DJ Sema4
DJ - Brooklyn, NY.
Sema4, or Semaphore, or SM4 is Steve Marchese, and although he'd rather simply be Steve Marchese, the insular world of the DJ requires an enigmatic pseudonym. He's tried to avoid it, yet has conceded that there is little that's enticing about a night spent with DJ Steve Marchese. So he decided on Sema4. A language of codified flag waving where hands move and messages are sent, often represented by a square bisected diagonally by two colors. That balance also represents the way he approaches music: The old and the new; the dance floor and the headphone space; music to incite and inspire, music to relax and reset.
The goal was never specifically to DJ, but rather to disseminate as much good music as possible via hijacking friend's car stereos, slipping mixes into party boomboxes, or simply pointing the direction to a good show. Amassing a modest archive of vinyl after a life-changing 5-month stay in London in 1996, the next logical step seemed to be to get behind the wheels of steel, always with the intention to convert at least a single open mind to the merits of quality underground music. With Bastard Jazz, DJ Sema4 has found a label embodying his inclusive musical tastes, and a team of skilled producers and musicians willing to help bring to life the music in his head that he himself cannot yet produce. For that he is eternally grateful.
DJ Sema4 is also the sole entity behind Sema4 Design, a fledgling design company he hopes to further develop in 2004. In addition to a wide variety of electronic and print flyers, recent projects include a flyer and 7" label design for Brooklyn's Redbud Records, an upcoming ad for Bastard Jazz and the label and sleeve design for a future Bastard Jazz release featuring Master Mosquito (with remixes by Hint and Hydroponic Sound System). He is also an editor of earplug, an electronic music biweekly email, and a frequent contributor to YRB, RE:UP, Resonance and WYWS magazines.
