The Seshen is a San Francisco Bay Area six-piece band whose songs exist between the lines: in the space between waking and dreaming, ego and collective consciousness, and that blurred horizon where earth meets sea meets sky.
Anchored by Lalin St. Juste's sly, silver vocals and cerebral yet danceable rhythms from producer-bassist Akiyoshi Ehara, their music pulls from a deep well of electronic influences, R&B, and indie rock. Drummer Chris Thalmann, keyboard/synth player Mahesh Rao, percussionist Mirza Kopelman, and sequencer Kumar Butler make the music three-dimensional, blending live and digital instrumentation to create the band's signature transportive sound.
AKI + KUMAR met at Nia House in 1987.
What are your memories from Nia House?
AKI
I remember having the freedom to learn and explore in my own way. I had a lot of fun playing basketball with Lee and doing art projects.
I loved birthdays at Nia House. We all sat together and shared appreciations about whoever's birthday it was. You would feel so special on your birthday!
KUMAR
I remember playing on the playground, sing along, and nap time. I remember painting and getting my face painted. There was also a mini house that felt like a real house to me. Going to Tilden and riding horses and grooming them was a good memory from that time too.
One of my first vivid memories was when my mom picked me up and we were leaving just as the Loma Prieta earthquake happened in 1989. I remember being really confused and scared, wondering why the earth was shaking so hard.
What qualities learned in your early years of life influence your friendship, artistry, + career?
AKI
Having a sense of community & the freedom to make mistakes from a young age gave me the opportunity to really arrive at an authentic self.
Kumar and I both love music that comes from a place of honest/necessary expression rather than ego and it's part of the reason we've collaborated musically for so many years.
KUMAR
From a young age I've been into experimentation. I've found videos of me when I was 6 years old messing around with a Casio keyboard and driving my brother crazy playing it for hours. So, I would say experimentation and troubleshooting on my own started really early. I've also always been shy, but once I meet someone, I do have a desire to open up and that has been very helpful in building relationships in the industry. As far as being an artist, Nia House was really helpful in affirming myself and being confident in what I create. Painting started before music and I remember feeling like I was good at that because of the support I received at Nia House.
What are your life + career accomplishments ?
AKI
I think having maintained this band for over a decade is quite a feat in this day and age. Sticking with music is a really hard thing to do. It's a lot of work and gives you no guarantees but taking your art seriously can pay off in ways you don't expect. It's been quite a journey to have our music take us on international tours, wind up on various TV shows and to open for some of our musical heroes!
KUMAR
In addition to playing with The Seshen, I currently teach Audio Production & Engineering at Oakland School for The Arts. Similar to Aki, I believe being able to pursue music and sound engineering has been an accomplishment. It started as something fun to do with friends, but once I realized my talent, it became more than that and turning it into a career is not easy given the change in technology and how much the industry has grown.
What do you like most about playing music? What inspired you to start playing and making music?
AKI
I think music is the place where I can consistently experience the present moment. I feel that child-like sense of curiosity and wonder that can be hard to come by as an adult. It's also a realm of life where I feel like I have some control over outcomes. Things are so unpredictable in life, but I've always been able to count on music to ground me.
I was inspired to play music just by being a listener and wanting to make the kind of music I want to hear. I've stuck with it because I can't really imagine a life without it. It's such an amazing way to communicate emotion and to connect deeply to people.
KUMAR
I like the team aspect of creating something together. I do like working on my own, but I believe one of the most fulfilling parts of it is collaborating and getting feedback whether it's good or not. There's also nothing like hearing an audience appreciate the performance.
I would say learning about and listening to Jimi Hendrix might be the biggest inspiration when I first started considering music. There's a lot of music I've been raised on, but he compelled me to want to get a guitar and learn how to play.