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
The Want
Android Lust Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I ask for sleep
Batteries for my remote
A telephone to speak
Electricity in abundance
Mirror shades
Japanese food
I ask for silence
I ask for sex
Give me a raygun
Tell me how to dress
Call my mother
Call the priest
Tell them my lover
Has turned a beast
[Chorus]
This situation is now as old as as anything
My eyes see in the darkened
Space of this existence
I ask for strength
A clear head
Maybe a razor
To paint you red
I want radar
I want a light
I want division
I want to fight
[Chorus]
The lyrics to Android Lust’s “The Want” speak to a deep longing for something that is not easily defined. The song lists off a series of desires ranging from basic needs like water and sleep, to more complex wants like silence and strength. The singer also requests more unusual items such as a raygun and mirror shades, which suggest a desire for power and control. The chorus repeats the idea that this desire is an age-old human experience that is a fundamental part of our existence.
The second verse takes a darker turn, as the singer asks for a razor to “paint you red”, a clear reference to violence. The repeated use of the word “want” throughout the song hints at a sense of dissatisfaction or even desperation. The lines “Tell them my lover has turned a beast” suggest that the person singing has been hurt and is seeking revenge.
Line by Line Meaning
I ask for water
I have a basic human need for hydration
I ask for sleep
I desire rest for my physical and mental health
Batteries for my remote
I require a source of energy for my leisure activity
A telephone to speak
I wish to communicate with others who are not physically present
Electricity in abundance
I want access to a stable and plentiful power source
Mirror shades
I am interested in fashionable eyewear
Japanese food
I have an affinity for cuisine from Japan
Midnight raid
I seek adventure and excitement in the late hours of the night
I ask for silence
I desire a lack of noise or distraction
I ask for sex
I seek physical intimacy with another person
Give me a raygun
I desire a futuristic weapon for my personal use
Tell me how to dress
I am uncertain about how I should present myself to others
Call my mother
I want to speak to my parent for emotional support or guidance
Call the priest
I seek spiritual advice or counseling
Tell them my lover
I need to inform someone about the behavior of my romantic partner
Has turned a beast
My former partner has become violent or aggressive
[Chorus]
The situation I am in feels timeless and unchanging. I perceive the nature of reality as bleak and difficult to navigate.
I ask for strength
I request emotional or physical fortitude to endure difficult circumstances
A clear head
I require a focused and rational mindset for problem-solving
Maybe a razor
A sharp object could serve as a tool or weapon if needed
To paint you red
I may express my anger or frustration towards someone through violent action
I want radar
I would like to possess a device for detecting objects or danger beyond my field of vision
I want a light
I require illumination to see better in low light situations
I want division
I desire conflict or separation between groups of people
I want to fight
I am prepared to engage in physical confrontation to defend my beliefs or interests
[Chorus]
The situation I am in feels timeless and unchanging. I perceive the nature of reality as bleak and difficult to navigate.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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