Posted on 08/19/2008
It can be presupposed that when you are a “being of leisure” that you are most likely unapologetic for your lapses in work. It can also be presupposed that when you are the “Supreme Beings of Leisure,” that a hiatus will be the unapologetic norm, and that a six-year wait is like a recess. Fair enough. Since their last album, Divine Operating System, dropped in 2002 (with a busy couple of years around the early new millennium to boot), it has been nothing but playful laying up for this flirty Los Angeles group. It’s nice to hear them get down to business again.

So how does relevance change from 2002 to 2008? Well, if you are a tongue-in-cheek, sexually tinged group whose music is usually thrown in the Electronica/Trip Hop category, you’ll be fine in California. That being said, there are many bright spots on 11i with stellar musicianship and crispy production. The vocals are delivered nicely by Geri Soriano-Lightwood, mixed with interesting and sometimes catchy lyrics. Given the right mood (wine), this is definitely very listenable music, and right up some alleys…

The problem, though, is the vibe. I honestly feel like I’m about to get seduced by a 45-year-old chocolate strawberry, grape-feeding aristocrat when I listen to the Supreme Beings of Leisure—an experience that I can, at best, deem a 75, because this group does it as well as anyone can…. I guess.

-LK1