Struggle is a natural part of the creative process for many artists. For Shikhee, the one-woman army behind industrial act Android Lust, struggle became downright essential to the production of the fourth Android Lust album, The Human Animal. Not by choice, of course: Nearly a decade after debuting as the first one-woman industrial act, the Bangladeshi-born New Yorker found herself burnt out from balancing a music career with what some might call “real life.”
The process of making 2006’s Devour, Rise and Take Flight ws “a very trying period,” says Shikhee. “I was coming home from my job around 9 or 10, and then mixing till 2 or 3, only to get back up and get to work at 9 again. I was barely sleeping and losing weight.” Problems with her record label compounded her frustration; the heavy touring season that followed, prolonged it.
When the album cycle finally wrapped, Shikhee returned home to face some familiar fears. “It’s always a bit scary. I start to doubt myself, reacquaint myself with my studio . . . and wonder if I can still do it,” she says. “It took until late 2007 to get back to writing.”
The Human Animal is undeniable proof that she can, indeed, still “do it.” After two albums on preeminent electronic-music label Projekt Records, Shikhee released Animal in August 2010 on her own Synthellec Music. In production for more than two years, this is the work of an artist reinvigorated by the creative process, adding a new set of colors to her signature sonic palette. “It just happened one day after we came back from our tour,” Shikhee recalls. “Songs just started flooding.”
The flood was triggered in part by Shikhee’s decision to work with her live band in the studio for the first time. “In the past I played all the guitars and some bass [in addition to electronic instruments], but now I had access to these really talented musicians and I wanted to bring that touch in the studio. So I wrote parts for them, parts that were beyond my playing ability.”
The mix of live instruments and processed sounds isn’t new for an Android Lust recording—2003’s breakthrough The Dividing featured live drums, string and wind instrument—but never have those sounds figured so prominently as they do on The Human Animal. The slippery undertones of “A New Heaven” are revealed to be an upright bass; pockets of classical guitar propel “Into the Sun”; the overdriven guitars on “Saint Over” surge forth with the spark of vintage Nine Inch Nails. It’s the most organic-sounding Android Lust record while losing none of the unrelenting sonic edge of prior releases.
It’s not just the live instrumentation that brings the album uncharacteristic warmth. Shikhee took to the streets of New York City with a portable recorder, collecting noises that would be used to form rhythms and ambiance throughout the record. The sounds of a screeching subway, a crowded restaurant, geese, pigeons, and a Barnes & Noble escalator all found their way into the mix.
And Shikhee has never sounded better, her whisper-to-a-scream vocals on a par with Polly Jean Harvey (“It’s On You”) and Ruby’s Leslie Rankine (“God in the Hole”).
For an artist whose overarching aesthetic has sought to blur the line between human and machine, Shikhee here sets her sights on the battle between the physical and the spiritual. Much of The Human Animal is about tapping into the deeper well of universal energy within to find true meaning, freeing oneself (the human) from the imprisonment of ego (the animal). “A New Heaven” sums up the central query: “Are we the ones we are seeking under this sun?”
But despite the sometimes reflective tone this is not music for meditation. The Human Animal’s 10 songs, plus a Jerome Dillon remix of “God in the Hole” to close the disc, pulse and pound, posing both an invitation and a challenge to the listener. Welcome to the age of enlightenment for Android Lust.
- by John Brodeur
A New Heaven
Android Lust Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's upto me
They say that heaven is right here right beside the lake
If you drink from it you will know the secret but you must be brave
I searched for years and years and many men fell on the way
Each step on this road to god leads me back to where I lay
We're seeking under this sun
The say just let it go and let it be it'll fall in place
Watch yourself as you dive to the lows you know and the depths you crave
Making love to my past has left me cold alone and grey
I've been knocking on the door of god let me in so long I prayed
Are we the ones
We're seeking under this sun
Are we the ones
Dig see what's underground
Is this a new kind of heaven
Feeling my way I must be returning
Is this a new kind of heaven
Feeling my way I must be returning
Are we the ones
We're seeking under this sun
Are we the ones
Dig see what's underground
The song "A New Heaven" by Android Lust is a contemplation of the concept of heaven and its existence. In the first line, the singer questions if this is a new kind of heaven and states that it is up to her to discover it. The second verse describes a lake, which is believed to hold the secret to heaven. However, the journey to find the truth is fraught with challenges, and many have failed in their attempts. The chorus then questions if we are the ones we are seeking under the sun and calls for digging beneath the surface to discover what lies underground.
The third verse talks about the need to let go and let things fall into place, with a warning to be alert when diving into the depths of oneself. The singer reveals that they have been making love to their past, which has left them feeling cold and alone. They have been knocking on the door of God for a long time, seeking entry into heaven. The final chorus repeats the question of whether we are the ones we are seeking and whether there is a new kind of heaven waiting to be discovered.
Overall, the lyrics of "A New Heaven" suggest a yearning for a greater sense of purpose and understanding of the afterlife. The song contemplates the journey towards enlightenment and self-discovery, with a call to dig deeper and not settle for the surface level of things.
Line by Line Meaning
Is this a new kind of heaven
Questioning the existence of a different kind of afterlife
It's upto me
Acknowledging one's own responsibility in seeking answers
They say that heaven is right here right beside the lake
Tradition believes that heaven is near a nearby body of water
If you drink from it you will know the secret but you must be brave
Drinking from the lake is a test of courage and enlightenment
I searched for years and years and many men fell on the way
Struggling on the path to enlightenment and experiencing the loss of others
Each step on this road to god leads me back to where I lay
While searching for answers, one often ends up back where they started
They say just let it go and let it be it'll fall in place
Advice to allow life to fall into place without force
Watch yourself as you dive to the lows you know and the depths you crave
Cautious exploration of one's own desires and motivations
Making love to my past has left me cold alone and grey
Romanticizing the past leads to misery and loneliness
I've been knocking on the door of god let me in so long I prayed
A prolonged search for spiritual truth and guidance
Are we the ones we're seeking under this sun
Asking whether individuals are the beings they hope to find
Dig see what's underground
Encouragement to investigate what lies beneath the surface
Feeling my way I must be returning
Sensing a return to familiarity or previous state
Contributed by Maya R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Eric Visser
Android Lust is actually a solo project, which if anything makes it even more impressive
FriendlyShadow1
Love the bass, and of course Shikhee's haunting vocals.
ANOTHER ACCOUNT
I cannot believe how underrated you guys are.
R0MMAH
* she *
John Kennard
Might be her best and most mature song, which would make it one-a the best and most mature songs ever, which makes it unsurprising it's had so few views and likes.
John Kennard
Um. I was thinking it could better be an Occupy Earth anthem . . . . But, yes, the whole album has a distinctly electro-torchy feel to it.
OphillineTheViolent
oh hell fuck yes..
x tigress x
39 up and 0 down