It’s not too often that you’ll find a band with a name that actually fits their style. The self-titled debut from Supreme Beings Of Leisure offers a fresh new style of electronic pop songs that bounce from dance floor beats to classical to Eastern and Western styles of music. The band formed when Kiran Shahani, Ramin Sakurai, and Rick Torres, formerly of the rap trio Oversoul 7, asked Geri Soriano-Lightwood to come in and add her charisma and lyrics to their act. Over time, the band stumbled onto what could very well be a new form of electronic pop music. Overall, from start to finish, Supreme Beings Of Leisure’s debut is a tight blend of programming and a good presentation of how to fuse of all types music together onto one record. Here’s a song by song approach to the album.
1. “Never The Same” – Right off the bat, the members showcase their programming talents, scratching ability, and the seductiveness of the Geri Soriano-Lightwood flavor. The soothing inclusion of the strings mixed down the soft drumbeat, creating a mellow four-minute ride. Rating: 9/10
2. “Golddigger” – Probably the most guitar you’ll hear on this record is in the first fifteen seconds of this song, which is more on the cut and dry pop side. Rating: 4/10
3. “Last Girl On Earth” – Dips into electronic elevator music built on trip-hop. Rating: 5/10
4. “Strangelove Addiction” – I wonder what Madonna would think of this tune? Supreme Beings takes to the dance floor with a continuous disco groove. Many of the band’s influences hang out on this tune, with the help of a sitar and snare beat to give the song some hop. Rating:8/10
5. “Ain’t Got Nothing” – Ain’t one of my favorite tracks on the record, but the programming of Sakurai, Shahani, and Torres is pretty sick. One second they drop a very fast break beat on you and then they cross over to a slowed down hip-hop beat. If you listen to mainly electronic music, you’ll appreciate “Ain’t Got Nothing” more than others will. Rating: 6/10
6. “Truth From Fiction” – Not much going on here. Rating: 2/10
7. “You’re Always The Sun” – Rating 5/10
8. “Sublime” Again, the use of Western style music meeting Eastern makes for an interesting sound. You add Geri’s softly guiding lyrics and this band stumbles onto a brand of music that I’m sure no one’s heard of. Rating: 6/10
9&10. “Nothin’ Like Tomorrow” and “What’s The Deal” These have appeared on a few Moonshine Records compilations, earning the band early recognition for their potential. Both songs are soft tracks loaded with programming samples and various sounds that come and go throughout. Rating: 6.5/10
11. “Under The Gun” – The strength of the group is their ability to formulate an easy listening electronic record. Rating: 6/10.
If you like Portishead, Morcheeba, and Sneaker Pimps, I recommend this record as an addition to your collection.
+larry sarzyniak
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