Android Lust interview

Android Lust are/is just one person. One very talented, focused, driven and resourceful woman. Her name is Shikhee D’iordna and she has just released her fifth studio album, entitled Crater Vol.1. Bangladeshi by birth, growing up in England and the USA, Shikhee’s output under the Android Lust banner is a dark blend of gothic electronica, her delicate vocal contrasting starkly with the sinister, pulsating beats and melodies of her music.

Crater was a first for Shikhee as she launched a hugely successful KickStarter campaign to raise capitol to fund the project, rewarding investors with copies of the album for small donations, right up to private gigs and dinner with Shikhee herself! The crowd funding raised over 300% of the total needed and the album was released in January this year.

On first listen, it is immediately obvious that this album is distinctly ambient in nature and the biggest omission is Shkihee’s vocals themselves, with less than a handful of tracks featuring her voice. The press kit describes it thus:

“A collision leaves a mark. A planet’s surface is broken; a body, a heart, or a mind is left rent and torn. But trauma is only the initiation of change. Broken earth can fill with water, become a lake, host new life. Battered hearts can mend, forgive, forget. Whether jagged hole or fractured soul, a crater is a process, not a state of being.”

There is a wealth of found sounds and electronic instrumentation and I really wanted to find out more about how the album was created and what drive Shikhee to take this path. Was it down to her move from East coast to West? Did she feel a desperate need for a change of direction? Was there more to it?

Well, there was only one way to find out and so I asked her directly! 😉

[FM] So, this whole project has been quite a departure in a number of ways. Let’s start with the KickStarter project that you initiated to get this project off the ground. Firstly, why was there the need to seek funding in this way? And how did you find the whole crowd sourcing experience?

[AL] [I used] KickStarter because love alone can’t pay for CD manufacturing, and I am an independent artist without a label or any other financial backing. That said, the campaign definitely was a boost when I needed it. It made me feel the love from my fans.

[FM] Let me ask you about the concept behind Crater. You’ve described it as a project in two parts. Is this a first for you and why not a double album?

[AL] The concept has changed somewhat since then . It was supposed to be a ‘two part-er’ with volume 1 being more experimental and volume 2 being more song driven. But after thinking about it some more that didn’t make sense to me anymore. I am now thinking of Crater volumes as an avenue for me to experiment with different styles that fall just outside of normal Android Lust sounds.

[FM] How would you describe the two themes behind each volume?

[AL] Volume 1 is a soundscape driven collection. Minimal words, sonic solitary journey. It’s trying to scrape together pieces of one’s life, putting them together in different ways to find new meaning. You’ll find some repetitive sounds and themes. I am still working on volume 2 ideas so can’t elaborate on that yet.

[FM] Volume One features a lot of found sounds. It sounds like there are lots of field recordings from urban environments in which you’ve found or made rhythmic loops. How did you go about capturing these soundscapes, both physically and technically, and where did you find them?

[AL] I collected a lot of sounds on my walks through NYC. I carried the Zoom H4N with me and collected sounds from pretty much everywhere I went, and built up a library. I recorded here in LA too, but that library is smaller, except for all the water sounds I recorded with a hydrophone mic which are all over Crater. Precipice and Water Whispers are mostly sounds derived from the underwater mic.

[FM] There are very few instances of your vocals on Vol. 1. What was the reason for this and how hard was it to decide to do less vocals? Are you concerned about how your fans will receive it?

[AL] I felt I had nothing to say verbally. When I tried to write lyrics it felt empty so I scrapped that idea. It was a bit of a challenge at first because I am used to composing around vocals, so I took it as more of a reason to pursue this minimal vocal idea. I did wonder how people would react, but you can’t let that dictate your direction.

[FM] Could you tell me about the recording process for this album? What’s your set up? For example, what DAW, if any, do you use? What instruments feature on the album? Do you favour hardware over software?

[AL] I am a Digital Performer user. This album is mostly found sounds manipulated with Izotope’s Iris, modular synth, and voice and drum samples.I tend to focus in of 2 or 3 pieces of gear for a record. I find it forces me to break old habits and established comfort zones.

[FM] What’s your process when you compose? For example, some artists create simple demos, say, on a piano, then flesh them out. Others prefer to dive right in. Do you have the sounds in your head and then try to recreate them whilst composing? Do you flick through presets until something moves you? Do you loop things up and then layer on top? Was the inspiration behind the songs on Crater the sounds you recorded in the field?

[AL] For Crater, I generally loaded up my environmental sounds on Iris then started playing with its various parameters until I heard a groove in my head. I’d then record that bit in Digital Performer and play with some more manipulation to refine the groove. I’d then layer other sound bits as counter or supporting rhythm. Generally once a rhythm is finalized I then go to build the rest of the parts.

[FM] Do you record alone or do you collaborate? What other personnel were involved in the recording?

[AL] Unlike my last record, The Human Animal, Crater was mostly recorded solo. I had Chris [Christopher Jon] come and work with me on some modular synths tracks. He also mixed the record.

[FM] How much of the overall process are you involved in? For example, do you see the project through from composition to the mastering stage? Artwork? Marketing? Are you now fully independent?

[AL] I am fully independent. I used to be involved in everything except mastering. But while working on The Human Animal that process changed. I simply didn’t have the time to work on everything along with tour preparations. I had to hire an artist. and also let go of the reigns of mixing. In hindsight it really happened for the best. I agonize too much over minutia and bringing someone else in the process was healthy for me. So I continued along the same lines for Crater as well.

[FM] You’re using Bandcamp. Have you decided to go exclusively down the route of downloads? How do you find the whole digital marketing experience? Why Bandcamp over other routes to market?

[AL] I am not familiar with every digital service but of the ones I’ve seen I definitely prefer Bandcamp. Going forward, I am considering doing digital and vinyl only and do away with CDs all together. I thought about that while working on Crater, but since I had already run the campaign it was too late. I am really not sure there’s any point in pressing CDs anymore.

[FM] Do you feel ultimately more fulfilled by the way this project was funded and developed? If a major label wanted to pick you up, would you forego the independence?

[AL] Haha! Major labels would never want to pick Android Lust up. As for feeling more fulfilled, I’d say yes and no. I feel good in that no matter who downloads in for free now I’ve at least made my investment back, thanks to the awesome AL fans who cared enough to support me. But it was a little anti climatic because the album was released in stages. It didn’t have the same impact of a regular release the way I’ve done in the past. Still, this is the way to go for the future.

[FM] Given the nature of the first volume, will you be touring it? Do you see it as a collection that would work in a live environment? Have you considered alternative avenues for bringing this music to a live audience?

[AL] I won’t be touring this album. Last tour, barring a few highlights, was not a terribly fun experience. Also, it’s very, very expensive. I am not sure where the public notion about bands making money from live shows comes from. It certainly isn’t true for any band I know.

[FM] Given the urban soundscape of the album, did you ever consider techniques such as binaural or multichannel audio to further enhance the listening experience? If so, why, or if not, why not?

[AL] I’ve actually experimented with binaural on a track I did for my cat. You can grab it free from my SoundCloud. My mastering engineer has been pushing me to do surround mixes for a while. I haven’t because I don’t consume music that way, but it’s something I’ve been considering.

[FM] When can we expect volume 2? Will you be seeking further crowd sourced funding or did you raise enough from the initial campaign? I seem to recall you hitting somewhere in the region of 350% of your target, which must’ve been very fulfilling?

[AL] Not sure of the time frame. I’ll be seeking crowd funding for most projects that require funding to complete.

[FM] You had some really interesting and varied packages on the KickStarter campaign. I’m amazed no one took you up on the offer of dinner! If I had $1000, I’d be on that! Were you surprised by the amounts that people donated?

[AL] I was very grateful.

My deepest thanks to Shikhee for her time. Crater Vol.1 is available now via the Android Lust website.