The Seshen

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, at that blurred horizon where earth meets sea meets sky.

Anchored by St. Juste’s sly, silvery vocals (which draw frequent comparisons to Erykah Badu) 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 for a mercurial, transportive sound. Since 2012, the Seshen’s live show has earned critical acclaim and a dedicated fanbase on multiple continents, as they’ve shared stages with the likes of Hiatus Kaiyote, tUnE-yArDs, Petite Noir, and Thundercat.

CYAN is the band’s most vulnerable, compelling work to date. Over a spacious, at times tumultuous sonic landscape, Juste sings of a reckoning: a hero’s journey through confusion and self-doubt, depression, and ultimately forging a way out toward the light. CYAN is a story about saving yourself. There’s death, rebirth. And a chance to dive deep in search of a new life—one stripped of pretense or protective armor, for better or for worse.

The Seshen perform that rare magic trick of doing something fresh without ever sounding like they’re trying to. (AfroPunk)

The Seshen released their first, self-titled album via Bandcamp in 2012 and built a devoted Bay Area fan base. In 2014, they signed to Tru Thoughts Records and released their Unravel EP, which became an immediate favorite of well-known DJs and publications alike. Standout tracks like “Oblivion” have been championed by Tom Ravenscroft (BBC 6Music), and the EP garnered attention from OkayPlayer, Earmilk, and The Line of Best Fit. In 2015, the band released the Unravel Remixes EP. Featuring the talents of AK/DK, Astronauts, etc., Uhuru Peak and Tru Thoughts’ Jonny Faith and Lost Midas, the seductive remixes were featured in Clash Magazine and picked up multiple spins on BBC 6Music from Lauren Laverne, Nemone, Steve Lamacq, and other notable tastemakers.

The Seshen released Flames & Figures, their full-length debut with Tru Thoughts, on October 14th, 2016. The album was  two years in the making and marked an evolution in The Seshen’s distinctive sound. Narrated by St. Juste’s lyrical stream of consciousness, Flames & Figures explored themes of femininity, power, illusion, and loss, as she draws on both her personal experiences and the world of her imagination.