Call Sender Share Their Timeless Debut 'Lost To The Storm'

Call Sender is the collaborative brainchild of Suffolk (UK) based multi-instrumentalist, composer, producer, and engineer Paul Elliott and Bay-area (US) resident multi-instrumentalist, recording engineer and drummer Michael Reed.

Birthed from drumming clips uploaded online during the pandemic, Michael and Paul fostered their creative partnership through the medium of Skype, resulting in a timeless jazz-funk LP ‘Lost To The Storm', despite living on separate continents and (yet) to meet in person.  

Taken from the namesake of a vintage intercom, Call Sender's debut album ‘Lost To The Storm' has an old-school vintage foundation with a modern perspective. The album is cinematic and timeless yet fresh, drawing comparisons to Big Crown Records, Surprise Chef and the new wave of jazz-funk artists.  

Influenced by iconic acts such as Klaus Weiss, Miles Davis, and Nino Nardini, as well as obscure library tracks, experimental music, European film soundtracks and a hip and funky sonic aesthetic, Call Sender's music is nostalgic without being pastiche, has a sense of travelling at its core, having been recorded in different parts of the globe, while never hesitating on the direction of the music. 

“It was never overtly discussed but I believe we wanted to continue that tradition and have funky stuff that had a cinematic vibe to it”, says Michael. Paul adds: “I kinda thought as we were making ‘Lost To The Storm' that it could be the soundtrack to a weird and obscure film - instrumental, funky at times, some drama.” 

The artwork by award-winning photographer George Karbus, one of the world's leading outdoor photographers, perfectly encapsulates the imagery of ‘Lost To The Storm'. All titles of the album tracks are named after places near where Michael and Paul live, half from The Bay Area, USA and the other half from Suffolk, UK. ‘Lost To The Storm' takes its name from the lost town of Dunwich on the Suffolk Coast. “A town literally lost to a storm – Britain's version of Atlantis!” Paul jokes.  

Singles from the LP include “Mad Mark / Nova” and “Midnight at Baker / Lost To The Storm”. “Mad Mark” is the name of a sculptor that built a clandestine castle on landfill at the Albany Bulb in San Fran Bay. The track is inspired by breakdancing culture, taking the b-boy drums from the style while adding fuzz guitars and a sprinkle of synths. The result is an on-a-mission soundtrack that packs a punch with every listen. While “Nova” is a nostalgic wonder-blend inspired by 70s French and Italian library music and named after Paul's newly-born daughter. 

“Midnight at Baker” refers to Baker Beach in San Francisco, a late-night hang-out spot Michael would go to with his friends. “The view of the Golden Gate Bridge and the solitude at that time of day is inspiring”, he adds. The track encapsulates this vibe and the rewarding feeling of being somewhere you shouldn't be visiting.

Album focus track “Wilderness” showcases a darker side to the record, meshing super funky drums with Chinese zither, Moroccan Qraqeb and a touch of latin percussion, “one for the futuristic b-boys” Call Sender jest. The title track, “Lost To The Storm”, is full of intrigue and mystery, like the eerie remains of the drowned village, mixing dramatic acoustic and electronic elements, accents of percussion and underwater-sounding synths, all motifs of the full-length player. 

Photo Credit: Call Sender  

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