Slow Fade

Stephen Boykewich // Good Sunset

Conversations about finding creative clarity, staying connected, and making art that matters in a digital age. The gatekeepers are gone. We're in a golden age of creative production. And we're drowning in a digital flood. But there are brilliant artists who are discovering ways to stay human. They're finding meaning and making it. Forming invisible communities. Unplugging but staying connected. From a sunny, synth- and script-laden studio within dreaming distance of the Hollywood sign, I talk to them about how.

Episodes

  1. Jun 19

    AI is Not Art // TJ Dumser aka Six Missing

    TJ Dumser, aka Six Missing, is one of those guys who makes you feel better about the world just because he’s in it. [NOTE for Apple Podcast subscribers: the correct Slow Fade feed is at this link -- please click and make sure it's the one you're subscribed to. There is a duplicate listing that I'll be removing soon. Thanks.] TJ is a professional sound designer, mixer, and composer whose journey as an ambient musician started a decade ago with an accidental 15-minute guitar meditation that a friend convinced him to release. Fast forward and he’s an ambient playlist fixture with millions of streams who’s had his face on a billboard in Times Square. But he’s as open, introspective, and committed to music as a mental health practice as ever. His recent album “Without Mind,” which you’re hearing now, began as a score for ketamine therapy sessions. But what kind of ambient musician thrives on pressure? How does he balance the demands of audiences and playlist editors with his own impulses? How does he feel about AI-generated ambient? And what is it like owning the tyrannosaurus rex of vintage analog synths? I talked to TJ to find out. We’re just getting started at Slow Fade, so please subscribe, leave a review, and share with a friend if you dig it -- it really helps. Thanks for listening. - Steve / Good Sunset Episode Notes: Six Missing's latest EP, Passed Self Six Missing on Instagram Six Missing on YouTube Korg P-3100, "The Polyphonic Tyrannosaurus" Good Sunset on Instagram Good Sunset on YouTube Tracks played (in order): "Not Alone" - Six Missing"We Took Control" - Six Missing"The Whole Ensemble" - Six Missing"Sit Down and Play" - Six Missing"Took a Moment" - Six MissingSpecial thanks to Navin Kala for the Slow Fade cover art. Check out our magical conversation in Slow Fade ep. 1.

    52 min
  2. Jun 5

    Stop Trying to be Cool // Ainsworth

    Ainsworth is a Toronto-based music producer, multi-instrumentalist, and social media synth jam maestro. If you’ve spent any time in the synthier corners of Instagram or YouTube, you’ve bobbed your head to the irresistible beats he makes on synths the size of matchboxes. [NOTE for Apple Podcast subscribers: the correct Slow fade listing is ⁠at this link⁠ -- please click and make sure it's the one you're subscribed to. There is a duplicate listing that I will be removing soon. Thanks.] But Ainsworth also has decades of experience as a gigging musician, composer, and songwriter. And over the past five years, he’s put out a series of albums I can’t get enough of—especially Jazz Blaster, which you can sample in this episode. He blends retro electronic sounds with horn parts, hip-hop vocals, jazz chords, and one of the rarest and most refreshing things in music: a sense of humor.  I caught Ainsworth in a moment of transition: he’s in a new studio, making career moves, and most importantly, he’s just become a father. So how does parenthood change your art? Why are audiences so much bigger for social media jams than full albums? How do you escape the black hole of endless gear acquisition? And does your music get better when you stop trying to be cool? I talked to Ainsworth to find out. Episode notes Ainsworth on Instagram Ainsworth on Youtube Good Sunset on Instagram Good Sunset on YouTube Tracks played (in order): "Don't Be Sentimental" - Ainsworth feat. Luc Wiebe"Fight for Love" - Ainsworth feat. Lank"Tony" - Ainsworth"Things change" - Ainsworth"Afternoon Adagio" - Ainsworth"IKWIWB" - Ainsworth"Coffee with Jay" - Ainsworth"Infinity Pool" - Ainsworth"I'm Just Saying" - Ainsworth feat. Lank"Self Care" - Ainsworth feat. Lank"Enter Alpha" - Ainsworth Special thanks to Navin Kala for the Slow Fade cover art.

    52 min

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

Conversations about finding creative clarity, staying connected, and making art that matters in a digital age. The gatekeepers are gone. We're in a golden age of creative production. And we're drowning in a digital flood. But there are brilliant artists who are discovering ways to stay human. They're finding meaning and making it. Forming invisible communities. Unplugging but staying connected. From a sunny, synth- and script-laden studio within dreaming distance of the Hollywood sign, I talk to them about how.

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