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Brunon Kaminski and Vijay Tandon, the founding members of the post-hardcore band Char, met in their freshman year at Syracuse University while living in Day Hall. Despite majoring in computer science and biochemistry, both had extensive musical backgrounds.

“Music has been our favorite passion throughout our life,” Kaminski said. “It’s hard not to take it seriously when you care about it that much.”

What began as casual jam sessions between two roommates grew into a full-fledged band, including members Kaminski, Tandon, Gavin Casey, Trevor Fraticelli and Vito Vetere. About two years old, Char has become active in the Syracuse post-hardcore and noise rock scene. The band plays a mix of heavy, aggressive tracks and ambient sounds, often blending distorted guitars with unusual noises.

Kaminski has played classical piano since he was four, and regularly played guitar with his dad. Tandon started playing piano and drums when he was nine, and, although he’s had a guitar since he was 12, it wasn’t until college that he took playing the instrument seriously.

The duo’s passion to be in a band quickly turned into action. They began writing songs together and brainstorming name ideas until they settled on “Char,” which comes from a coding term and a Crystal Castles song of the same name.

Char’s musical style didn’t happen overnight. Their first songs leaned more toward classic hardcore, which got boring for them pretty quickly, Kaminski said. The band then shifted to combining the hardcore style with electronic and ambient elements.

“As the band has been going, the music has only been getting harder, louder and a little bit more obnoxious,” Kaminski said. “It’s infinitely more fun that way.”

In April, Char released their debut EP, “Char,” recorded and mixed by Casey in the Belfer Audio Laboratory and Archive on campus. The songs had been finished for a while, but the hardest part was deciding which ones to include.

The band wanted to pick a variety of songs that had different ideas and aesthetics. Kaminski said they focused on finding which songs were the best and then created a cohesive EP.

The members of Char are uncertain about the band’s future as some are graduating soon. However, they have their sights set on a full-length recorded album. Courtesy of Char, Photographs by Andrew Trebilcock, Hannah Delaray Stein

Tandon explained that the band’s writing process usually starts with one person bringing in a riff or a rough version of a song. Then, during rehearsals, they play it repeatedly and let it evolve naturally.

Casey’s engineering work really brought the album to life, Tandon said. He called Casey a “wizard” when it came to the entire recording process.

Live shows are where Char’s sound fully comes alive. The band often opens with an instrumental song that slowly builds into something loud and explosive. Their sets are high-energy, with lots of crowd interaction.

“I’ve always loved performing music,” Tandon said. “There’s this unexplainable joy I feel when I’m doing it.”

Kaminski added that it’s fun to see people experience songs that haven’t been released yet.

They’ve played at campus venues like The Dollhouse, as well as downtown spaces like The Song & Dance. Their shows have a reputation for drawing intense, engaged crowds. Tandon said that moshing is “very much encouraged.”

Olivia Friess, a longtime friend of the band, met the members during her first week at SU. She’s watched them grow from late-night jam sessions to the band they are today.

“They were some of the first to bring back that kind of sound to Syracuse,” Friess said.

She pointed out how rare it is for bands to appeal to both student audiences and the city’s hardcore crowd, but Char has just managed to do that through their mix of post-hardcore and noise rock.

Friess also noticed how Char’s confidence and stage presence has grown. They’re doing what they love, and what they’re most passionate about in terms of music, Friess said.

The band has taken their talents outside of just Syracuse, and now play and collaborate with bands from Ithaca and Cornell, Friess said.

Char’s future is a bit uncertain, as members approach graduation in a year and start to plan their next steps. Still, they remain focused on writing more music and recording a full-length album before their time at SU ends.

As they look ahead, one thing is clear: they’re in it for the love of it. Whether they’re playing in packed basements or dreaming about throwing a show in Bird Library, Char’s creative momentum and spirit continue to push Syracuse’s music scene in new directions.

“We’re just trying to make music that we actually like,” Kaminski said.

Published on May 8, 2025 at 12:14 am