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
Spine
Android Lust Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To reach into his heart and take what I know is mine
Take a look at his face and tell me what you taste
When you put your tongue to his spine
This day it seems to me like an endless dream
Where I fall and never touch the ground
Get a little closer now
So I can hear him growl and drown in sweet sound
I'm searching for a face
I think it used to be mine
Hidden from his lovely eyes
I will share no secrets
I will tell him lies
I will do what I need to survive
He's not so pretty anymore 'cause I am sober now
Is that a hint of regret on his face
It's been a lesson for me but I'm still no wiser
I will walk back into his embrace
The lyrics of Android Lust’s song “Spine” are filled with imagery and dark themes that evoke feelings of longing, loss, and desperation. The first few lines reveal the singer’s search for a god to claim something they believe is rightfully theirs. The idea of taking something “from his heart” carries a sense of ownership or entitlement, while the search itself for a higher power suggests a need for guidance or redemption.
The second stanza is more visceral, the singer seemingly contemplating a physical act: “Take a look at his face and tell me what you taste / When you put your tongue to his spine.” The image of tasting someone’s spine is unnerving and unsettling, yet also hints at an intimate connection that the singer craves.
The third and fourth stanzas continue this sense of uncertainty and longing, with the singer feeling as though they are trapped in a dream that they cannot escape. The line, “So I can hear him growl and drown in sweet sound” suggests a yearning for a kind of sensory overload, a desire to immerse themselves completely in this experience they are seeking.
The final stanza is perhaps the most haunting, as the singer realizes that their obsession with this god-figure has left them feeling empty and unfulfilled. The line “He's not so pretty anymore 'cause I am sober now” could imply that the singer was previously under the influence of something that allowed them to idealize this person, but now sees them for who they truly are. Despite this realization, however, the singer still feels drawn back to this person, willing to once again “walk back into his embrace” despite the knowledge that it may be damaging or destructive.
Overall, “Spine” is a complex and emotionally charged song that deals with themes of obsession, addiction, and the search for meaning in one’s life.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm searching for my god
I am desperately seeking the solution to my problems
To reach into his heart and take what I know is mine
I want to get to the root of the issue and claim what rightfully belongs to me
Take a look at his face and tell me what you taste
Observe his countenance and tell me what emotions his expression exudes
When you put your tongue to his spine
When you get intimately close to him and examine his being
This day it seems to me like an endless dream
Today feels surreal and like a never-ending reverie
Where I fall and never touch the ground
I feel lost, without solidity and constantly struggling
Get a little closer now
Move in closer towards me
So I can hear him growl and drown in sweet sound
So I can hear his voice and indulge in the pleasant melody it creates
I'm searching for a face
I am seeking a familiar visage
I think it used to be mine
I believe that this face was formerly my own
Hidden from his lovely eyes
Concealed from the eyes of the person I am referring to
I will share no secrets
I will not reveal any confidential information
I will tell him lies
I will deceive him with falsehoods
I will do what I need to survive
I will take whatever drastic measures are necessary to ensure my survival
He's not so pretty anymore 'cause I am sober now
His previous charm has faded now that I am no longer under the influence of substances
Is that a hint of regret on his face
Is there an indication of remorse on his expression?
It's been a lesson for me but I'm still no wiser
I have learned something from my experiences, but I have not gained any substantial knowledge
I will walk back into his embrace
I will return to his arms and his previous spell
Contributed by Elliot H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.