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
Unrecognize
Android Lust Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Some have fallen down
Some are crawling by
Some have come and gone
Some have lost all memory
Some wish to forget
Some have changed their course
But I am still standing
Hidden from the crowds
Beneath these old sheets
Tearing us apart
Anytime we meet
Is this who I am
How have I become
A stranger to my eyes
Here standing
These lyrics from Android Lust's song Unrecognize speak of the various paths that people take in their lives, whether it be standing still, falling down, or changing course. The singer of the song notes that they have experienced all of these things, but unlike others, they remain standing. The second verse is more introspective, with the singer discussing how they feel like a stranger to themselves, hidden from the world and tearing themselves apart.
The lyrics can be interpreted in a few different ways, but overall, they seem to be about resilience and the struggle to maintain one's sense of self in a world full of change and uncertainty. The idea of being "unrecognize[d]" is poignant because it highlights the ways in which we can lose our sense of identity over time, even to ourselves.
Overall, this is a powerful and introspective song that speaks to the human experience in a deeply relatable way.
Line by Line Meaning
Some have stood still
There are people who remained stagnant in their lives, showing no progress or growth.
Some have fallen down
Some individuals have experienced failures, setbacks, and have hit rock bottom.
Some are crawling by
There are people who are moving ahead with difficulty, struggling to make progress and success.
Some have come and gone
There are people who have moved on from one situation to another or have exited from someone's life altogether.
Some have lost all memory
There are people who have forgotten their past and who they once were.
Some wish to forget
Some individuals have experienced trauma or hurt in their past and want to erase or negate those memories.
Some have changed their course
There are people who have moved away from their original purpose or direction in life and made a different choice.
But I am still standing
Despite all the challenges, obstacles, and speedy changes, I am still on my feet considering I haven't given up yet.
Hidden from the crowds
I am trying to conceal and withhold myself from public eyes and scrutiny, preferring to stay in seclusion.
Beneath these old sheets
Implies hiding or veiling under a reliable and trusted object or action.
Tearing us apart
Something causing damage or rift within a relationship, friendship, or connection.
Anytime we meet
Whenever we encounter each other, conveys a feeling of uncertainty and discomfort.
Is this who I am
Questioning one's identity, character, beliefs, and values.
How have I become
Expresses surprise and bewilderment over how one has transformed or developed over time.
A stranger to my eyes
Using imagery to denote feeling unfamiliar or disconnected from oneself.
Here standing
Presents a picture of standing alone, resilience, and strength amidst doubts, hardships, and worries.
Contributed by Maya K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.