Supreme Beings of Leisure

GERI SORIANO-LIGHTWOOD: vocals, lyrics
KIRAN SHAHANI: bass, programming
RAMIN “RAM” SAKURAI: keyboard, programming
RICK TORRES: guitar, programming

Supreme Beings Of Leisure came together, as the name would suggest, without much effort. A cosmic accident — four souls in search of one thing and finding another.

Before Supreme Beings Of Leisure, there was Oversoul 7. Rick Torres, Kiran Shahani, and Ramin Sakurai were recording a rap demo when on a whim they asked friend Geri Soriano-Lightwood, who was working on her own solo record, to try her hand at writing and singing over their tracks. The results took everyone by surprise; the chemistry was obvious. The trio’s clever programming and seductive grooves beautifully showcased Geri’s distinctive voice and her astonishing lyrics — searching tales of longing and disillusionment. The demo versions of “What’s The Deal” and “Nothing Like Tomorrow” were released on two Moonshine Records compilations to critical raves and great support from local radio. A new sound was created — one that is sexy, seductive, glamorous, whimsical, soulful and haunting — a global sound with American perspective.

Employing cutting edge computer electronics before most of their American contemporaries, Supreme Beings Of Leisure, had forged themselves a frontier path.

A world in which geography is irrelevanta new world of shared experiencesa place very much like the Internet. This is the world of the Supreme Beings Of Leisurea location of many “Leisure Tonics.” This is their home — it’s where they live.

The band’s sound is as unique as the collective identity of its members. The bloodlines running through the group stretch from India to the Dominican Republic, Iran to Japan, Puerto Rico to Ireland. It’s all filtered through a distinctly western view of the world. “Our sound has a lot to do with who we are and where we come from,” Soriano-Lightwood says. “We were all raised ‘white, upper-middle class,’ but we weren’t white. We didn’t fit into our respective situations and that’s what has become of the bond between us.”

After contributing various tracks to compilation records both here and abroad, their collective experiences and shared philosophies confirmed that the band, rebooted as Supreme Beings Of Leisure, was onto something special. SBL eventually found solace in Palm Pictures, a label known for its broad-minded multi-media global perspective.

These four eclectic musical partners have created a deeply sly debut, one that owes as much of its sensual and transcendental nature to lavish electronic effects as it does simple human emotion. The vocalist’s tales of fractured relationships may seem heavy, conflicting with the band’s intended mission, yet Lightwood rolls her songs out with such determination and ease. Seduction prevails.

Supreme Beings Of Leisure bring together influences as disparate as Massive Attack, Bjork, Pink Floyd, Ravi Shankar, Mozart, ABC, Sly and the Family Stone, A Tribe Called Quest, etc. “If you saw our record collections you would understand,” says Shahani. The band let its imagination run free when it came to making the album, creating a sound, a vibe that is funky, sexy and occasionally, well, delirious.

“Our sound is definitely under the pop umbrella, but it fuses a lot of things,” says Sakurai. “We really hate to pin it down.” But Torres is more direct: “Basically, anybody who has an orgasm likes our music.” This attitude that is perfectly exemplified on “Never The Same” and “Last Girl On Earth, ” both sultry self-examinations of determination and need.

Other highlights on the album include “Golddigger” and “Strangelove Addiction,” tracks that capture the band’s whimsy, while “What’s The Deal,” and “Always The Sun” reflect their street sense.