Insight Interview: 100 day delay

100 day delay‘s stunning new release ‘Endless Static Sea‘ dropped last Friday. We caught up with the man himself to talk through his music and what’s in store for 100 day delay. Check out our exclusive interview here…

Hey 100 day delay, thanks so much for agreeing to an interview. Where are you based? Do you tend to travel a lot, or are you firmly rooted at home?

Hey Antony; thanks for the opportunity. I’m originally from Richmond, but moved to Salt Lake City, Utah a little over 4 years ago for graduate school. I haven’t traveled much since moving here, with the exception of a few trips in the US.

Can you recall your first real exposure to music?

The first album I can really remember wanting to play (non-stop, mind you) was The Alan Parsons Project – I Robot. I’m pretty sure I liked it mostly for the album cover, because I was obsessed with robots at the time. I used to bug my dad to put on the vinyl every chance I could. It’s a great mix of electronic and progressive/symphonic rock.

How and when did you first begin writing and creating music?

I’ve been playing guitar (albeit, poorly) since I was 10 years old; I think I downloaded my first DAW in 2012, however. I didn’t get more serious about it until I moved to Utah in late 2013. The ‘100 day delay’ project didn’t start until 2014, however.

How did you decide upon the name 100 day delay?

At the time, the project was based around a birthday gift for someone I was in a long-distance relationship with. I planned to write 100 cards over 100 days and ship them over along with music I had written with during that period of time; unfortunately, neither the cards nor music ever made their journey. Even though things didn’t pan out, I kept writing music in order to channel some of what I was feeling and find some solace. You can hear some of that in the track ‘Maybe Next Tuesday’ from the Letters EP.

Have you made or released music under any other name?

I have! About a year ago I started a project called ‘Departures’ which focused daily tracks for a month. It’s mostly a graveyard for half-finished demos, though I’ve definitely grabbed some great ideas from it.

Can you describe your music for us? Is there one particular track or album which you think encapsulates who you are as an artist?

It has definitely changed over time. I’ve hoped to use post-rock and orchestral music with electronic genres I love – garage definitely reigns supreme in that category. I think my most recent work focuses more on the orchestral side of things with a more uplifting tone with less beat-driven tracks. The Luna EP, on the other hand, was much darker in mood and I approached it with a much heavier hand when it comes to percussion. Even though it’s relatively old at this point, the track ‘Splinters of Her’, which was released on a Future Astronauts compilation, marked what I think was the beginning of a more cohesive sound for the project.

Have you played live recently? Would you like to do more shows or tours in future? Anything coming up soon you’d like to tell us about?

I haven’t played anywhere for about a year now; I’ve played a few shows with mind.slave, a local SLC collective. I also played a few shows with Resonata_, Hajimari, Black Visor, Forerunner, and ESSEX a little over a year ago in Seattle. I’ll be honest, playing tracks out isn’t something I’m very passionate about at the moment. If I were able to incorporate more of a performance element into sets, I think I’d be more excited about it.

What have been your biggest influences?

Where to start… My favorite band is This Will Destroy You, an amazing post rock outfit from San Marcos, Texas. Their album, Another Language, is absolutely stunning. Others include Sigur Rós, Explosions in the Sky, and God is an Astronaut. As far as the more electronic side: I really love Jon Hopkins, Exist Strategy, The Green Kingdom, Boards of Canada, The Glitch Mob, Koan Sound, Asa, and Sorrow.

Do you think producing electronic music requires technical or creative skill? Or both?

I think technical skills can be learned; but writing good music only can be achieved one way: good songwriting. If you couldn’t strip down a track to its most basic elements and have it stand alone and remain interesting, there’s no mixing technique or expensive plugin that could save it. It’s most important to focus on ideas first, and then use the (eventually) learned technical skills to either refine or distort that into your own atmosphere.

Do you tend to find the creative process a cathartic or therapeutic experience? Has creating music helped you cope with difficult times in your life?

Definitely. ‘Maybe Next Tuesday’ was probably the best example of that; it was based off of some words regarding a skype call while in a long-distance relationship. After a bit of reflection, I think that song crystallized the way I felt at the time. I think Bright Eyes summarized that feeling the best: “trap you in a song tied to a melody/ and I will keep you there so you can’t bother me.” I think it’s a great way to find some solace through self-expression.

Any collaborations, remixes or joint projects on the horizon?

Not at the moment. I’ve been focusing more on developing some of my own work first; definitely looking to do some remixes in the future, however.

Any new genres or musical styles you’d like to explore in future?

I’d love to continue developing more post-rock influenced music. I’d love to be able to play some live ambient one day.

Tell us about your new EP ‘Endless Static Sea’. Was there a particular theme or a particular sound you were trying to achieve?

This is the EP I’ve wanted to write since the beginning of this project; huge shout out to the team at The Sound Shop for helping it become a reality. It’s a story-focused blend of orchestral, post-rock, and ambient. It definitely has an uplifting, nostalgic feel to it; a stark contrast to the Luna EP. Tracks like ‘Endless Static Sea’, ‘Brine-filled Lungs’, and ‘Departures’ focus more on the atmospheric, orchestral side of things, while ‘Guided By Gales’, ‘We Saw A Brighter Tomorrow’, and ‘Cicada’ feature more beat-driven styles. I’m incredibly lucky to have had live cello played over the entirety of it; I think that really makes it shine in a way that sequenced strings couldn’t.

The name is derived from some lyrics in a Bright Eyes song (Easy/Lucky/Free). I always loved the image it conjured, and I’ve attempted to imagine what a voyage into a place like that would feel like, along with the anxiousness, excitement, and homesickness that comes along with it.

Any artists or other individuals / collectives you’ve not worked with yet that you’d like to work with in future?

I’d definitely like to work with Soular Order and 4lienetic. I think we could make some real magic.

Do you have a favourite track / song of all time? Favourite artist?

This Will Destroy You – Dustism

Do you have any words of advice for aspiring young producers?

Focus on songwriting, and write for your yourself. If you’re not enjoying making music you’re working on, then something’s wrong. I know it’s incredibly cliché to say ‘keep grinding,’ but that phrase does have some merit; learning and developing as a producer requires as much attention and focus as any other craft even when all of the tools are so easily accessible.

Any other projects on the horizon that you’d like to tell us about?

I’ve been getting more into writing music for film and film trailers; it’s a lot of fun to conjure up fictional movies and score for projects that don’t exist yet. It’s a really refreshing way to write.

And finally – are there any tracks / artists that are relatively unknown that you’d like people to know about?

Bluereso’s new EP ‘Silhouette in Sanctuary’ is amazing; Charles & The Fury, Fading Language, and some friends from Salt Lake City: Uinta, Constellations, and kudo.

Thanks so much 100 day delay!

Thank you for having me 🙂

‘Endless Static Sea’ is out now and available across multiple platforms (click here for the fanlink).