Supreme Beings of Leisure

The Supreme Beings of Leisure’s unique sound was created almost by accident; while recording a rap demo, Rick Torres, Kiran Shahani, and Ramin Sakurai asked Geri Soriano-Lightwood to try her hand at writing and singing over the tracks. The result was a pleasant surprise, and a new kind of band was born. The Supreme Beings of Leisure blend clever programming and seductive grooves with distinctive vocals communicating sentiments of longing and disillusionment. The inimitable result has garnered praise from fans and critics alike.

These unique musicians are distinguished as much by their use of cutting edge computer electronics as they are by their disparate cultural influences. Raised in “white,” upper-middle-class America, the band members, whose cultural heritages range from Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic to Japan, Ireland, and Iran, always felt somewhat out of place. After coming together, a global, widely appealing sound flowed naturally out of their distinctive yet collective life experiences.

The demo versions of two of their songs were released on Moonshine Records compilations under the group’s original moniker, Oversoul 7. These early releases received wholehearted praise from critics and tremendous support from local radio. After appearing on several more compilation CDs, the band signed with Palm Pictures and released its self-titled debut album in 2000. Shahani and Torres departed from the group shortly thereafter, but Sakurai and Soriano-Lightwood continued to carry the torch by releasing Divine Operating System in 2002. The second album has received enthusiastic coverage from Rolling Stone, The New York Times, and various other publications.

The Supreme Beings of Leisure appear courtesy of Palm Pictures.