Talk about truth in a name. Delay Tactics took 38 years between the release of 1984’s Any Questions? and Elements of Surprise, which dropped in 2022. Was it worth the wait? Can’t really say, as I’m not familiar with this U.S.-based techno-pop instrumental trio’s earlier work. But based on the nine tracks here, discovering this band now is a case of better late than never.
Delay Tactics apparently was among the first American bands to produce music using digital instruments -- including looping, sampling and, ahem, delayed effects. The band formed in 1981 as a tape-looping guitar duo with Carl Weingarten and Reed Nesbit, and made a name for itself in the St. Louis area by playing late-night ambient concerts at movie theaters. By 1984, the lineup of Weingarten, Walter Whitney and David Udell was solidified, and those three are the same guys who recorded Elements of Surprise. (As a bonus, Michael Manring plays fretless bass.)
This is dreamy, ambient instrumental pop with progressive leanings on songs like “Shadow of Berlin,” "Idea3" and “Don’t Wake the Pharaoh.” And it all sounds just as -- if not more -- fresh and relevant than many of the trio’s contemporary peers. If you’re looking for the soundtrack to a chill Saturday evening, Sunday morning or anything in between, this is your record.
Track Listing:
1. Viola’s Ascent
2. Kalimba Lounge
3. Shadow of Berlin
4. Don’t Wanna Wake the Pharaoh
5. Fire Ceremony
6. Ever Unwinding
7. Idea3
8. Acoustic Reprise
9. Three Voices
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