Ramin Sakurai and Geri Soriano-Lightwood
featuring the Men of Leisure.....
Geoff 'Machine' Brandin, Jason 'Tanq' Graham, and SHEL
Influences
YES IT'S HERE
11i Remix EP Featuring Fidgital, Carmen Rizzo, Gabriel Diggs, John Morales and Jez Colin Get yours now...
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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.”
Happy new year, Geri and Ramin, from Anthony and Daniel, down in Montreal Quebec, Canada. Your music rocks and we hope to see & hear you soon, on tour again in 2010 or 2011, here in Montreal. Montreal loves you much, and you have a much bigger fan-base here in our beautiful city than you know. We still haven't seen you live yet, and we cannot wait 'til you come here to blow us away with your heavenly, outstanding, sexy and sultry sounds.
Mmmmm Hmmmmm, you guys know it!
Need I say more?
All the best to you in 2010 and beyond. From the bottom of my heart, Anthony Morelli & Dan in Montreal :-)
You guys gotta come to Montreal, Canada, to perform for your faithful & many fans, here in Canada. We need you here, cos you guys are amazing!
We have your CDs and we really like you & your music.
Time flies too quickly and we (me and my partner Daniel) haven't had the opportunity to see you guys live here in Montreal before. Any plans on coming here to Montreal in 2010 or 2011? I'm sure you'd receive an outstanding response from your fans here, if you were to perfom your best songs for us.
All the best in 2010 & beyond. Take care & hope to hear from you soon, Anthony Morelli - from cold, wintry Montreal, Quebec, Canada
It was such a culture shock to have my daughter start school and for us stand in one place all year but it's been a massive healing time for everyone and just as well we did stand still considering what has been manifesting!! It may seem so very hard at times but the difficulties are the mirror for the beautiful possibiliies inside of us and between us! I appreciate it when you send me warm fuzzies and updates about your own experiences and ways of being. Please don't stop letting me know how you are and what you are finding out. You are often my teacher and an inspiration. x x x
“Watch your thoughts, for they become words; watch your words, for they become actions; watch your actions, for they become habits; watch your habits, for they become character; watch your character, for it becomes your destiny." ~ Mahatma Ghandi”
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