Unsigned Spotlight: Thought Beings
The true beauty of music is it can transport us anywhere; whether it’s somewhere around the world, a specific year/decade, or memories of being with loved ones. The versatility that comes with music means it can be done with lyrics or from the instrumentation. Whether it’s for an escape from the listener’s current reality or to bring up memories of another time, music is that solution. This solution can be courtesy of San Francisco-based group and Aztec Records, Thought Beings.
The Bay Area ensemble has the distinct ability to transport the listener through the globe and time. With music inspired by Afro-Carribean, Hawaiian, and Japanese influences mixed with 80’s Synthwave and Synthpop, Thought Beings can take you wherever they want. The group released their latest album “Neon Beach” on November 11th, continuing their sonic journey.
The album kicks off with the title track “Neon Beach”, greeting the listener to the sound of ocean waves followed by the fade-in of lush synthesizers. Followed by the track “Satellite”, which is the kind of song you want playing through your car stereo as you drive off into the night with your best friends or significant other for a weekend of fun.
Other notable tracks include the synth-percussive “Digital Hideaway”, the funk infused “Feel Alive”, and the enchanting and atmospheric “Fortress”. We all feel a little nostalgic and longing to be elsewhere these days; allow Thought Being to take you away for a bit with “Neon Beach”.
Please list all of your band members and their roles in the band.
Orion is producer / songwriter / male lead vocals. Lemon is songwriter / female vocals / backing vocals
Orion and Lemon are the main members of the band. We also have live musicians to add instruments to the album. All members prefer to stay elusive and behind the artwork.
For starters, what bands were you guys a part of prior to Thought Beings? How long has the band been around?
Orion and Lemon started out as a songwriting duo for Universal Music Group and other subdivisions.
Without giving too much about ourselves away we worked with artists Enrique Iglesias, Dev and the Cataracs, and Owl City to name a few. It was a tough process and very limiting at times.
So we decided to start writing and recording music for ourselves as a duo and then "Thought Beings" was officially born in 2013 as an experiment, but it wasn't until 2016 when we decided to take this more seriously as an actual musical act.
What’s the origin of that name and have you changed the band’s name before?
We love to read a lot of ancient texts and esoteric writings. While reading an old Hermetic passage, we saw the term 'Thought Beings' and instantly knew that would be our name.
Who writes your songs? What are the main themes or topics for most of your songs and do you think these topics will change over time?
We write our own songs. We work great together as a songwriting duo. Our main thing is that we like to take ancient wisdom, Hermetic texts, and esoteric writings and then dress them up in colorful 80s Pop fashion to make it all palatable to the world.
There are a lot of layers in the end result. On the surface they sound like love songs and other relatable themes, but underneath there are a lot of esoteric messages.
As of now there is endless inspiration from these ancient writings that I don't see us ever changing course with lyrical inspiration. It works for everything in life.
What bands are currently inspiring the music that you’re making?
Pet Shop Boys, Duran Duran, Thompson Twins, Miami Sound Machine, Depeche Mode, and Prince.
Was there a particular band/artist or concert that inspired you to start a band?
Depeche Mode. I was just a kid when I first heard them in 1991 but I was hooked ever since.
What do you do to prepare for a show? Any flexing, exercises, ect …
Currently we are just a conceptual band that does not do live shows. Since we like to stay elusive and just let the music and artwork represent us, we have not figured out a way to do live shows yet.
What has been the biggest highlight of the band’s career so far?
Getting licensed to a couple of movies with a nice budget. It's been a lifelong goal that we finally reached last year.
If you could tour with any bands, past or present, who would they be and why?
I would like to tour with Pet Shop Boys one day. That would be a dream. Duran Duran would be incredible too!
Those are bands that really inspired us a lot. Our aesthetic is heavily influenced by them as well.
Is there anything else you would like to add?
We are working on some amazing collaborations for the first time for 2021. Stay tuned!