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
Intimate Stranger
Android Lust Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I am the fire on your breath
I am the air the giver of life
I am the earth the keeper of hives
I am a soldier a needy hand
I am a seeker of the promised land
An occasional taker
A tally keeper
The intimate stranger
We are bound we must be found
We are the way to heaven
We live in the dark but we breathe as one
We must come together
I am a digger in questions hide
I seek out answers that fit my doubting mind
A constant thinker
A judgement maker
Unconscious sleeper
The intimate stranger
We are bound we must be found
We are the way to heaven
We're still in the dark but we breathe as one
We must come together
I am water
I am fire
I am aether
I am your answer
I am the seeker
The righteous soldier
The unbeliever
The intimate stranger
The song Intimate Stranger by Android Lust is a hauntingly beautiful piece, with lyrics that are cryptic and enigmatic. The song’s ominous aura lures one in, as the singer’s voice takes on a captivating and slightly eerie tone. The ambiguity in the lyrics adds to the overall allure, as it leaves one pondering about the true meaning behind the words.
The song seems to talk about the intangible aspects of human existence, those that cannot be measured or touched. The singer claims to be the “water beneath your steps” and “fire on your breath,” implying that she is the very essence of existence itself. She goes on to state that she is “the air, the giver of life” and “the earth, the keeper of hives,” clearly alluding to the four classical elements of Greek philosophy. The song also talks about the duality of human nature, that we are “an occasional taker” and a “memory bearer,” signifying that we cannot be definitively labelled as either good or evil.
The song’s chorus insists that we must find each other, come together, and that doing so is the “way to heaven” and that we must “breathe as one.” Perhaps, the song is an outcry for unity in a world that has become increasingly divided. It could be interpreted as a plea for people to come together despite our differences, and to appreciate each other’s unique contributions in creating an all-encompassing world.
Line by Line Meaning
I am the water beneath your steps
I am a force that supports and guides you in your journey.
I am the fire on your breath
I am a passion that fuels and motivates you to act.
I am the air the giver of life
I am an essential element that sustains and nourishes you.
I am the earth the keeper of hives
I am a provider of resources and a protector of life.
I am a soldier a needy hand
I am a helper and a fighter, but I also have vulnerabilities.
I am a seeker of the promised land
I am a searcher for a better future or a higher purpose.
An occasional taker
I sometimes take things from others, whether intentionally or unintentionally.
A memory bearer
I carry and cherish memories of people or events that shaped me.
A tally keeper
I keep track of what I owe, what I gain, or what I lose.
The intimate stranger
I am someone who feels close to you in some ways, yet also distant or unfamiliar.
We are bound we must be found
We are connected to each other and must find a way to unite or relate.
We are the way to heaven
Our collective actions or beliefs can lead us to a better or ideal state of being.
We live in the dark but we breathe as one
We share a common experience of uncertainty or ignorance, yet we depend on each other for survival.
We must come together
We need to cooperate or communicate in order to overcome our challenges or achieve our goals.
I am a digger in questions hide
I am a curious person who probes deeper into mysteries or uncertainties.
I seek out answers that fit my doubting mind
I strive to find plausible or convincing explanations that can resolve my doubts or skepticism.
A constant thinker
I tend to reflect or analyze things often, sometimes to a point of overthinking or obsessing.
A judgement maker
I tend to form opinions or evaluations about things or people based on my perception or reasoning.
Unconscious sleeper
I sometimes fall into a state of unawareness or forgetfulness, even though I should be awake or attentive.
I am water
I am a mutable or fluid entity that can take many forms or adapt to various situations.
I am fire
I am an intense or transformative force that can purify, illuminate, or destroy.
I am aether
I am a rarefied or elusive substance that connects or animates everything in the universe.
I am your answer
I am a solution or response to your questions, needs, or desires, at least in some capacity.
I am the seeker
I am someone who actively pursues truth, knowledge, or enlightenment, in quest of a better understanding of myself and the world.
The righteous soldier
I am a brave or virtuous warrior who defends or fights for what is just or honorable.
The unbeliever
I am a skeptic or a doubter who questions conventional wisdom or established beliefs.
The intimate stranger
I am still someone who feels close to you in some ways, yet also distant or unfamiliar, even though I have many facets.
Contributed by Xavier M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
MissLuckyAnonymous
I remember listening to this album my first year of college, staring out at the clouds from my Philosophy class <3 Good memories.
king cold
MissLuckyAnonymous awsome memory
Liz Torres
Agree, masterpiece. Gorgeous hypnotic song.
Ahhh Real Jess
I'm never disappointed with an Android Lust song
Kagome Takanawa
I love this song even when i went to go see you guys at a club in baltimore <3
Habegger23
I love this song, the start sounds like distorted geese, an I find that awesome.
John Snow
really enjoy this, glad a friend shared it
VleoK
Don't get me wrong, I'm a fan of his work and planned on purchasing some of the pieces. But we are talking about the guy who made Alien (like A.V.P) and throws in phallic/morbid imagery in all his work. lol
SemmeCat
i once drawn a picture which looks almost exacly like this one, but the wooden half is kinda ... robot like ^^
Seth Valentine
What weak souls put the thumbs down?