Six Missing :: Gentle Breath EP (Nettwerk)

An ethnography of shifting emotional terrain rendered in murky sketches by TJ Dumser, who has already brought a range of ambient expression to his developing back catalog, most notably with main project, Six Missing, and latest EP, Gentle Breath.

Shifting emotional terrain

An ethnography of shifting emotional terrain rendered in murky sketches by TJ Dumser, who has already brought a range of ambient expression to his developing back catalog, most notably with main project, Six Missing, and latest EP, Gentle Breath.

It comes off the back of a period of high-vis activity that included electro-acoustic collaboration, counter:point, with Clariloops (Ruby Ester Mae), as well as a Six Missing LP, Here For Now. This spate of productivity, however, came out of an activity level of dubious sustainability, ultimately ending in a mental health crisis. “These external accolades [that] come along with being a workaholic, but it’s still an addictive part of my behavior,” says Dumser. ‘”’d been running this marathon that felt like my life for a few years post-pandemic, just because I had the good fortune of becoming very busy.” Eventually, he hit a wall, impacting his perspective on the creative process: “I couldn’t get out of bed […] I’d look at the equipment that lined my room and realize that the stuff that used to bring me so much joy was taunting me for not being able to use them.” For a time he let it get to him before gathering himself and firing up the machinery again, starting work on what was to become Gentle Breath, which helped him in coming to terms with self-care and moving on.

A musical voice that came out unconsciously ::

It came together over a period that saw a new confidence develop in a musical voice that came out unconsciously. “I […] trusted that the listeners wouldn’t need their hand to be held. It gives them a place to process what I was processing, too,” he adds. Initially self-conscious about the new direction, acceptance gradually came for an “honest, unfiltered journey working through these feelings, which are just constantly evolving […].” Indeed, Gentle Breath navigates a head[space/scape] with various sonic inputs—ranging from GAS‘s blasted-heath beauty to TD‘s Kosmische oneirics, from “Storm,” rolling in cloud-like, sonorous strains against pluvial putter maneuvring a nocturnal hum through the queasy synth-smears of “Dream Realized” and the ambivalent Eno-esque motifs of “Auras” to the swarming textures of “Evolve.”

Overall, then, Gentle Breath pushes the lighter ambience of previous work into a more spacious zone—one making for more uneasy, but more rewarding, listening. “There are painful moments, and through it we can get to these brighter days,” he muses, adding “much as I need to be able to recognize when I need a break, it’s also OK to push yourself here and there to capture these extreme emotions.” It stands as an eloquent musical semiotic to this reflection, and his most interestingly nuanced work yet.

Gentle Breath is available on Nettwerk. [Bandcamp]