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
Kingdom of One
Android Lust Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
wants not a glimpse of the sun
wandering my pretty
hides in his lover's cunt
so he says (to me)
you've got to let go of (your beliefs)
for I have seen men (fall)
worth more than you'd ever be
your mind could never (conceive)
the knowledge that I (possess)
to share at my will
oh my precious thing
you stand out but none can see
bitter hollow soul
pity the kingdom less king
The lyrics to Android Lust's song Kingdom of One appear to be about a person, potentially the singer, being confronted by someone who is very confident, but also very unpleasant. The opening lines suggest that this person is made out of, or equivalent to, excrement, and that they do not want to see the sun. This could be interpreted as a metaphor for someone who is very negative and unhappy with their life.
The second stanza implies that this person has a lover, and hides in their "cunt", or vagina, which is a very vulgar way of describing someone who is dependent on others. The singer then goes on to suggest that this person is trying to convince them to give up their beliefs, presumably in some sort of manipulative or abusive way. They claim to have knowledge that is beyond the singer's comprehension, and imply that they are superior in some way.
The final stanza seems to suggest that despite this person's arrogance, they are ultimately pitiable. They are a "bitter hollow soul" who is the "king" of a "kingdom less" or worthless kingdom. This could be interpreted as an indictment of people who try to impose their will on others, but who are ultimately unhappy and insecure.
Line by Line Meaning
he is made of shit
He is a contemptible person with a foul character.
wants not a glimpse of the sun
He prefers to stay in the dark, away from the truth and reality.
wandering my pretty
He tries to allure and mislead me with his sweet talk.
hides in his lover's cunt
He seeks shelter and comfort in his partner's body, without caring for her feelings.
so he says (to me)
He attempts to convince me with his deceitful words and arguments.
you've got to let go of (your beliefs)
He wants me to abandon my principles and convictions.
for I have seen men (fall)
He claims to have witnessed the downfall of other people, which he uses to imply my vulnerability.
worth more than you'd ever be
He suggests that others are more worthy than me, and therefore, I am inferior to them.
so don't you see what I (mean)
He pressures me to understand his point of view, even though it might be flawed.
your mind could never (conceive)
He belittles my intelligence and imagination, implying that I cannot comprehend his ideas.
the knowledge that I (possess)
He boasts about his knowledge, which he thinks makes him superior to others.
to share at my will
He wants to impose and dictate his views on others.
oh my precious thing
He patronizes and objectifies me, reducing me to a piece of property or an object to possess.
you stand out but none can see
He acknowledges my unique qualities, but dismisses them as irrelevant or insignificant.
bitter hollow soul
He is a resentful and empty individual, devoid of genuine emotions and compassion.
pity the kingdom less king
He is a pathetic and powerless leader, who rules over a meaningless and unfulfilling existence.
Contributed by Henry Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.