Android Lust is a pseudonym of Shikhee D’iordna (aka Shikhee), which begun … Read Full Bio ↴Android Lust is a pseudonym of Shikhee D’iordna (aka Shikhee), which begun in 1995 and débuted with "Resolution" (Tinman, 1997).

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

Hole Solution
Android Lust Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Did you stop to think
Is it making you a question
All of that you took for granted
All of those on whom you counted
Are you finally aware you shit head
It's the wake-up call you needed
I see you're moving on
I doubt you would be long

You need a hole in you head
I want to see it come oozing out
All your pride and your scheming
All your lies and deceiving
You need a hole in your head

You thought I'd quit and run
My tail tucked neatly away
I guess you failed to notice
Unlike your other prey
I've got a head I like to use
I'm not dazzled by your ruse

You'd better head on south
Put a muzzle on that mouth

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Hole Solution" by Android Lust can be interpreted as an empowering message to anyone who's been deceived or betrayed by someone they've trusted. The song talks about someone who finally wakes up and realizes that those who they relied on have let them down. The use of the term "shit head" in the lyrics could be seen as a slang that often represents anger and frustration towards someone. However, the tone of the lyrics becomes lighter as the song progresses, and the message seems to be about moving on from toxic relationships.

The concept of "you need a hole in your head" is ambiguous and could be interpreted in many ways. It could represent taking out the negativity and deception from one's mind, or it could represent physical harm. The lyrics suggest that the person who has been wronged has found the strength to stand up and fight for themselves, and they are not afraid to expose the lies and deceiving of the other person. The final lines, "you'd better head on south, put a muzzle on that mouth," could represent a warning to the person who has caused harm to stay away and keep their mouth shut.

Line by Line Meaning

Did you stop to think
Have you taken a moment to ponder

Is it making you a question
Is it causing you to question your previous beliefs

All of that you took for granted
Everything you assumed without consideration

All of those on whom you counted
Everyone who you relied on for support

Are you finally aware you shit head
Have you finally realized the truth, even though it hurts to admit

It's the wake-up call you needed
It's a painful but necessary way for you to realize the error in your ways

I see you're moving on
I can see that you're trying to progress from your mistakes

I doubt you would be long
But I don't think you'll be successful in this effort for long

You need a hole in you head
You need a reality check or some sort of epiphany

I want to see it come oozing out
I want to witness the transformation from your previous negative mindset and behavior to a more positive and honest one

All your pride and your scheming
All of the arrogance and manipulation you relied on in the past

All your lies and deceiving
All of the dishonesty and deceit you used to achieve your goals

You thought I'd quit and run
You assumed I would give in and leave when faced with your negativity

My tail tucked neatly away
I would have tried to avoid the conflict and preserve my own interests

I guess you failed to notice
You overlooked the fact that I am not easily manipulated

Unlike your other prey
I am not like others you have successfully manipulated in the past

I've got a head I like to use
I use my mind instead of relying solely on my impulses

I'm not dazzled by your ruse
I am not fooled by your tricks or manipulation tactics

You'd better head on south
You should leave or go somewhere else

Put a muzzle on that mouth
Stop talking or spreading lies and rumors

Contributed by Andrew N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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