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Semaphore
Between jazz saxophone transcriptions and chemical engineering problem sets, Siddhu Anandalingam decided that the only way he had time to explore his musical interests would be to combine his varied musical tastes – thus Semaphore was born. Drawing from the musicality and social commentary of artists like Pink Floyd, Tycho, The Dillinger Escape Plan, Smashing Pumpkins, M83, and Tigran Hamasyan, Semaphore’s music is intricate, lush, and hard to pin down to any one genre. Check it out and you will hear a combination of all the best parts of 90s grunge with floaty shoegaze vocals, delayed guitar effects, glued together with subtle jazz chord voicings and great production.
After graduating from Columbia University in 2015 with a minor in music, Siddhu moved back home to the suburbs of DC, where he spent the year focusing on writing music, and getting involved in the DC music scene. Upon returning to Brooklyn in mid-2016, Siddhu quickly found the correct musicians for the task of bringing Semaphore’s music to life. At a 2016 Dillinger Escape Plan show, Siddhu recognized Emmett Ceglia while Emmett was crowd-surfing, and remembered him as a friend of a friend who was a fantastic drummer.
After connecting with Emmett, he recommended Jay Kohler as a virtuosic math-core guitarist/composer who brought sensitivity and musicality to all projects he was associated with. A couple of months later, Siddhu and Jay met Niko Hasapopoulos while waiting in line to hear Ben Weinman (from Dillinger) give a talk about the music industry. While Niko was just a college student at the time, his excitement and energy was infectious, and he soon signed on as Semaphore’s permanent bassist.
Sometimes sweet, sometimes bombastic, but always entertaining, Semaphore excels at creating an enveloping experience, whether live or through headphones!
