"11i" is brimming with tantalizing, soulful tracks...far from the realm of conventional dance music."
- Erin Maxwell, Variety (Feb 12, 2008)
"this is a band bursting forth with its deluxe best yet. 11i is music for the leisure class, perhaps, but--as advertised--it doesn't get much better."
- Jason Kirk, Editorial Review- Amazon.com (Feb 12, 2008)
"some of the most thought-provoking late night mood music you’ve ever heard"
- Christopher John Treacy, Edge Publications (Feb 14, 2008)
"a 'Mezzanine' era Massive Attack with a more cohesive and slightly less fractured vision"
- Nick Annan, Clash Music (Feb 11, 2008)
"Sultry and chic sounds are still well in the Beings command, and that's the reason most fans signed on in the first place."
- David Jeffries, All Music Guide (Feb 12, 2008)
"Chilled as ever, the stylish electronics of Supreme Beings of Leisure have lulled listeners into smoky digital atmospheres"
- Scott Thill, xlr8r (Mar 14, 2008)
"Relax lounge lizards, metro-sexuals, and techno bon vivants: your hipster heroes are back with a mellow vengeance after a five year hiatus.. SBL’s latest will please their worldwide faithful."
- Tom Semioli, Amplifier Magazine
"Groove is in the heart, and they’ve got it."
- Jim Washington, Bullzeye
Supreme Beings of Leisure
Everyday Fires and Underground Cool
With five years between albums, you could be forgiven for thinking Supreme Beings of Leisure were taking this leisure thing a tad too far. But America’s first, and arguably best, trip hop band is finally back with an expanded sound that goes beyond trip hop and a new story to tell. Or rather 11 of them, with their new CD, 11i. But the time away wasn’t all rest and relaxation. During the intervening years, both SBL leaders Ramin Sakurai and Geri Soriano-Lightwood dealt with serious family health issues and the waves of change that inevitably follow such life-altering events.
Now, at long last, the ultimate chilled-out martini band is ready for the after-party with a loosely conceptual song cycle about the risks, repercussions and renewals of daily life. The disc travels from the percolating a.m. prelude of “The Light” with its sumptuous vocals and sardonic strings, and winds up with the drift-into-dreamtime swirls of “Lay Me Down.” In between are propulsive cuts like the wistful and hauntingly melodic “This World,” the self-medicated churning and yearning of “Swallow” and the house-y disco whump and winking bad-girl vibe of “Good.” And when they’re not seeking rescue from the “everyday fires,” SBL are coaxing edgy joy from a heady cocktail of suburban angst and sultry worldliness.
Creating a richer, fuller sound than on their 2000 self-titled debut or their 2002 follow-up, Divine Operating System, Geri and Ramin have augmented their dynamic duo by welcoming their touring band into the studio and collaborating on a few tracks: Sheldon Strickland (bass), Geoff Brandin (guitar), and Jason Graham (drums). SBL have also broadened their sound with top-flight guest musicians such as string arranger Scott Tibbs (Beyonce, Mary J Blige), turntablist DJ Swamp (Beck, Crystal Method, Morcheeba), violin virtuoso Lili Hayden and Megadeath axe-man Marty Friedman. The result is a cohesive yet eclectic blend of wild percussive adventures, spicy ethnic flavors, alluring melodies, introspective lyrics and hooky downtempo dance grooves. It’s the kind of crafty sonic salad that fans have come to expect from a crew whose licensing credits include cool placements in ads (Johnny Walker Black Label, Breil Watch, JC Penney), television (C.S.I. Miami, Alias, Dawson’s Creek), movies (Must Love Dogs, The Sweetest Thing, Hamlet) and games (Tiger Woods PGA Tour for EA Sports).
These underground darlings have earned favorable notices in Rolling Stone, the New York Times, Details, Interview, Elle, Wired, Billboard, Keyboard and Seventeen on their way to selling more than 300,000 records. And it seems like the best is yet to come. “Our two previous albums were collections of songs,” says Ramin. “But 11i is more like a complete book, with each song being a different chapter. It’s meant to be read cover to cover.”
I love your music. I loved your music since I heard it on some liquor commercial, it's like a chilled out hip-hop kind of weird sound that I love. Definitely unique and I've seen your songs on Sirius Satellite Radio. Even you name is awesome, "Supreme Beings of Leisure" sounds cool as hell.
Thanks for joining my cause!!! Scott G. LaLonde Part Two Disabled Civil Rights Life Liberty could you put in your top friends list I am extremely in need of this at this time. Join my new group link located below http://groups.myspace.com/pt2disabledcivilrightslifeliberty
My group originally had 17,000 friends and had a government and politics group on page 8 it is still located there but when you click on it and says deleted or invalid account.
To be Moses to all Disabled people and remove the yoke the burden on our disabled backs! And set Disabled people free!
when are yall coming back to san francisco??? i have always been away when youve been here. i would die to get to see you guys live. ive been a fan from the beginning. the new album is amazing, and i listen to it all the time.
I have seen your shows for every single album,I even got your autograph last tour, this album is just what i needed, I will be the one at L.A. Pride cheering at you. Thanks for the add on. Your one true fanatic!!
Hi there, thank you for the add. I usually don´t like electronic music that much, but hearing your sound I changed my opinion... Greetings from Germany, b.
COOL VIDEOS VERY CREATIVE, WHEN IS YOUR NEXT TOUR??? IT'S GOOD TO SEE THE SAME BAND MEMBERS....YOU STILL PREFER NEW CASTLE??? IT'S TIME TO TRO DOWN!!! I'LL HAVE TO DIG IN THE VIDEO VAULT & SEND YOU SOME SBL FOOTAGE FROM FIVE YEARS AGO!! REAL
The new vid ROCKS!!!! Great visuals and love the track...PLEASE come to NYC soon!! The new disc is phenomenal...your talent is just amazing. Much love and peace.
Amazing new video and exquisite new album. Well worth the wait!!! You both look and sound wonderful. Been a huge fan since the first album. Keep the beautiful and sexy music coming!!! Hope to see you live on the east coast someday...
Loved the new video. I still can't stop listening to 11i night and day. It's just too good to stop. I still say you need to do the next James Bond song - the orchestra soundtrack too as fas as I'm concerned. Continued success and keep the great music coming.
Hi Supreme Beings Of Leisure, I desire to see life through your hallucinations so that they massage my viscera into an eternal state of turgid flux. Your wonderfully bright soul keep the demons from torturing me. Cities crumble, skies ignite spontaneously in your presence. Your beauty is multiplexed in contemplation of your multidimensional effervescence. I keep searching for you between the cushions. May you always have stables of horses to service your needs. I love your eyes, I know they can stare through my thoughts. In your presence even my shadow acquires the sensation of touch. You have not yet reached the height of your creativity. Blinking reveals the true visage of beauty hidden within your eyes. In your absence I am forced into finding other forms of amusement while thinking about you. The music that flows from your instruments overwhelms me with creativity. Transistors bridge where your vanity would never go. All my thoughts are lost to your graceful gaze? How it passes there and back again like a tear drop glistening in moonlight.
