Lost Signal Talks New Album, Musical Influences And More

Lost Signal is the solo project of electro-industrial music composer Charles Rehill. His new album ‘Anatomy Of Melancholy’ is out now on Metropolis Records. He kindly chatted to us about the records and more: 

When did you begin songwriting?

I started writing songs in my early teenage years. I was in as many bands as I could find, and started using “loops” I’d make to act as a backing “band” as early as 1994 with an old Windows 486 PC. I just recently found some of those early tracks, and while they endlessly make me cringe, I’m a little impressed with what teenage me was able to accomplish with what I had.

What is your earliest musical memory?

I can remember vividly dancing to Vangelis’ LP “Albedo 0.39”. I didn’t rediscover that album until much later in life, but when I did, it was alarming to me how much of it I still remembered.

Your new album ‘Anatomy Of Melancholy’ is out now. How did you want to approach the making of the album?

Initially, the intention was to return to the studio and just kind of “see what happens.” After completing construction on my studio and finally having the opportunity to spend uninterrupted time creating, I had hours and hours of music that largely fell into one of two broad categories – ambient, and what I would consider potential “Lost Signal” tracks. After finishing up an album of the ambient works I felt were most worth sharing, I knew it was time to work on Lost Signal again. It came together faster than anything I’d worked on previously, and the momentum has carried through into the present with some additional tracks already well underway. I have far more discipline and confidence now, which is proving to be more fruitful.

Where did you record the album and who produced it?

I recorded and self-produced this album in the countryside of New York’s Catskill Mountain region. I live on an 18th century farm, and over the last several years I’ve converted an old blacksmith workshop into a recording studio. It retains its charm, but has become an inspirational place for me to work.

Do you have any interesting, funny or memorable stories from the album recording sessions?

At first, I really wasn’t sure how this would turn out. It’s been more than a decade since I sat agonizing over my last release; making daily mixes to listen to in the car with a ragged notebook for changes that I’d have to make at night. I didn’t have much confidence in myself or my ability back then, and I’d rarely know when to stop and call something “finished.” This one felt different – I could get across what I wanted to say without much trouble, and even the few times I’d have to scrap a session and start over were only minor hiccups on the way.

Who was in the band on the album and what did they play?

It’s just me on this album, aside from the sound of the Spring Peepers at the very beginning and very end; acting a little as bookends to the journey. The peepers arrive at the tail end of spring where I live, and their chorus can be deafening. They mark the true end of winter for us.

Did you use any particular instruments, microphones, recording equipment to help you get a particular sound/tone for the record?

I did. I had the very good fortune to use a Lewitt LCT 1040 tube microphone system to track the vocals, which I ran through either Yamaha’s “SILK” transformer emulation, or through a Trident 4T channel strip. The sound design and synthesizers were largely a combination on analog and “in the box,” with an Oberheim OBX8 and Sequential Prophet 10 being the most prominent. I still sum the mixes through an analog desk where it makes sense for warmth; using a hot-rodded Tac Scorpion with Langley line input mods. Another fun tool this time around was using the Soyuz “Launcher” on some of the drums and basslines for some added “oomph.”

One of the tracks is the single ‘Clover’ which is out now. What was the reason/story for selecting this track?

For me, “Clover” felt special since the early days of the songwriting process. I’d written the overall musical sketch whilst in the midst of mixing an ambient album, and it came together almost immediately once the basic foundation was in place. To me, it best sums up the theme and feeling of the album and this stage of my life. It’s classically “Lost Signal” and still fitting with what I’ve done with my past work, but with the elements that I love to play in now – the mood, the textures, and the emotion that it invokes.

Was it difficult selecting which songs to include on the album? Did you have a specific song selection process?

Whenever I have a sketch that I like, I’ll print a mix of it and send it to a playlist that I carry with me. Since we live in a rather remote area and I spent an absurd amount of time driving, I will listen to this “ideas” playlist while driving. Through this change of scenery and perspective I was able to narrow down the scope of the album to ideas that needed fully fleshing out, and drop ones that either don’t work yet, or didn’t fit the overall vibe of this particular album.

Which of your new album tracks hear you at your a) happiest, b) angriest and c) most reflective?

I think that as a whole, “Anatomy of Melancholy” is a reflective album – there are common themes of loss and despair, but from an elevated and (hopefully) wiser perspective. I couldn’t say that one track is necessarily happy or sad, but I think some personal stand-outs for me would be “Falling on my Sword,” “Trail’s End,” and “Ebb.” I feel that those, along with “Clover,’ are the ones I’m most proud of. They were all born of a ton of self-reflection and growth.

What two things do you hope to have achieved once you have left the stage?

I’ve never thought of it in such terms – when I first began this project in the late 1990’s, it was a way of expressing myself and discovering who I was at the time. I wanted recognition and validation both as a person and an artist. This re-emergence after a hiatus was like practicing a skill I’d shelved; but in that time I’d built a successful career in the Synthesizer and Pro Audio industry. A big motivating factor for me in the last few years was to put these instruments that I’ve poured so much of my passion into back into use.

Do you have any favoured stage instruments, effects, pedals, microphones etc?

For stage use, it really was dependent on the individual show. My personal preference was to always have the two synths I’d relied on since the beginning with me as much as possible: an Oberheim Matrix 6 for pads, and a Sequential Circuits Six-Trak for bass and/or leads. In the early to mid-2000’s, I toured with a Korg MS2000 and a Korg Z1 doing similar, but I still prefer to bring real analog wherever possible despite the risks.

Where is your hometown and could you please describe it in five words?

I grew up partly in the UK and partly in the North East US, split between New York and Philadelphia. Of those places though, I think I romanticize the home I lived in with my grandparents near Tenbury Wells, in Worcestershire. It was silent, peaceful, picturesque, warming, and ancient.

How do you look after your voice?

I never learned any proper vocal maintenance techniques, but when rehearsing or preparing for vocal takes, I’ll drink exclusively ice water. When I was younger, I’d have a shot of bourbon or whisky to hopefully add some “grit,” but time and better sense have added those naturally.

You are given the opportunity to write the score for a film adaptation of a novel that you enjoy. Which novel is it and why?

If I could chose any novel to score, I think as of right now I’d want to do Mikhail Bulgakov’s The Master and Margarita. It’s a favorite book of mine; grappling with the absurdity of humanity, the raw emotion of our relationships, and the comic folly of it all. As of this writing, I have not yet seen the recent Russian adaption of this book.

Who are some of your musical influences? Do you have any recommendations?

I’m an enormous fan of composers like Olafur Arnalds and Nils Frahm, and one of my favourite albums of all time is “A Winged Victory for the Sullen’s” self-titled album from 2011. They can do no wrong, but that album in particular speaks to me on a level that few pieces were ever able to. I’m also extremely fond of the National. Years ago I’d started working on my own interpretation of their song “Today” from the Cherry Tree EP 2004, but there’s very little I wouldn’t recommend wholeheartedly from their catalog.

Do you have any live dates planned in the UK/Europe in 2024/2025?

I do not yet, but my intention is to start performing at various UK and EU festivals in 2025. There’s some intention to begin doing some limited touring in the UK soon, but the talks are still in the very early phase.

What makes Lost Signal happy and what makes you unhappy?

I’m at my happiest when I’m writing and I reach that “flow” state where things fall into place; where good ideas turn into poignant and meaningful emotional passages. Having said that though, adversely I sometimes have to go back and re-live some things in order to draw from them what I need for inspiration. I’d say at this point I’m fairly good at compartmentalizing these things to only take what I need and leave, but going to these places can take their toll.