Smoke Signals: Ritual, Scent, and Creating Energy in the Studio
Before a single note is played, before the gear hums to life, I almost always begin with scent. A moment to light incense or Palo Santo, to let the smoke curl around the space like a gentle reminder: this is sacred.
It’s a small ritual, but one that creates a noticeable shift in the studio. The air changes. My body settles. The creative process doesn’t just begin with a sound—it begins with intention.
Why Ritual Matters in a Creative Practice
Over time, I’ve come to recognize that the work we do creatively isn’t just about inspiration—it’s about preparation. And for me, that begins with preparing the space. The scent of Palo Santo or the slow burn of incense becomes a kind of threshold, a way to cross into a different headspace.
It’s a centering practice. A clearing. It tells my nervous system that it’s time to shift from noise to presence, from scattered thought to focused openness.
Much like ambient music, scent works on a level that’s subtle and immersive. It doesn’t demand attention, but it shapes the experience. It holds the space.
Scent as an Extension of Sound
What I love about using incense in the studio is that it feels like a companion to the sound. The scent drifts slowly, like a drone or pad, subtle but expansive. It creates a space where ideas feel more welcome—like the energy has been wiped clean for something new to emerge.
Ambient music thrives in the spaces between, and scent works much the same way. It fills the gaps between thoughts. Between breaths. Between takes. It becomes part of the atmosphere, part of the architecture of the moment.
A Collaboration Rooted in Ritual
As part of the upcoming vinyl release of Without Mind, I’ve partnered with Goyo to create a custom paper incense blend that captures the feeling of this record. Goyo shares the same appreciation for ritual, intention, and sensory experience—and together, we’re crafting something that expands the world of the album beyond sound.
The idea is simple: when you light this incense and drop the needle, it becomes a full-bodied experience. One that’s not just heard, but felt. Smelled. Remembered.
I’ll have more to share soon about this limited edition piece of the Without Mind release, but I couldn’t be more grateful to work with a brand like Goyo that understands how scent can shape presence.
Creating Your Own Ritual
You don’t need a studio full of gear to build a ritual. All you need is intention. It could be incense. A deep breath. A light stretch. A walk around the block. Whatever helps clear the static and create the space.
And if you’re looking for a place to start—musically—I’ve curated Meditative Moments, a playlist of ambient tracks designed to support slow, intentional living:
🎧 Follow & Save Meditative Moments
Let the scent rise. Let the music settle. Then begin.
Until next time,
Your fellow human just being.
– Six Missing
Scoring the Everyday: How Ambient Music Can Shape Your Daily Rhythm
I’ve always loved the idea of a soundtrack for life—not in the dramatic, cinematic sense, but in the quiet, invisible way music can wrap itself around our routines. For me, ambient music isn’t just something I create—it’s something I live inside of. It shapes how I move through the world, and how the world feels as I move through it.
There’s a soft kind of magic in choosing sound intentionally. It can reframe a moment, shift the mood of a morning, or turn a mundane task into something meditative. And more and more, I find myself drawn to the idea that ambient music can be used to score the rhythms of daily life.
Music as Movement, Not Just Moment
Some people think of ambient music as background. I think of it as a thread—something that ties together the breath between moments. It’s not there to distract or to hype, but to accompany. To ground. To soften.
I’ve heard from listeners who play Six Missing while they make coffee, journal, stretch, meditate, walk, or simply breathe for a moment before the day begins. And that feels like the highest compliment—that something I created in stillness can now help someone else settle into their own quiet.
Routines as Rituals
Creating a sense of rhythm in your day isn’t about rigid scheduling. It’s about turning the small things—brewing tea, opening a window, lighting incense—into tiny rituals. And music can help anchor those rituals.
I often begin my mornings with sound before screens. A gentle drone. A slowly shifting pad. No lyrics, no rhythm to chase—just space to re-enter the day with softness. It’s a reminder to treat the first few hours not as a to-do list, but as a return.
Designing Sound for Function and Feeling
When I make ambient music, I’m often thinking about function just as much as feeling:
Can this track help someone focus?
Could it hold space for a moment of grief or clarity?
Might it soothe the edges of a tough afternoon?
That’s why playlists like Meditative Moments exist—not as definitive answers, but as gentle suggestions. A sonic offering for wherever you find yourself.
🎧 Follow & Save Meditative Moments
Whether it’s background for a slow morning or accompaniment for evening journaling, these tracks are here to support your rhythm—not disrupt it.
A Living Soundtrack
Your life deserves to be scored with intention. Not every moment needs a crescendo. Some just need a breath, a tone, a little space to exist inside of. That’s what ambient music offers—a reminder that we’re allowed to move slowly, feel fully, and listen deeply.
Until next time,
Your fellow human just being.
– Six Missing
Creating Emotion with Reverb & Delay: The Heart of Ambient Music
If there's one thing I've learned in making ambient music as Six Missing, it's that sound alone isn't enough—emotion lives in the space around the sound. That’s where reverb and delay come in. These two effects are the heart of how I shape emotional texture and movement. They’re not just tools; they’re mood shifters, sculptors of space, and conveyors of feeling.
Ambient music, by nature, doesn’t rely on melody or rhythm in the traditional sense. It relies on atmosphere, tone, and depth—and reverb and delay are essential for building that immersive world.
Why Reverb Matters
Reverb simulates space. It tells your brain how big a room is, how far away a sound might be, or whether you're hearing something in a cathedral, a cave, or under the surface of water. But in ambient music, reverb isn't just about creating a sense of space—it's about dissolving boundaries.
I often use long, lush reverb tails that stretch notes into eternity, letting them drift and blur into one another. This creates a kind of sonic fog that softens edges and makes everything feel connected. It’s a way of letting a sound linger emotionally, like the echo of a thought or a feeling you can’t quite shake.
The Emotional Weight of Delay
Where reverb creates space, delay creates memory. A delayed sound is a reflection, a moment that repeats and transforms over time. In ambient music, I love using delay not just for rhythmic echo, but for the emotional weight it carries—a voice or guitar note bouncing back like a memory you keep returning to.
Delays can be short and subtle, like the feeling of déjà vu, or long and unpredictable, like the passage of time. I often use tape-style delays or analog units that introduce gentle imperfections—flutter, warble, degradation—that make the echoes feel more human.
How I Use Reverb & Delay in Six Missing
One of the ways I build emotional space in my music is by stacking multiple reverbs. I might use a shorter room reverb to emulate a physical space or proximity—something that brings a bit of presence and intimacy—and then layer it with a long, washed-out tail that lets everything dissolve into the atmosphere. This contrast helps create depth, giving the sound both weight and lift, grounding it while allowing it to drift.
In my studio, I’ve built a signal chain that includes vintage delay pedals, reverb units, and modular effects chains that allow me to sculpt space in real time. Some go-to tools include:
Boss DD-20 in looping mode for cascading echoes.
Meris Mercury7 for reverb that sounds like it’s from another galaxy.
EarthQuaker Devices Avalanche Run for dreamy stereo ambiance.
Analog tape machines to create natural tape delay and saturation.
When I'm creating, I rarely hear a dry sound and say “that’s it.” It's usually once the sound is bathed in reverb or bouncing through delay lines that it starts to feel like Six Missing.
Why It Matters
In a world that’s loud, fast, and sharp-edged, ambient music offers a place to slow down and soften. Reverb and delay create that softening effect. They let sounds blur into one another, letting listeners rest in the spaces between.
Whether I’m designing a track for meditation, nighttime reflection, or a deep emotional dive, these tools allow me to shape an experience that’s not just heard—but felt.
If you’re curious about how these textures play out in real time, check out my playlist Meditative Moments, where reverb and delay are woven into every track to help you slow down, breathe, and just be: