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
Panic Wrought
Android Lust Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Empty heart, empty hands
When all is silent
I lay defenseless in my solitude
Scattered dreams, wasted dreams
This will denied
[Chorus]
I don't care, what will be
It's hard to read what's happening
It's hard to breathe
I can't feel
I have come to this land
Full of hope to understand
When all is used up will I wash away
Or cling to hope in desperation?
[Chorus]
Now stiff and still, I await
Apprehensive at the gate
Should I lie here, spent and exhausted
Or cling to hope in desperation?
[Chorus]
The lyrics of Android Lust's song Panic Wrought portrays a sense of confusion and aimlessness that the singer is experiencing in their life. The opening lines "Here I stand, empty heart, empty hands" sets the tone for the rest of the song. It suggests that the singer feels alone and without any support. The line, "When all is silent, I lay defenseless in my solitude" further reinforces this feeling of isolation. The use of the word "defenseless" highlights the vulnerability of the singer and showcases their inability to take control of their life.
The chorus is an admission of defeat and a sense of resignation. The singer is unable to see a way out of their situation and is indifferent to what the future holds. The line, "It's hard to read what's happening; it's hard to breathe; I can't feel" indicates that the confusion and indecisiveness are overwhelming the singer, rendering them unable to take any action. The repeated use of "I don't know, I don't care" further reinforces the sense of hopelessness that the singer is feeling.
The last stanza presents the singer at a crossroad, deliberating if they should continue to cling to hope or give up. The line "Now stiff and still, I await apprehensive at the gate" highlights the fear and uncertainty that the singer is experiencing. They are stuck in a limbo, unsure of which path to take. The song ends on the same note of indecision and insecurity, leaving the listener with a sense of unease.
Line by Line Meaning
Here I stand
I am currently present and immobile in a specific location.
Empty heart, empty hands
I am emotionally and physically lacking in substance.
When all is silent
In moments of quietness and stillness...
I lay defenseless in my solitude
... I feel vulnerable and unprotected in my state of being alone.
Scattered dreams, wasted dreams
My aspirations and desires have been shattered and lost.
This will denied
I have been refused or denied something that I was hoping for.
[Chorus] I don't know, I can't see / I don't care, what will be / It's hard to read what's happening / It's hard to breathe / I can't feel
I am experiencing confusion and numbness due to the uncertainty and difficulty of my current situation.
I have come to this land
I have arrived in a new place or mental state.
Full of hope to understand
I was optimistic about acquiring knowledge and comprehension.
When all is used up will I wash away
If I deplete all my resources or expire all efforts, will I fade away into nothing?
Or cling to hope in desperation?
Is it possible for me to hold onto optimism even in my most desperate moments?
[Chorus]
I am still struggling to cope with the uncertainties and struggles of life.
Now stiff and still, I await
I am now rigid and motionless, waiting for something to happen.
Apprehensive at the gate
I am feeling nervous and hesitant at the threshold of something new.
Should I lie here, spent and exhausted
I'm wondering if it's best to give up, completely drained.
Or cling to hope in desperation?
Or find a way to continue to hope, despite the level of desperation I might feel?
[Chorus]
The confusion and numbness persists, even as I try to move forward.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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