits in with this conversation where I guess you're tapping into these ideas of being like present in the music, but also realizing that the present is this slippery thing you never quite get your hands on. It's always kind of getting away from us as we're talking about this year. It's on its way out. I'm curious.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (01:47.42)
Mm-hmm.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (01:52.466)
Mm-hmm. Yeah.
Brian Funk (01:56.278)
Because I read a little bit about it in some of the biographical stuff, but I'm curious how you incorporate that into your songwriting and just this whole idea of being present in the moment and in the music.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (02:08.61)
Yeah. So my history is kind of the traditional one, I guess you could say musically, is that I came up playing in bands, playing in rock bands, metal bands, indie rock, folk rock, cover bands. And so when I was in those projects, it was always, it seemed to be that you spent a lot of time.
Brian Funk (02:22.018)
Hmm.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (02:35.982)
from the time that you start jamming in the room, kind of working on the ideas, to the time that you are able to get into the studio and start putting the ideas down, and then to the time that people start dissecting the ideas, and then going back into the studio and overdubbing, and then working on it and changing the titles of the names, and then kind of, before you know it, you're like a year and a half out from when you had that initial moment of magic in the room with three, four, five other people, and
Brian Funk (03:01.897)
Hmm.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (03:05.126)
while I am now, you know, mostly a solo artist playing in a room with just machines and synthesizers, I just really consciously wanted to get away from that world, which was like the sit and pine over these things. And I wanted to, as best as I possibly could, just kind of capture that moment of magic where you have that idea. And so for me, I have a philosophy that like,
I sit down, I open Ableton, I hit record before I even start playing around with sounds. So I'll have 45 minute, hour and 30 minute audio files of just nonsense mostly. But somewhere in there, there are moments of magic and I'll go back and I'll take some time and I'll listen through and I'll edit and...
and take those little pieces out and use those as the foundation, as the kind of the building block to what I'm trying to do. So for me, it's always being present. Like just not thinking about writing, not thinking about where this is going or where I wanna try to guide it and just reacting to the moment, reacting to the day, reacting to the sounds, reacting to the synth, just kind of listening, always listening and being
aware. And I think that really started to come into focus for me through practice of meditation, through flotation, through kind of, you know, teaching myself those or learning those teachings, really. So a long-winded answer is that I try to just, I try to capture that moment.
Brian Funk (04:54.75)
Hehehe
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (05:00.738)
as much as possible, because I think that's where the magic really lies, is in that moment where you're not thinking, you're really free and you're just having fun. And if you can kind of imprint that in either, you know, analog formats of tape or digital formats of ones and zeros, I think that there's a difference in a piece of material that starts with that magic versus a more formulaic forced piece.
Brian Funk (05:30.63)
Hmm.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (05:30.671)
music. For me, at least where I am now, I guess.
Brian Funk (05:34.61)
That's cool. I love that approach too. Hitting record and then forgetting I'm recording almost and just playing and having fun and sometimes it allows you to slip into that zone a little better than if I'm doing takes. I'm really serious about this performance here. And I can relate to all the stuff about the band. I'm like you, I started playing guitar and played in rock bands and still do play in rock band. And
The most fun moments are probably when the things are fresh and new and you're coming up with it together and you're excited. And a lot of the recording process is trying to do this weird combination of perfect it, but capture that initial energy you felt and it's really tricky to do. And in some ways it's almost now like reversed in that you can do this stuff alone.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (06:08.913)
Yeah.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (06:19.921)
Mm-hmm.
Brian Funk (06:33.298)
ambient or whatever kind of electronic within the computer where you're kind of letting things run and go and you're producing the song without really focusing on that kind of perfection side of it, I guess. And you can really wind up with some pretty authentic moments that you've caught where I guess what I'm saying is in a way it feels like the...
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (06:46.674)
Yeah.
Brian Funk (07:02.058)
the rock music I'm playing now at times can be a little more calculated than all of the kind of, you know, stuff I do when I'm in Ableton where I'm writing and recording the song at the same time so that it's kind of built in there. Of course there's that magic when you play with other people but a lot of energy is spent trying to recreate that often.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (07:14.722)
Right. Yeah.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (07:25.142)
Yeah, I mean, and I think it's because we're so fortunate. I mean, when I started with music, God, I don't know, 20 something years ago now, I mean, I had cassette tapes and I was limited to the length of the tape, and then it moved on to zip disc, and you were limited to however megabytes you had on that.
Brian Funk (07:50.079)
Yeah.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (07:50.922)
And then if you didn't want to do that and you wanted to go to a studio, you were on the clock and you were kind of paying for the time. So if you didn't show up prepared, you're, you know, shit out of luck with that. So like now we're only limited to storage space and storage space. Hard drives are it's stupid. I mean, terabytes, eight terabytes for a couple of hundred bucks or something like that is your probably your entire musical journey through your life. If.
if you're prolific. And yeah, it's kind of interesting. I resonate with what you're saying about how the band needs to be a little bit more formulaic. And I think that before I kind of fully transitioned into doing solo work as Six Missing, when I was in the band, I would feel like the most free when I was kind of at home working on my own stuff. And I'm an engineer by...
Brian Funk (08:20.894)
Right.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (08:49.806)
day. So I'm fortunate enough to like sit with gear and have the means to record. But I would sit and I would do bass takes over and over and over and over and over again until they were perfect. Because I also wouldn't want to like waste people's time with my neuroses or obsession, I guess, over perfection sometimes. But I also really resonate with what you're saying about writing while you're playing.
Brian Funk (09:07.822)
Thanks for watching!
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (09:18.446)
And that's very much in my ethos these days and had been for a while is I'm a huge, huge fan of improvisation. And before I left New York, I was booking shows without a band and I would just put together a band either the day before, the morning of, or we would just show up, say hello to each other and just go because the idea of
Brian Funk (09:46.241)
Hmm.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (09:47.238)
writing in the moment is so fulfilling for me. And it takes me out of that whole perfectionism and that whole just losing, becoming stale, like you said before, like when you have to kind of can that magic and create and capture that emotion, take after take, I get so bored, I guess, with what that is. And...
Brian Funk (10:13.543)
Hmm.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (10:16.262)
That's just me. I know that, you know, actors and performers and all of that, I mean, that's really the skill, right? It's like creating and finding that little pocket of magic every time you do it. But when things got too boxy for me, I just would lose interest. And it was kind of just all over at that point. It was just almost like a job and not enjoyable. So having the ability to write while I perform.
Brian Funk (10:39.298)
Hmm.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (10:44.746)
and be only limited to the storage space is like such a gift.
Brian Funk (10:49.894)
Yeah. I can't remember the last time I worried about storage space. You know, it's gotten so easy. So no excuse to not back up your work everybody. Cause I've had that problem too. Where you lose that stuff you've saved forever. But, um, it is pretty freeing that. Um, yeah, a lot of the computer stuff, actually, I don't even think about too much anymore, CPU or.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (10:55.575)
Yeah.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (11:05.423)
Yeah.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (11:09.135)
Mm-hmm.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (11:18.354)
Mm-hmm.
Brian Funk (11:18.494)
any of that, it's really kind of gotten out of the way and allowed for a lot more expression and freedom in the moment as you're working. Of course you get that with bands and playing with other people, but I guess what you're saying too is, or let me ask you even, are your songs kind of, are they performable if you're coming up with them like that or are they kind of just
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (11:22.191)
Mm-hmm.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (11:26.738)
Mm-hmm. Yeah.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (11:45.842)
Man, that's a great question. And I really appreciate that question. Well, first of all, I do want to make it known that I'm not shitting on playing in a band because I did it for like so many years and I do truly miss it these days, especially since I moved away from home and people grow up and they move away and bands form and fall apart. There is no greater magic than being in the moment and having those...
Brian Funk (11:55.302)
Oh no no, I'm not... Yeah.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (12:15.526)
of playing on stage or in the studio or even just jamming, when you all lock in and you have that subconscious kind of connection. So again, I, yeah, definitely not shitting on being in a band by any means, but to answer your question, that's the phase of this project that I'm in right now, which is figuring out how to take the studio to the stage. And I am...
Brian Funk (12:42.67)
Thanks for watching!
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (12:44.974)
finding it to be really challenging. And it's a good challenge. It's a fun challenge. But I think I had heard like, or there's a record by Daniel Lanois, and I'm going to get it sort of wrong, but I think it's Flesh and Machine or, well, Bone Machine is the Tom Waits album, but I think Flesh and Machine or something like that is this Daniel Lanois record where he's playing with a drummer. And he's got a whole bunch of
loops, micro loops, and he's live looping on the fly. And he was talking about when they did that record, taking it out, performing it, is like those moments in the studio that you have in between the takes, in between the songs, when you're just jamming as a band and you're like finding sounds. That was way more fulfilling for him. And he wanted to do that on that record. And that's what I'm trying to figure out now is like, how do I, as a solo performer that largely improvises,
passages and then goes back in and figures out where the form is in those passages. How do I do that live in a way that isn't a total snooze fest? And Ableton is a big help with that, loading in stems and things like that, elements of the tracks that could be re-performed or live remixed.
Brian Funk (13:58.411)
Hmm.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (14:13.926)
But it's also tricky to kind of figure that out. So I'm on the hunt right now to figure out how to do that in a captivating, engaging way. But I'm also aware that I'm not the type of performance that like you're gonna go grab a couple of drinks and head out and see on like a Wednesday night at 10 p.m. I think I'm more of your like morning yoga, meditation, tea drinking crowd.
Like maybe like a living room tour versus playing bars because I've done the bar thing When I was doing solo looping guitars with like effect pedals and it's It's a it's a great test of character to be able to stand up there on stage with a whole bunch of people who are becoming more and more inebriated and Trying to get them to pay attention to like drone music
Brian Funk (14:46.594)
Hmm.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (15:13.474)
Yeah, I wouldn't jump at the opportunity to do that again, I guess. So to answer your question, I don't know. I think it is entirely possible because there are artists that definitely do it. But I'm on the hunt right now.
Brian Funk (15:17.798)
Yeah.
Hmm.
Brian Funk (15:29.974)
Hmm. It's an interesting challenge, right? Um, finding ways to deconstruct things, to bring to the live arena. And you also make the great point. It really matters where you're going too, because that, that like, yeah, late night drinking bar crowd. Yeah.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (15:33.124)
Mm-hmm.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (15:45.234)
context.
Mm-hmm.
Brian Funk (15:52.79)
been in bands where we really leaned into that and like, yeah, we want to like rile them up. That's why they're our crowd. So we almost wrote to it, you know, with that in mind, like we want to make this really fun. I don't think anyone wants to hear our sensitive artist, you know, project here right now. And yeah, something like ambient, they're going to, in most bars I've been to, probably not going to be too into that.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (15:56.611)
Yeah.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (16:03.517)
Mm-hmm.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (16:13.21)
Yeah.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (16:21.067)
Yeah!
Brian Funk (16:21.866)
I've had those experiences where I was definitely way out of context. Very informative, but not, not that much fun.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (16:26.571)
Mm hmm. I think.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (16:31.61)
Absolutely. And I mean, even with what you were saying with the bands that I, cause I've been in bands like that too, where it was like a college party band and there's nothing more fun than showing up to a gig and, and winning over an audience with your, with your set because it's written for them. And like, but I think you're talking about and what I'm making a point for now with this project is, and I think that some artists need to
almost like identify this is like, what is the context in which your music makes sense? Where does it make sense? Where's your audience? Doesn't make sense to be writing, I don't know, meditative ambient soundscapes for like your usual, like thrash crowd or something like that at a biker bar. But it does make sense if you wanna do sound baths and go to meditation spaces or, you know.
Brian Funk (17:05.463)
Mm.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (17:28.174)
retreats and things like that. And it just applies across the board really, just insert genre here, like what are you trying to do? Where is your audience? And that even goes into, I think the way that you, the way that you market yourself, the way that where you spend your energy, whether it's not everybody's audiences on Instagram, not everybody's audience on TikTok, not everybody's audience on Spotify.
Some people's music does better on title on Amazon. And it's like, once you, I'm making a larger point here, so reel me in if you have to. But if, but like once, if you, if you don't just start working and start experimenting and start writing and recording and releasing, you'll never know where your audience is. And once you start to do that and you really kind of road test this stuff,
Brian Funk (18:20.534)
Mm.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (18:26.69)
you get to see it in real time and you get to see what works, what doesn't work. Did I enjoy doing that and did it do well? Hey, there's this correlation between tracks that I'm not really thinking about and just considering throwaway tracks and they're short, but they do really well. It's like, well, maybe I should pay attention to that and those moments in the studio more versus the ones where I really want to sit and sculpt and perfect because they don't maybe do as well. And while I'm not saying like...
you know, make it all about the results. I do think that identifying your context and finding your audience is like such a valuable piece of information to have as an artist or any creative person.
Brian Funk (19:10.678)
Totally agree. I love that question even when I'm just writing, I'm deciding like, I got the evening, I'm gonna make some music tonight. I'd like to say, well, what is this song for? What is this? What is the purpose? Why would someone put this on? Is this for a rainy day drive? Or is this at the party? Is this after the party when things didn't go so well? What is the scenario? Is it a meditation thing, right? Like,
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (19:22.585)
Mmm.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (19:33.426)
Mm-hmm.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (19:38.607)
Mm-hmm.
Brian Funk (19:39.842)
Cause there is a wide range of experiences for music and not every track fits every one of those. And if I'm trying to make something that's going to try to fit everything, it doesn't fit anything because it has no home. But it's a really good thing to think about. But also, yeah, where is this going to try it out? You know, see what works.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (19:46.491)
Yeah.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (19:49.979)
Yeah.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (19:56.677)
Yeah.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (20:04.071)
Mm-hmm.
Brian Funk (20:06.43)
I'm always surprised by that. It's one of the fun things about making music and sharing it and playing it out to see like, wow, that song really, that worked pretty well here. And that, you know, maybe didn't realize it in the basement during practice. But when we took it out, like, do you see how much fun they were having with that one? Like that's valuable feedback that you really can only get by doing it. You just don't know. I think it's in a little bit of a way like, um,
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (20:11.569)
Mm-hmm.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (20:20.593)
Right.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (20:24.998)
I know.
Brian Funk (20:35.694)
Comedians, they have it even worse. They really have to test things out and see. You don't know if you get no laugh until you tell the joke, but.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (20:40.431)
Right.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (20:45.207)
Instant feedback.
Brian Funk (20:46.962)
Yeah, but there's a lot of that with music too. There's a lot. You'll know right away if your hardcore metal breakdown isn't working at the local tea drinking meditation morning.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (20:49.718)
Yeah, absolutely.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (21:00.206)
Right, right. Yeah, I mean, even I think that the first question that comes up whether or not I realize it is probably what you were talking about too, is like, does this work for me? And like, I think that those are the, maybe the subconscious, multiple subconscious snap decisions that are happening while you're experimenting, while you're writing, while you're playing, or for me, what usually happens is, it starts with like a
Yeah, like you said, kind of like a vibe. Like what am I seeing in like my mental theater? Like what is the, what's the scene that's happening right here? And you know, we were both talking about being in New York and New Yorkers and for me, one of my constant scenes is always kind of like walking in the city around the Flatiron district in the rain and having headphones in and listening to kind of like a moody soundtrack. That is like my...
my picture perfect day, that's my picture perfect scene. So like I'm a bit of a gloomier weather person. And so I think that that's where like the drama and the maybe the weight in my music comes from is because that it's usually where it's all stemming from is like that visual. But the question that always comes up is like, is it working for me?
and is this sound working for me? And if it doesn't, you just leave it and you move on. So yeah, whether or not you're like consciously asking that question, I think that you're doing that on the fly all the time too. So just becoming kind of like attuned to that and also trusting your own self, trusting your own gut that you know what is working and what's not working for you. And if it works for you, hopefully it'll work for somebody else. But then you get that feedback.
Brian Funk (22:42.314)
Hmm.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (22:58.966)
And then you get to kind of like, you get to kind of adjust or say, screw it. Like I love this and it'll eventually find an audience.
Brian Funk (22:59.566)
Mm.
Brian Funk (23:09.442)
Mm-hmm. Yeah. And it's interesting how you deal with different versions of yourself too. I think when I'm alone, you know, it's pretty clear to me, like my music is a little more moody or introspective, maybe is a better word, compared to when I play with my band, two friends, we spend half our times laughing, you know, just as we hang out. So...
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (23:31.73)
Mm-hmm.
Brian Funk (23:34.474)
it's got a much lighter spirit and it's more energetic. And sometimes it's a little tougher to tap into those things on your own. Whereas again, some of the things I can get into by myself don't really happen as much when the guys get together and we're having a laugh. And then it's like, okay, now for the dark one. You know, it's more pedal to the metal.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (23:44.017)
Yeah.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (23:57.204)
Right. Yeah, they're all view though. Like it's all, which is like the amazing thing about music. And I'm not there yet with this project where it's, you know, there are a lot of folks who have a lot of different projects, have a lot of different aliases.
Brian Funk (24:04.188)
Hmm.
Brian Funk (24:22.486)
Mm-hmm.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (24:24.19)
and they have so much that they like to explore and that they like to put out. And I get that you kind of want each thing to stay in its own lane. So like, for instance, I don't think I would release kind of like a guitar harmony, kind of Rattatat style track under Six Missing, but maybe down the line, you know, as I start to...
kind of spread out a little bit more from where the project is, I can take on different names and do that. And I love that we're able to do that these days as artists. It's so easy to do it. But I'm not there yet. Like I think I'm still really, I think there's value to both, but I'm the type of person that likes to kind of dig in and give like 110% to something. And that's where I'm at right now with Six Missing. It's like all.
Brian Funk (25:02.927)
Mm.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (25:22.554)
It's all on, like all switches on, all focused towards this one thing. And maybe that workflow will change too as I change, but that's how it is kind of now, it's just total focus.
Brian Funk (25:24.034)
Hmm.
Brian Funk (25:39.09)
It's great to go down kind of like a rabbit hole, if you will, or to just explore a certain style of making music and really get to know it and really get into the subtle workings of that kind of music and make it your own as you go. It's a lot of fun too to dabble in many different things as well.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (25:43.056)
Hmm.
Brian Funk (26:04.578)
but I think you're probably right for most cases. I think if people come to know you, six missing, they're gonna put it on ambient stuff for certain situations. Oh, put on the, you know, we'll just shuffle it. And then, you know, you're at the meditation event and like suddenly your, you know, heavy metal track kicks in. It throws people off, right? Though there are some artists that get away with that. I think like...
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (26:18.65)
Right.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (26:31.698)
Of course.
Brian Funk (26:32.534)
You've mentioned Tom Waits, he's kind of like allowed to do whatever he wants. Um, I think of Beck, he kind of gets away with a lot.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (26:40.668)
I mean even more like recently Andre 3000 too, right?
Brian Funk (26:46.706)
That was a leap for him. I love that record too, the flute record.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (26:52.747)
It's incredible and I think that it really brought a whole new audience into what ambient music is. And it's so awesome. I wish I was a part of it. There's a fellow who does, who runs Leaving Records, Matthew David.
Brian Funk (27:02.911)
Mm.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (27:15.89)
And he was on that and he did a lot of his mycelium, mushroom type of music through use of Norns, I think. And I was just like, oh man, I'm so excited to see like people within the community getting that notoriety like that is so amazing. I'm so excited. I wish I could have been on it, but it's like, it's so cool that people are getting to know like.
Brian Funk (27:30.904)
Yeah.
Brian Funk (27:37.762)
Hmm.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (27:42.618)
what the fuck is ambient music, right? And now they're exploring that perhaps. Oh, I kind of liked that. There's this music that can exist in this timeless formless way. What else is there out there like that? And that was like for me, like I didn't grow up listening to ambient music by any means. I was very traditional classic rock. Like the first thing that I had ever heard was
Brian Funk (27:44.547)
Hmm.
Brian Funk (28:10.519)
Thanks for watching.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (28:11.046)
Derrick and the Dominoes, Layla and like ACDC, Metallica, Zeppelin, all your traditional classic rock bands, Cream, all that stuff. And when I fell literally into ambient music is because I had the flu and I had taken a whole bunch of Dayquil and listened to Tangerine Dream Phaedra or Phaedra.
Brian Funk (28:13.919)
Yeah.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (28:40.958)
And I was like, what is this? And it just blew my mind. And then it was like, oh wow, there's this whole world that exists like this. And just so happens that I had kind of been like creating music like this. Oh wow, this could actually fit somewhere. And so the point I guess I was trying to make is that it's really cool because some of the feedback that I've gotten from some of my like friends from my past.
Brian Funk (28:44.354)
Hehehe
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (29:10.978)
musical life is like, what am I supposed to do with this music? Like there are no lyrics. Sometimes there's no melody. Like it's long, it's short. Like it's just a vibe. Like what do I do with it? And I'm like, yeah, that's it. I mean, you kind of see where it fits. Where do you see it fitting in? And how does it make you feel? Like, does it calm you down? Does it make you anxious? Does it make you feel...
Brian Funk (29:15.539)
Thank you.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (29:39.654)
Better does it help you sleep? Does it kind of set the tone for the day when you're up in the morning, kind of going for a walk, going for a run, doing dishes, drinking coffee, writing in your journal? Like, however, however you like. And that's why I think it's so malleable in that way.
Brian Funk (29:49.728)
Hmm.
Brian Funk (29:57.226)
Yeah. And it's an important thing to think about the context. Yeah. Don't put it on at the party maybe, you know, or New Year's Eve party. Yeah. Right. Just as you might not put on, you know, something a little heavier to wake up in the morning or to go to sleep to. Um, but I'm same way, um, growing up was very boxed in where I thought like,
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (30:05.954)
Yeah, I guess it depends on the party, I guess.
Brian Funk (30:26.614)
this is the kind of music I like end of story. It was mostly some kind of rock, alternative rock, but you start finding like gaps in your life where it doesn't really fit. I'm not really up for that right now. And then, you know, that's the fun of finding things that do fit in there. And Ambient is really, like you said, malleable because you don't...
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (30:29.699)
Hmm.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (30:40.346)
Right.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (30:47.096)
Yeah.
Brian Funk (30:53.798)
always have to pay the same attention to it, I guess. And that's something I like a lot. Most of the time, if there's music on, I can't really be doing anything else. I'm not, I have students in my classes that insist they need it to write, to read. I just start paying attention to the music. But something a little more drone ambient where there's less kind of flashing lights going on.
That can work for me. I can do other things with that and kind of let it sit in the background a little. Or I can also really go in there and experience it if that's where I want to go as well.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (31:23.218)
Mm-hmm.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (31:34.874)
That's what I love so much about the genre, but also creating it is that I'm not, it's just the type of music that comes out naturally for me. And so like, I'm not half-assing it. Like the music that I wanna write and that I wanna share and that I aim to share is meant for exactly what you just said. Like if you don't wanna pay attention to it and you wanna use it kind of as
Brian Funk (31:37.9)
Okay.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (32:04.826)
you know, more creative white noise to help you focus in, then awesome. And if you do wanna kind of tune into it and zoom in on elements of it, there will be things there for you to hear. And that's what I enjoy so much about creating it, is like, I get to experience it as the first listener, really, and so I get to see like,
what would I want to hear? What would I want to listen to? What do I want to hear as a listener? And then it's kind of easy. It's just like, okay, put that in then and make that a part of it. And then like most musicians, I'll sit and let the mix kind of cool off for a few days and then come back to it and listen to it with a fresh head and a bit of perspective and be like, wow, that thing that I was struggling to make fit in there.
is because it doesn't need to be there. And like just delete, mute, deactivate, whatever it is. That's usually like, that's my sharpest studio tool is the mute button. It's just like taking stuff out, you know?
Brian Funk (33:16.778)
Yeah.
Brian Funk (33:22.118)
I can't tell you how many times things I've worked on got so much better once I deleted a few things. I guess the creation process, you're throwing things at it, seeing what works. And a lot of times it's the original idea. It might be the acoustic guitar that I wrote the song on that it just doesn't work anymore. Like, take it out and now everything has room and some energy that it was losing. It's such a good way to...
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (33:32.955)
Mm-hmm.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (33:36.41)
Hmm.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (33:39.633)
Hmm.
Right.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (33:48.047)
Right.
Brian Funk (33:53.102)
I don't know if it's like humble yourself too in that, you know, sometimes you need less. It's like playing with other people too. Sometimes you know, they say like, was it Miles Davis, the most important notes are the ones you don't play or the spaces between the notes and all that kind of stuff. When you're producing your tracks from the ground up and you've made every part, it's so tempting to want to keep everything because you worked on it.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (34:18.218)
yeah, you were there with it. And you're like, no, this is important. I think that's why I love and respect, like in the traditional format, the quote rhythm guitarist. Because when you have your, you know, your Malcolm Young or your Bob Weir, and they know their place. And I don't mean that in like a
Brian Funk (34:31.246)
Hmm.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (34:44.742)
putting down way, but like they know where they fit in and they know their importance. And that is to support in those areas. And if it means that like Malcolm Young is going to chug on, you know, an E chord and variations of that and inversions like Bob Weir can just, you know, chew on an E major triad over five minutes and it feels fresh. Like that is, ugh. That's like.
For me, that's just so, it perfectly sums up kind of like the part serving the greater good. And I think that coming from a traditional rock background and applying it into solo music creation, I don't have sometimes those other minds around me to be like, dude, that sucks. Like, you don't need that. Like we...
Brian Funk (35:24.844)
Mm-hmm.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (35:43.75)
this is too busy, that's too riffy, that's too like hair metal, like just leave it alone, leave it on the floor. And I think that when you give yourself the perspective and you step away from it, and yeah, you remove parts, even the original part, which is like, I've definitely had that happen multiple times where you just take it out and you're like, wow, this is a different thing now. And I kind of like that too. Yeah, self-editing is like...
Brian Funk (36:07.319)
Yeah.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (36:14.843)
such a skill and a muscle to really train and to pay attention to.
Brian Funk (36:22.19)
There's so much emotion that goes into it, especially when it's a part you've really crafted. You spent a lot of time working on and to realize that it just doesn't work sometimes, it's hard to let go. But it's an important thing to be sort of detached in that way where you can say like, okay, you know, no big deal. Nothing here is precious that needs to...
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (36:36.902)
Mm-hmm.
Brian Funk (36:51.518)
If it's not adding to the bigger picture, it's taking away from it.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (36:56.954)
Yeah, I mean, that's exactly it, right? If it doesn't serve the larger project, then it's got to go. And the kind of classic Rick Rubin stories about having the Red Hot Chili Peppers or Metallica write 20 songs and then pick one from those 20, then go write another 15 songs and pick one from
Brian Funk (37:23.405)
Yeah.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (37:26.19)
I, it sounds insane, but it also makes you, when I think about that, I'm like, well, yeah, of course you're going to be tight as a band. Of course your record's going to be incredible. Like, of course you're left with the best of the best. You worked out all this other shit that you're just, you're whittling it down to just the stuff that sticks. And yeah, I think that that's like.
I think that's like what we should all aim to do is not just throw stuff out there willy-nilly, but at the same time, you know, maybe that is the day and age that we live in. I don't know.
Brian Funk (38:10.926)
Hmm. Well, it doesn't hurt the algorithmic cycle to be showing up a lot. Um, but.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (38:17.734)
Right.
It definitely wants, yeah, I mean, you are rewarded for that, I suppose, both in social media and in streamers, right, to just be consistent. But I guess if you don't, yeah, if you're not paying...
Brian Funk (38:29.244)
Mm.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (38:36.122)
Maybe that's all I have to say about that.
Brian Funk (38:40.21)
Well, you know what's kind of neat about this day and age too is you can still have your official releases, right? Like where you put it out on all the streaming services and all of that. But you can keep like a SoundCloud of junk or an Instagram feed of whatever you did. And it's more of a behind the scenes kind of outtakes thing. So you can kind of ride both sides of that.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (39:02.789)
Right.
Brian Funk (39:06.802)
I'm a big believer in the quantity thing though. Um, more and more and more, um, in like everything that it's about showing up, going through the process again and again. I know there is value of course, to really working on something, rewriting, reproducing, remixing and everything. I think you get more gains though, going through the process multiple times on different projects too.
and just taking something from each one. And another fun byproduct of that is you sort of don't take anything too seriously. Of course you want to take things seriously, but you don't get too married to something and feel like, well, this has to be the one. You know, I'm going to kill myself over this song. Um, it kind of, I think the subtext you're telling yourself is I can do another one. I can still do this.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (40:02.17)
Right, and that works both ways too, right? Because like you could put something out that maybe is, I don't know, a little bit of a stinker that doesn't do really well by streaming standards and it's nice because you'd be like, well great, we're gonna move on from that in just another few weeks. But on the flip side of that, you could do something that does really well and you'd be really proud of that and you don't wanna move on from that just yet. But...
I mean, yeah, if you take a look at my discography of the just past four years, it's, you know, the ravings of a lunatic. Like there are so many releases and it was because I was in that phase where it was like, I'm now able to step back and look at kind of the journey and the path of where I was headed with that. And it makes sense to me that I am where I landed musically, sonically.
because I can chart it through the records. I can hear, I love to just, I agree with you about the quantity is like you have to do a lot of it to figure out A, what you enjoy doing, but B, you're getting better every time you do it. And you can only get better by the action of it. So a hundred percent on the quantity type of thing. And for me releasing and writing that much music and continuing to do so, I mean,
We have the next few years planned out for releases and it's like a journalistic approach for me. I like to capture where I'm at this point in time with the knowledge that I have, with the equipment that I'm using and how I am learning the equipment as I go. And like I can hear it transform over time. But it's also awesome to be able to go back.
Brian Funk (41:35.1)
Nice.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (41:54.722)
and listen to that. I'm sure maybe you feel the same way. Like you go back to some of your early band recordings if you have it on SoundCloud or something and your initial reaction is you want to cringe because the mixes are off and the mastering wasn't done right and this guy messed up this part or something. But like how wonderful is that at the same time to be able to just experience where you were and kind of get that perspective on your whole musical journey. It's amazing.
Brian Funk (42:24.774)
Yeah, I gotta tell you that cringe feeling kind of comes later. Where I feel the cringe more when I'm working on it and when I'm trying to finish it. And then I'll go back and listen to the things I've done or like whether it was the band or solo stuff. And I kind of see past all of that. And I see the journal part of it. This is where I was.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (42:30.234)
Hmm.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (42:35.801)
Mmm.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (42:47.503)
Mm-hmm.
Brian Funk (42:52.438)
the questions about how well I mixed or sang or whatever kind of sits back a little bit. You know, if I want to really analyze it, I can. And then it's usually the case is like, I've gotten better. You know, which thankfully you feel that way. But I don't have regrets, I guess. And I really like that journalistic idea. One of my favorite
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (43:06.054)
Mm.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (43:15.025)
Yeah.
Brian Funk (43:21.062)
ways I ever heard it put. Adam Roxar, who's on the show, he makes music as aesthetic candy and art and it's zany stuff and he works fast and he talks about his art as artifacts. So he, it's just what he's leaving behind as he goes and he's not worrying about, you know, perfection and all that stuff. It's more just, this is where I was and artifact is in a few.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (43:37.188)
Oh.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (43:41.305)
Mm.
Brian Funk (43:49.47)
found ruins of an ancient civilization, you don't get their best pottery. This is the one we have. This is what was left behind. This is what we got. It's really stuck with me and kind of made me feel a little more comfortable with everything I do as well. It's just kind of like a, you know, signpost on the road or something. It's just a little footnote on the journey.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (43:53.878)
Right.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (43:58.852)
I love that.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (44:07.6)
Yeah.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (44:17.122)
Yeah, that's really cool. I really like that. I mean, that is in a lot of ways, that's whether or not I realize it, that's how I work too, I guess, is fast, quick. There was a whole record that I put out that was start to finish nine days. And we were just, it was a track a day and just got as much done as I could do in a day, move on to the next thing. And it's...
Brian Funk (44:39.426)
Hmm.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (44:46.734)
It's my own kind of wanting to stay interested and wanting to stay really fresh with this stuff. And it is the improvisation brain and all of that, but just blasting through it. I mean, it is cool. And that's awesome to hear about not having the regrets. I agree. I don't have any regrets about the music stuff that I've done. I think that...
the perspective that you gain through that and helpful lessons to remember is like, if I listen back to a recording of this band that I was in that broke up, it's like in the moment, all you're thinking about are kind of like the arguments or the decisions that there are the positions that you were taking to advocate for a part to make it on the record that didn't make it and you were.
upset about it or something like that. And getting the perspective of listening back to it and not remembering those things, but just getting to experience it as it is, is I think a great lesson and takeaway, even just as I'm saying it now for myself too, is like don't get caught in the details of it all. Like just kinda.
Brian Funk (45:51.64)
Mm.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (46:06.254)
Let it be flowy and trust your process and just remember to have fun with it too.
Brian Funk (46:16.438)
Yeah, there's a lot of things I can think back to where it was like a part, it was a fill, it was a little melody that you thought was making or breaking the song. And maybe you fought real hard for it at the cost of the relationship with your band members. And I really think now that the relationship is the most important part. Where I'd rather have a good relationship and enjoy playing together.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (46:33.232)
Right.
Brian Funk (46:45.75)
then this little part get in there or that little part not being stopped. You know, oh well, you know, it's, uh, it's a sad thing to just like ruin a musical relationship over a, a bass fill or something like that or, or funny vocal phrase. Um, and like you said, you almost don't even remember them when you look back. You can take it in.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (46:49.613)
Mm-hmm.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (47:04.239)
Yeah.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (47:08.99)
Well
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (47:13.03)
Hopefully not. Yeah.
Brian Funk (47:15.602)
in the entirety rather than the micro thing that almost no one would notice anyway. You don't even remember yourself.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (47:21.874)
Absolutely. I think a lot of that has to do with just like age a little bit too. Like, and being through it for some, I mean, I was playing in bands since I was like 11 or 12. And so, yeah, you're of course gonna feel more of like those micro moments when you're getting started out and you're vying for your kind of part.
Brian Funk (47:31.42)
Yeah.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (47:52.214)
Um, and I, I agree with you now thinking back to the kind of the most recent project that I was a part of before six missing. Um, I definitely, I mean, ego, right? Like ego gets in the way of a lot of stuff and it's a sneaky little bastard that I think that if you can, if you can rid yourself of the ego from the project and find the fun in it, I think it has a lot more.
Brian Funk (48:11.719)
Yeah.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (48:19.734)
of a fighting chance to kind of have the longevity than it does if you are getting all kind of in the moments, the small moments there.
Brian Funk (48:29.87)
Hmm. Well, I guess to speak of what we said about quantity too, when you're, when you're 13 in your first band and it's like the third song you've ever worked on, then it's precious. It feels really important when it's your 300th, you know, okay, whatever. I can have a stupid fill on it. Like whatever, let's just give it a shot. See how it sounds. Um, but yeah, you don't have that same perspective when you've, uh,
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (48:40.235)
Right.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (48:48.906)
Mm-hmm.
Brian Funk (48:59.67)
just started on things.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (49:02.626)
Yeah, I just saw a Instagram video with Jack from Pomplamoose, Scary Pockets, that producer Jack Conti, I think his last name is. Jack, let me know if I got your name wrong. And he was telling a story that he had heard. And when I heard it from him, I was like, oh wow, that makes...
Brian Funk (49:17.244)
Mm-hmm.
Brian Funk (49:22.153)
I think you got it.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (49:32.338)
so much sense that it's like it's so simple that it's staring you right in the face. Like he was talking about how there was this experiment between two art classes and in one art class they went to them and said all you have to do is for one year is make three perfect pots. They were just out of clay. Like make them flawless, perfect, the best thing you've ever made but you only need to make three of them but they have to be perfect.
And they went to the other art class and they said, all you have to do is make pots for the next 12 months, just as many as you can make. And of course I'm paraphrasing here, but they discovered that at the end of that experiment, the class that had made pots for the next year, their quantity, their overall quality was actually higher than the ones that had only made three pots. And it...
Brian Funk (50:29.282)
Hmm.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (50:30.91)
makes so much sense to me that if you just sit on your music, if you sit on your art, no matter what it is, and you don't release it and share it and keep working on the next project, there's no possible way that it can get better. You just have to keep at it, like keep working, keep learning, keep failing so that you know how to adjust and make changes from those failures.
Brian Funk (50:46.279)
Hmm.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (51:01.526)
Yeah, it's like, you know, it's kind of like you said, if you only had three songs versus 300 songs, it's like, it's so glaringly obvious to me that by the time you get to your 300th song, you're going to be better at recording, you're going to be better at mixing, better at making decisions in the moment, better at producing. And it's not as scary to you as it was when you put out your first piece, your third piece, your 10th piece, your 15th piece. It gets easier.
Brian Funk (51:20.675)
Hmm.
Brian Funk (51:31.83)
Hmm. Yeah, right. That's a funny, I've heard of that experiment that they did that. And it makes a lot of sense because I've over-mixed things and made it sound way worse. Spent more time on tracks and like compared it to what I had a month earlier. And I'm being like, damn, it was way better before I started doing all this. And you just start to understand. It took me a long time to understand just...
everything needs to sort of have a spot in the frequency range that I can't have a bassy guitar and a heavy kick drum and a heavy snare drum and thick vocals. Like you sort of have to make room. You gotta decide what's going to go where. And it changed the way I think a lot about composition. I mean, I think the reason why we have like these kind of ensembles that
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (52:17.382)
Yeah.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (52:25.383)
Hmm.
Brian Funk (52:29.598)
have stuck around, whether it's like a string quartet or whether it's a four-piece rock band, it's because they're kind of already mixed. You've kind of already got everything holding out the area, but when you go into the computer and you can use synths and you got your hardware and everything, they can do everything. So I started thinking more about, all right, I got like, this is occupying the low end, now I'm going to put something up here, and it's more like a...
you know, bottom up or top down thing than just sticking everything I can think of in every spot. And I wouldn't have got to that if I was just working on the one song that was already poorly composed in that manner, where I was trying to do all these different types of jobs with so many different instruments.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (53:05.496)
Right.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (53:09.97)
Mm-hmm.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (53:14.undefined)
Right.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (53:22.674)
Totally. And I think like you get to, as you experience more that within the studio, but also listening to more music, consuming more art, paying attention to more projects, you start to see what they do and why. Like you wouldn't put this really open writing, the kind of symbols part.
Brian Funk (53:34.388)
Mm.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (53:52.59)
with this guitar that's also up in that same range, like you'll see mixers, producers, arrangers, they'll drop certain things. Like then there won't be any symbols there or maybe the guitar will be transposed down. Like it's all kind of, like you said, yeah, it makes up this cake in these layers and you can't have the things out of proportion because it'll kind of like.
ruin the whole recipe, I guess, if you want. I love a metaphor, so sorry for all of that. But...
Brian Funk (54:24.458)
Yeah. I think cooking and mixing is in both practices, right? Mixing and music and cooking. Um, but there is, it's a balance of flavors. It's a balance of textures. Um, you, you might think it would be cool if there was icing on the cake in every single layer, but then where's the icing and where's the contrast, where's that one bite that is like kind of dry and then...
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (54:30.578)
True.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (54:37.298)
Mm-hmm.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (54:49.394)
Mm-hmm.
Brian Funk (54:54.002)
Uh, it, it's a weird thing to kind of understand, I guess. Um, I don't know that I ever would have got there if I was working on my one great album. You know, I'd just be overproducing that thing until it just sounded like, you know, a cake that had icing throughout the whole thing. And.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (55:08.086)
Right.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (55:17.49)
Totally. Yeah, absolutely. I mean, you're completely right. You need to.
If everything's just sweet, you don't taste anything but sweet anymore. You need that contrast. Absolutely. Balance. Which I think is like a good life lesson too, is just too much of one thing is not good. I mean, we're here on December 30th and for the past two weeks, I've been down from work for the first time all year and
Brian Funk (55:29.046)
Yeah.
Brian Funk (55:41.366)
Yeah.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (55:56.306)
I had all of these goals before getting to that point of being like, wow, I've got all this focused studio time. What am I gonna do? I should work on this, I should work on this, I should edit this video, I wanted to film this, I wanted to do this. Hey, we've got this podcast that we're doing here. Like, I wanted to just jam it full and be productive, productive. And the kind of like day three hit, and I was just like, I'm done. Like, there's not anything more to be done.
with this quote year. But then I remembered like, well, yeah, like it's because you've been going at a project for so long, you also need to step away from that stuff for a while. You need to give your brain like time to clear its cash to come back and be excited again, to be kind of fresh again and not mushy soup. So having the balance is just like
Brian Funk (56:44.171)
Hmm.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (56:55.578)
God, it's a life lesson that I struggle with a lot. And that's like the thing that of course, like I wanna do better in the next year, you know? I wanna be better at having balance.
Brian Funk (57:07.518)
Yeah. You mentioned meditation and, you know, listening to your music. If you made me take a gamble, I would imagine you were into it as well. But, um, something I really got from doing some meditation was, yeah, I've got this like urge to be productive and create, make stuff. And I would get really guilty if I wasn't. So if I'm...
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (57:17.286)
Mm.
Brian Funk (57:36.354)
watching television for the night. I'd be like, you know, I'm sitting there watching TV. Now I'm really wasting time because I'm not even getting the relaxation out of it because I'm stressed out because I'm not working and I'm not doing any work. The meditation thing helped me just identify this pattern of thought and say, no, like do what you're doing. If you're gonna sit on the couch, sit on the couch.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (57:40.582)
Mm-hmm.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (57:49.282)
Right.
Brian Funk (58:06.146)
turn it off, like let those thoughts just slip away, notice them and just realize like, well, that's not what we're doing right now. And I can't tell you how much that alone has been helpful to, cause yeah, like, you know, time is so limited and there's, we all have way more we wanna do than we probably ever could get to. And it's tempting to wanna fill every hour with
that kind of work, but you just can't, you know, what you, you need time off and you're not always going to be as ready to work as you think you're going to be. So when you're in those times, like actually allow yourself to relax and turn it on and off so that when you do go back to it, you're not already exhausted because you've been worrying about it for like, I can do music and not feel like I've been already stressed out about it.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (58:37.776)
No.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (59:04.91)
Yeah, I mean, not to open the can of worms that is my take on social media, because we'd be here for like a whole nother hour and a half. But I think that is the, I think there's a positive side to it and a negative side to it, like anything. I think the negative side to it is that it gives people this pressure that they feel like they need to be productive in order to be seen. And by being seen, you are being
recognized and relevant and so then you exist. And I think that, you know, the psychologists that created these social media apps, they know that and these things are designed to make you feel that way. And I think that by like ripping out the cord, so to speak, every once in a while and giving yourself that moment to just...
be with your own thoughts and figure out how you feel and are you feeling tired? Are you feeling inspired? Are you feeling creative? Or do you wanna just like put it all down for a while, a week, a month, a year, who gives a shit? Like you have to do you. And you're completely right about meditation for me. It transformed my life. It transformed how I create and...
It wasn't necessarily like getting rid of thoughts or stopping the thoughts. It was more about recognizing that they are just thoughts and those thoughts are not who I am. They are just pieces that kind of flow through me that I can take note of and let them go. And I think that has helped in a lot of ways, innumerable really, but in a way.
Brian Funk (01:00:38.602)
Hmm.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (01:00:55.322)
that is feeling more and more relevant and necessary these days, which is with social media. It's like, I can finish a piece of music and feel really good about it, be proud of myself, hey, this was awesome, it flowed out, all this. And then what do you do? You log onto Instagram and you see that this person has this thing and they've done this and they're reposting something from someone here and they have the notoriety of this and you're just like, it zaps you of that joy instantly.
Brian Funk (01:01:24.897)
Hmm.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (01:01:25.418)
And I think that I've been able to more and more identify those moments and be like, okay, just let that go and shut it off. I'm in control of it and just let it flow. Let it flow. Let it go, really.
Brian Funk (01:01:41.518)
Hmm. That's the key, I guess, thing that I've learned is that you're never going to stop the thoughts. I mean, that's just, it's a raging waterfall at all times. But to realize like you're not, just because you thought it doesn't mean anything, because I mean, God, if you were to sit in anyone's head for long enough, you'd hear some pretty fucked up shit going on out of the nicest people in the world. I mean, you can't control what pops in your head, really.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (01:01:50.382)
Mm.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (01:02:07.051)
Yeah.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (01:02:11.194)
Hmm.
Brian Funk (01:02:11.51)
Um, but you don't have to identify with it. You don't have to own it. You can, and to realize that a lot of it's just a story and you're the only one that's even hearing the story.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (01:02:23.962)
Yeah, that's an incredible point. And like the gift that you have in each moment is figuring out if you like that story, if you believe that story, and if you wanna perpetuate that story, or if you wanna just start again. And I mean, as like on the nose as it is, which I'm fully aware of, like that's why I named the record what I did here for now. It's like, it is just, it's just a reminder for myself really.
is just like, it means both things. We are only all here for now, but in that I also want to be here now. And by creating the type of music that I do, writing the type of music that I do, it's like entirely self-medicating. And I think that that's why I love being able to share it.
frequently as I do is because if it can help me, my hope is that it can help someone else as well. Just find that like moment to be like, ah, okay, I'm not thinking about anything else. I'm just listening to this. I'm just paying attention to this track and ooh, that was interesting. What was that, a bird? And like, just, you know, taking.
Dropping into the moment, I guess, and that can be, like you said, you know, why are you gonna rob yourself of the joy of watching TV while you're watching TV by saying you should be doing something else? If you're washing your hands, if you're doing the dishes, be fully with that activity, be fully with what you're doing. And it's from that place that I write and create and release is just in that moment.
Brian Funk (01:04:09.72)
Hmm.
I think a lot of boredom we face is really like a lack of attention and maybe a desire to be doing something different than what we're doing. I mean, because really, like everything in the world is fascinating to somebody. Right? Like, I mean, like mold growing on a piece of bread to some people is the most miraculous thing ever.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (01:04:32.995)
Right.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (01:04:41.362)
Mm-hmm.
Brian Funk (01:04:41.978)
And I could look at me like, or just like, but if you decide to pay attention to it, really think about it. It's like, wow, it's like pretty fascinating actually. And, you know, we've just sort of decided that music was that thing for us. But like you said, doing the dishes, like if you decide to really do the dishes, like you'll almost enjoy it. It's like when you put meaning to something, it becomes meaningful.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (01:04:52.554)
Yeah.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (01:04:57.33)
Mm-hmm.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (01:05:11.683)
Mm.
Brian Funk (01:05:12.09)
And it's helped me get through a lot of things I don't particularly enjoy. Um, say like cutting the grass. Like if I think about how I don't want to be cutting the grass, then I'm miserable. But if I'm like, I'm going to see if I can do this really well, I'm going to, you know, if I want to really get into it, um, you know, if I care about it, then I care about it. It sounds kind of like funny to put that way, but as soon as you decide to.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (01:05:19.829)
you
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (01:05:22.904)
Yeah.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (01:05:36.111)
Right.
Brian Funk (01:05:41.654)
put meaning into something, you can really enjoy it and appreciate it a lot more.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (01:05:47.138)
Yeah, I mean, the pure and simple fact that like we are human beings and alive and that can, like sometimes I get really tripped up in my own head of being like, I want to stand up, so I stood up, which, you know, I know that I'm grateful to be able to do that, that some people can't, but what happened in my body and in my brain that made me fire off these million different little
neurons to like make this simple action happen. I think that when you look into the smaller details of even just our own being, it's so overwhelming that it's so overwhelmingly beautiful too, is that we don't have to be doing anything for these things to be miraculous.
Brian Funk (01:06:45.91)
Hmm. Yeah. It is amazing, right? Like, I don't know why my arm moves when I decide to move it or how, but it's, yeah, try to design that machine.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (01:06:51.162)
Mm.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (01:06:57.71)
Right, yeah, I know. And it's like, you know, I know we've come kind of a ways away from like, writing and creating like music and all of that, but like, it is all of these things that, you know, I think affect creative people in all different areas. I mean, if some, I've seen, I saw this artist who was turning his night terrors into hyper-realistic photo.
photographs and it's like, wow, talk about like transforming something into something beautiful that is very terrifying. That art form that we have and that ability that we have as humans to create art is, it just feels so necessary. It feels as necessary as eating and...
Brian Funk (01:07:35.319)
Hmm.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (01:07:55.89)
breathing and drinking for me. And I don't know, that's why I take it so seriously, like writing and creating music. It feels like it is a...
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (01:08:10.058)
you know, an honor might be the wrong word to say here, but it feels like a responsibility that I have because I can do this thing. I feel like I have to do this thing.
Brian Funk (01:08:20.278)
Hmm. It can, you know, you can think yourself into it being really trivial as well. You make, you know, you made your little noises again, DJ. You play with your machines. Good job. You know, like we can, and I've done that to myself to the point where I felt like, I don't know what I'm doing here. You know, why am I doing this? Why do I spend so much time on it? But it's also, um, you know, you talk about like being in a moment a lot. It's.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (01:08:29.478)
Hmm.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (01:08:32.731)
Right.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (01:08:37.86)
Mm.
Brian Funk (01:08:49.069)
the kind of thing like you get lost and you can forget about the problems, the things that are just swirling around in your head sort of uncontrollably. And then come back and look at it from a different angle and be like, okay, you know, I was really angry before, but why was I angry? I was angry because I felt like I wasn't being respected. Okay. Well, why do I, why is that important? You can just kind of now look at things.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (01:09:02.375)
Hmm.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (01:09:12.337)
Mm.
Brian Funk (01:09:17.758)
from a much different perspective that sometimes you're just too caught up in a moment to see. Anytime I've been feeling like this is pointless or this is silly, it winds up being the very thing that pulls me out of that. I find meaning in it and I realize that it's an important part of the whole big picture of myself.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (01:09:38.011)
Hmm.
Brian Funk (01:09:46.342)
I can be a reasonably civil person thanks to this. I don't have to freak out as much and go on tirades or something. Just, it's a balancing thing.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (01:09:51.653)
Mm-hmm.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (01:09:59.886)
Yeah, yeah. I mean, again, for me, it all comes down to like our egoic mind that causes all of these problems and, you know, these rifts and robbing yourself of...
joy and like you said, yeah, I definitely had moments where like I sit and I look around the room and I'm like, oh my God, I've spent how much money on this stuff? Like was that really responsible? And then it's yeah, you of course have those moments, but I think.
you know, creating from a place of just pure flow can give the meaning to the work that you're doing really. And the more that you can do that, the better off you're gonna be.
Brian Funk (01:11:05.838)
Hmm. You have a nice quote in one of your bios here. I think it was in a bio. I saw it. I wrote it down. You said, you don't just throw parts of you away. You work with them and see where they go when you let them grow. And, um, well, I don't have a question necessarily, but I guess I'm kind of, uh, you know, what you're
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (01:11:21.926)
Hmm.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (01:11:30.884)
Okay.
Brian Funk (01:11:36.478)
I'm kind of curious how that plays into like your overall philosophy or the way you create. I mean, we're really, this is another one of these episodes. I have these from time to time where we start talking about music and we're talking about life really and music becomes the metaphor, just like the cake goes the metaphor for the music. Because there's all this stuff is intertwined and connected.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (01:11:52.826)
Yeah.
Brian Funk (01:12:01.562)
I mean, how you play music with other people is a lot like how you interact with people and how you, are you letting your ego get the best of you? The ego is an important tool. I mean, it's allowed for our survival. If we didn't have egos, we'd all die. We wouldn't be protecting ourselves. So a lot of the things that are in our best interest can become harmful to their extreme. And a lot of the things that are harmful in their extreme are...
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (01:12:18.498)
Right.
Brian Funk (01:12:31.406)
completely necessary as well.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (01:12:33.602)
Mm. Yeah, I mean, I do, so what I like to do sometimes too for releases and tracks is I'll have this document where I'll go and I'll spend like kind of once the project is at its final stages, I'll go and I'll listen through to the record and see kind of what it is, what each track is kind of like.
trying to say to me or what I think it's trying to say. And what I hope that it might say to people because I don't want to tell anybody what it means because I'd love for them to draw their own meaning from it. But I think I was perhaps talking about a track there called Grow and it's, you know, for me I've had
a really long journey. I've had struggles with addiction and with alcohol and that path that I've taken to where I am now all makes up me. And so like I don't throw that part of myself away necessarily, I know that it is there and it plays a factor into who I am now. And even now these...
you know, our conversation, right? Like there are things that we're talking about that I hadn't thought about in that way that now I can move forward with and take into my life. And that changes who I am. You're constantly changing moment to moment, but you're never like getting rid of that person that you were. And so I think that, yeah, what I was trying to say there is kind of just like, I use all of those parts, like...
Brian Funk (01:14:19.426)
Hmm.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (01:14:29.782)
I don't know why it's like a psychotic behavior that just happened to me, but Pieces of Me by Avril Lavigne just came into my head. So we'll definitely not play that song right now. But it is, it's all of the pieces of me that make up who I am. And I try to really like work with that and embrace that and not try to...
Brian Funk (01:14:46.616)
Mm-hmm.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (01:14:58.426)
Obviously, there are things that I'm not happy with myself for, but I've worked on those things and that all factors into who you are now. So I think that it's always just growing and you can't just get rid of that stuff. And it's all in there. And if you can kind of use it and like transmute that stuff into something creative and positive, then I think it's done its.
and that's why it's there.
Brian Funk (01:15:29.718)
Hmm. Yeah. Well, that's a sign of growth. If you can look back on yourself and see like there, yeah, maybe parts, you kind of, we've all got them, right? We've all got things we've said, things we've done, whatever paths we've chosen. If you see that there's some sort of problem or something you'd like to change in that, then that's a sign of growth. You've, you've learned from that and
I mean, I think most of the main growing points in my life had something like that involved. Otherwise, you're just kind of like going along without needing to ever think about anything. But it's when you're kind of forced to confront yourself and look at things a bit. That's when things are revealed to you. And unfortunately, that's why it's hard. That's why sometimes you gotta...
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (01:16:13.038)
Right, yeah.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (01:16:21.808)
Mm-hmm.
Brian Funk (01:16:31.587)
see yourself through difficult times. But, you know, to maybe quote another silly pop song, you know, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. It's not Avro Levine, but I forget who, Kelly Clarkson. But it...
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (01:16:43.071)
Right.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (01:16:48.402)
Kelly Clarkson. Man, this episode just became so expensive.
Brian Funk (01:16:53.618)
Yeah, well, I get the feeling too, like you're, you might have this going on where I'll write songs and they'll even have lyrics in them. And a lot of the lyrics do come sort of, kind of stream of consciousness. And then I kind of work them into the song and come up with ideas through that. But a lot of times I kind of like learn what they're about.
later, you know, like it's almost like a, uh, like a therapy dump. You throw all these things out and then like you kind of look at it and say, ah, like there I was. And it changes too. There are things like, um, songs that meant one thing in one day and then, you know, looking back, totally different. I see it as a different thing. Um, but that's, that's the fun.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (01:17:32.327)
Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (01:17:45.135)
Mm.
I-
Brian Funk (01:17:49.71)
too, I guess, but I'm guessing you said like you kind of figuring out what it means to you and all of that with your process.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (01:17:50.991)
Yeah.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (01:17:58.03)
Yeah, I mean, not to get, well, I'm going to get a little woo-woo on you, but like the whole idea of this connection to something larger than my experience being, for me, kind of like the universe type of energy type of thing. I think that if, when I am creating and there are those moments where things are kind of just clicking and happening and falling into place,
and I'm not really trying to do something and I'm just allowing it to happen in that way. And like I said, I know this is getting a little woo woo, but like those are the moments where I'm like, wow, this is so cool. This is so cool that we get to like make music like this and that there are, and that's why I think like I continue to make music is because you get those moments of like actual magic.
Brian Funk (01:18:44.484)
Mm.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (01:18:55.058)
where you're like, where the hell did that come from? Like you're saying with like lyrics. I mean, for me too, with little melody, little melodies, a sound, the way that the composition gets put together. I'm like, wow, I wasn't really thinking about that. Like that's kind of cool. And like I do that with the stream of consciousness kind of like flowy writing that I do that accompanies my music is very much that. Like if I can just get my own self out of the way.
and allow whatever, this is how I think about them, is like I feel like they're like real living things that need to be seen and released and heard. So if I can get my own self out of the way and allow them to just be what they're trying to say, then that's like the whole goal for me, is just to be kind of like the conduit in which these pieces come.
Brian Funk (01:19:48.443)
Hmm.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (01:19:55.862)
into existence. I know, woo woo, but like, it's, yeah.
Brian Funk (01:20:01.414)
I get that though. Sometimes I feel like it's more like growing a song or you know, I'm like a gardener more than like a sculptor or a builder. You know, it's more kind of letting it become what it wants to become.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (01:20:09.114)
Ooh.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (01:20:21.446)
That's cool, yeah.
Brian Funk (01:20:23.846)
And sometimes it's more like finding, it's like I'm swinging a net around or something and you catch them. Um, and again, like, you know, that's technically not what's happening, but there is some kind of weird tuning into something that happens where you're, I think a lot of people that make music, make art feel this, that like you're kind of collaborating with something.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (01:20:28.87)
Hmm.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (01:20:52.611)
Right.
Brian Funk (01:20:53.53)
You know, and even if you just think of it from the standpoint of like artist and viewer, what I've decided it's going to be could be totally different than what someone else thinks it is. And I don't think either person is wrong. You know, if that's what it is to you, that's what it is to you. And there's something else about it. That's...
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (01:21:07.314)
Sure.
Brian Funk (01:21:21.226)
Little magical, little mysterious.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (01:21:23.706)
Yeah, and it could be not even as like, you know, big as I was making it. It could just be like this kind of two pieces locking in of yourself. Like you might even, you like, it's very, could be a very localized thing. Like you are collaborating with something else, but that's something else could just be another aspect of you that kind of comes into focus, clicks in, in a way.
And it has that kind of otherworldly, magical, mystical feeling because most of the time, we as humans are running around so out of touch with our own emotions and what we're feeling. And I think we are very dualistic in that way, that it is, I am here and you are there, as opposed to kind of like a non-dual approach to existing, which is, you know, to go back to meditation, like that's been something that I've been
Practicing for a few years now is non-dual, is this idea of like not having a head, this whole really trippy stuff, but the fact that maybe it is more localized than I'm even making it. Maybe it is that you are just clicking in with you. And when that happens, you become kind of this more...
complete picture that allows the music creativity to flow.
Brian Funk (01:22:54.762)
Hmm. Yeah, we probably, it's probably good for our survival that we have this feeling of being separate. I'm my own thing and you know, this is where my self ends and this is where everything else begins. But if you want to think of it in terms of energies, you know, things like you just say to people sometimes. There are things people have said that
for whatever reason, rattle around in my brain for my whole life, they would never even know they even said. And I'm sure it's that way. Things I've said or done or looks I've even given that might not have even been at that person but they thought it was, we are kind of rippling away at each other. And sometimes it really becomes apparent that, or it feels like we're just...
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (01:23:29.265)
Hmm.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (01:23:40.027)
Mm-hmm.
Brian Funk (01:23:50.974)
like we're like a molecule in some bigger mass, you know, where we could, if you kept zooming out, you'd just see like some giant organism that's made up of like galaxies.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (01:23:54.738)
Mm-hmm.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (01:24:02.838)
Yeah, I mean, I just saw another one of those like Carl Sagan things where, you know, he talks about our actual existence in the grand scheme of things. And it makes you feel a lot better, but it also does make you think like that we are all having an effect on everything. And it is really apparent when you look at, like you were talking about mowing your lawn.
You know, I live in Austin, so my lawn dies in the summer. Just dead, crunchy, brown. And I'll see neighbors watering their lawn and they have the sprinklers and it's going all year round. And you know, it's brown patchy. And I'm like, okay, well, mine's dead. It's gone, it's not coming back, but I'm just gonna leave it. And you know, today, December 30th, I'm out there and it's like, it is this gorgeous lush green lawn because I got out of the way.
Brian Funk (01:25:01.048)
Hm.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (01:25:02.354)
and I stopped trying to affect it and I stopped trying to control it and I just let it do the thing that it's doing. And I guess we're big on the metaphors this episode, but it's a valuable thing to realize is that, yeah, we are having an effect on everyone and everything. Sometimes it's ripples in a pond and sometimes it's shockwaves.
Brian Funk (01:25:29.71)
Mm.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (01:25:34.062)
I guess again, it's like, that's why I take this so seriously is like, yeah, like, okay, maybe I don't have as big of an audience as Tycho or as the Fleet Foxes or, you know, people of that caliber. But for me, it's the way that I'm contributing and it's the way that I know how and it's the way that I can help is by
putting out, you know, just good vibes really is what I'm getting at is like, if you distill it down to that, it's like my vibrations I'm trying to make positive as opposed to destructive and harmful and just generally shitty vibes that do seem to exist and will always, unfortunately. But yeah, that's what I'm trying to do, just good vibes.
Brian Funk (01:26:16.288)
Hmm.
Brian Funk (01:26:32.526)
Good vibes, man. Well, if every one of us made the world 0.0000001% better by the fact of us just being here, that's substantial. Then the world is getting better and better and better. So it's a good goal to have, good aim.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (01:26:33.538)
Yeah, exactly.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (01:26:52.114)
Mm-hmm.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (01:26:56.869)
Yeah.
Brian Funk (01:26:58.275)
I would say you're doing it. I mean, I had a very pleasant time getting into your stuff, talking to you now. And I think, you know, even specifically like last night, it put me into a very relaxed state that probably helped me rest better, probably made me a more pleasant person to be around today. You know? And who knows? I mean.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (01:27:18.322)
Thanks for watching!
Brian Funk (01:27:21.974)
Maybe when my wife went to the grocery store today, she didn't get into some altercation because I wasn't a pain in the ass today. Who knows what can happen, but I think it's a good philosophy to have and a good way to approach making your art. And I always come back to it for myself, even if the actual music doesn't make anyone better, at least it makes me a little better.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (01:27:27.322)
Right.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (01:27:51.718)
Yep.
Brian Funk (01:27:51.746)
then maybe I'm a little easier to deal with on a daily basis for other people.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (01:27:57.07)
Yeah, I mean, you summed it up perfectly. And yeah, again, I mean, even with what you're doing with the podcast, like you're putting out, you know, stories and conversations with people and human beings about really kind of like great stuff. And I think that what you're doing with it is important too. And again, thank you for.
wanting to talk about all of these things and kind of go into all these different places with it. It's so fun to chat about it. It's so fun to talk to someone about, you know, the fuller picture of just what you get when you go on to Spotify and you can hit shuffle on Six Missing. It's like, there's, yeah, there's more to it with every artist. And I'm so just grateful that you were wanting to talk to me about it. So thanks. Thank you so much.
Brian Funk (01:28:55.602)
Hey, thanks. I appreciate that. I'm glad you're a willing participant and your work inspires it. So, you know, those ripples got to me and I think together, like, you know, sometimes waves cancel each other out. Sometimes they, you know, increase each other's amplitude. So that's what we had going on here. Your stuff is great, man.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (01:29:19.302)
That's awesome.
Brian Funk (01:29:22.834)
And we should tell people, of course, here for now is available anywhere you can stream, really, as well as a lot of other stuff. Also, your Instagram is really nice. You've got some pretty cool performances, but also just some nice things you say from time to time, which is also appreciated. You've got a cool world in Six Missing. So thank you for, you know, bringing that here.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (01:29:42.623)
Thanks.
Six Missing / TJ Dumser (01:29:50.154)
Oh, thank you very much and thanks for the shout too on the new record. And, um, yeah, I appreciate it. And it was really awesome meeting you and talking to a fellow New Yorker as well. Oh, and that was it. Yeah.
Brian Funk (01:30:01.154)
Yeah, lights out. It's like it knew. Well, cool. Well, thank you. And we'll say thank you to everyone that's listening. We appreciate it very much and we hope you have a great day.
All right, lights out.