Search - Supreme Beings Of Leisure :: 11i

It's chill-out music, pure and simple.

Adarsh Amin | 02/13/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"With two releases under their belt, 2000s self-titled debut and 2002s sophomore effort Divine Operating System (D.O.S.), the Los Angeles duo delivers on their signature sound imbued with laid-back glamour, witty drama, seductive allure, and cinematic lushness.

The third release, after a five-year hiatus, maintains the band's previously established sultry, low key sound.

In doing so, they've produced 11 tracks that draw you into a world of swanky bars, minimalist design with ambient lighting and good-looking people sipping martinis.

"11i" sounds like a natural progression in that trajectory. As ever, the whispery, sensual vocals of Geri Soriano-Lightwood coo, croon, and playfully tease the listener while Ramin Sakurai's subtle, gently undulating beats and sparkling, atmospheric electronic textures provide the perfect framework.

On this album you will hear strings, Eastern instrumentation as well as plenty of tasteful ambience, blissed-out vocals and sleepy beats (not to mention a Toto-like guitar solo in "Oneness").

Unfortunately the low key seductive quality of the songs can be lost after listening to a few tracks, as they begin to blend in with each other. Fans of the genre will enjoy the album, however the casual listener should stick to a few tracks at a time.

"11i" is purportedly a concept album meant to document the various phases of time and feeling encountered over the course of a single day, but whether you pay attention to that theme or simply lie back and let the sounds envelop you, this is one big comfy chair of an album, something to sink into with hedonistic abandon.

In an interesting move, this lush album of entrancing lounge and downtempo electronica follows the chronological path of the day, opening with the track "The Light" and closing with "Lay Me Down".

There's no doubt the songs are well crafted and blend seamlessly from start to finish - they're layered with sophistication - but herein lies the problem. One can't help but feel it's all just a little too polished. Rather than conjuring up feelings of chilling out and relaxing, it feels passionless and homogenous.

"Our 2 previous albums have been collections of songs that we wrote during those periods of time", observes producer/programmer Ramin Sakurai. "This new album is more of a book with each song being a different chapter. "11i" is meant to be read cover to cover".

It's chill-out music, pure and simple. You can play it in a softly lit blue room with a mirrorball. You can let it fade into the background (which it does with great ease). Or you can take it in and let SBL's dreamy soul-pop take you to a less stressful place.

Which isn't a bad option.

Supreme Beings Of Leisure: Geri Soriano-Lightwood (vocals); Ramin Sakurai (various instruments, programming).

Additional personnel: Lili Hayden.

Stand out tracks: "This World" and "Angelhead"

Supreme Beings of Leisure

Divine Operating System"

Alas...they're back and sexy more than ever!

Anthony Morelli | Montreal, Canada | 02/13/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Bought IIi this morning and couldn't wait to pop it into the cd player. From start to finish, the album has their sexy and trademark sound, yet the songs are far less electronica based, meaning there are less dancy beats. The music is a little edgier and more ambient than before. My boyfriend and I rate it 5 stars, just because it's still so good, and worth the wait. Due to the slower-paced style, the album tends to drag on at times, longer than the previous two albums, although there are only 11 tracks. So far, there's only 1 version/edition of the CD, which is housed in a stunning digipak. The cover art is divine and stunning, featuring a charicature of Geri & Ramin. Very suave & sexy, just like they've always been...I must say. The duo definitely know how to sell themselves cleverly! :-)



The CD is simple (White background with red floral graphic). The booklet is 12 pages long, consisiting of only 4 photos (2 of Geri and 2 of Ramin, featuring closeups of their eyes on pages 2 and 3. Not too fancy and quite subtle, the packaging & design concept features a more abstract take. The booklet features full lyrics & liner notes. Regarding my opnion of the album itself, I think it's great, but it doesn't meet the standards of the previous albums. Track 11 ended too slow and the song just dragged on. I guess I feel this way because of the slow pace feel throughout the CD. Still loungy and sexy though, IIi will definitely grow on me. Most likely, my opinion above will not be the same after hearing the album 1 week later. But I know this album will be memorable as did the first two, for all SBOL fans. For now, my review reflects how I feel at the moment.



Tracklist:

01- The Light

02- This World

03- Mirror

04- Swallow (my favorite track)

05- Good

06- Pieces

07- Angelhead (Feat. Lili Haydn)

08- Ride

09- Oneness (Feat. Marty Friedman)

10- Everywhere

11- Lay Me Down

Produced, Mixed and Engineered by Ramin Sakurai

Co-Produced by Geri Soriano-Lightwood"

Possibly SBOL's best?

Daniel Ackermann | Austin, TX USA | 02/18/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I rarely take the time to share my feelings here, but...Wow!...am only halfway done listening to their new album, and have been blown away...their first 2 CDs are incredible, but this one is so solid, so layered...Geri's voice is in crisp, amazing form!



This band has grown so much, and their remix work is amazing too!



"Mirror" and "Swallow" have now changed my life: as well as all the other songs on this album!!!



"