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
Used
Android Lust Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Need me
Break me
Make me
Change me
Rape me
Believe me
Amaze me
Kill me
Choke me
Suck me
The lyrics to Android Lust’s song “Used” are incredibly powerful and evocative of a wide range of emotions. The repeated use of imperatives evokes a sense of submission and helplessness, as if the singer is pleading with someone to use them in whatever way they desire. The use of violent imagery such as “rape me” and “kill me” is unsettling and disturbing, yet it also underscores the intensity of the singer’s desire to be controlled and dominated. The phrase “believe me” seems to stand out from the rest of the lyrics, as if the singer is also pleading with someone to trust them and see them as more than just an object to be used and discarded.
The lyrics to “Used” can be interpreted in a number of ways, depending on the listener’s perspective. Some may see them as an expression of extreme masochism or a desire for BDSM-style submission. Others may interpret them as a commentary on society’s objectification of women, or a reflection of the singer’s own feelings of worthlessness and self-loathing. Regardless of how one interprets the lyrics, they are undeniably powerful and provocative.
Overall, “Used” is a deeply unsettling yet thought-provoking song that speaks to the human desire for connection, control, and fulfillment. It is a testament to Android Lust’s ability to create music that is both musically and emotionally intense, and it is sure to leave a lasting impression on anyone who hears it.
Line by Line Meaning
Use me
Employ me to suit your purposes, exploit my talents and abilities
Need me
Feel a profound desire and dependency on me
Break me
Destroy me physically, mentally, and emotionally until I'm shattered
Make me
Shape me into what you desire, mold me into something new
Change me
Alter my being and essence, transform me into someone else
Rape me
Force yourself upon me without my consent, violate my body and soul
Believe me
Place your trust and faith in me, have confidence in my words and actions
Amaze me
Inspire wonder and astonishment within me, impress and surprise me
Fuck me
Engage in sexual intercourse with me, have intimate physical contact
Kill me
End my existence, bring about my death and demise
Choke me
Restrict my breathing, obstruct my airways with force
Suck me
Draw fluid or air out of me with the force of your mouth or a vacuum
Contributed by Nathaniel O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.