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SHIKHEE of Android Lust
IN PERSON INTERVIEW
With SHIKHEE of ANDROID LUST
Interview Conducted At: HAVEN, Northampton, MA Oct 23rd, 2008
http://www.androidlust.com/v4/
Bob Donovan
December 17, 2007
On October 23rd I was able to, once again, see a very unique Artist; Android Lust. The performance was at HAVEN in Northampton, MA and we were able to sit down and chat with Shikhee after her sound check and before the venue opened. Shikhee is the mastermind and creative genius of Android Lust. She was very polite, charming and delightful to talk with. Generally my staff handles the interviews and I’ve become rusty over the years for lack of doing so. But Shikhee was very patient, professional and we both had a few good laughs during the interview.
[Carpe Nocturne] How did the name Android Lust come about?
[Shikhee] (Laughs) Ahhhh…, I’m not responsible for that actually. A friend of mine and I were trying to come up with names. We had come up with quite a few. The music was starting to be very electronic but with a lot of warmth and tension; a lot of electronic music is devoid of emotion and that was something that I definitely did not want to do. So, when he came up with it I said, Ahh Perfect! So, that kinda stuck.
[Carpe Nocturne] You have about 6 releases since 1999. It seems like about every other one is a remix. Is that something you do to expand each release to the fullest potential?
[Shikee] No, There are 2 remix albums; one was “Evolution” which was a remix album for “Resolution”. “Stripped and Stitched” is really kind of a collection of “B-Sides”, out of print releases and a couple of remixes. Also, a collection of acoustic versions of songs I had done. Projekt has asked me to do an acoustic set and, and at first I wasn’t sure if I could do that, but once I did it I really liked it, and I wanted to put that out at some point. Odd songs that didn’t really belong anywhere. They are really the only two releases that may be considered re-mix albums.
[Carpe Nocturne] You’ve been signed to Projekt since 2003. How’s that working out for you?
[Shikhee] My contract with Projekt is now satisfied. I’m now what you’d call a “free agent” I guess. It’s been good for “The Dividing” (2003 – Projekt Records). Having signed to Projekt I was able to get exposed to a larger audience than I was able to with “Tinman” (Tinman Records). But now the contract is satisfied after releasing “Devour, Rise and take Flight”. We’ll see where the next CD finds a home.
[Carpe Nocturne] Projekt has some great bands on their label, but, well, wasn’t your music rather “different” for Projekt?
[Shikhee] (Smiling and laughing) Yeah, it was (laughing) extremely different…. Yea, when Project was interested in me, I was really surprised. But Projekt had good distribution, and it was good for Android Lust to be on that label.
[Carpe Nocturne] Let’s talk about your videos. Of the videos I’ve seen, I really enjoyed your video for “Stained.” Did you enjoy making it and who came up with the concept?
[Shikhee] Thank you. Yes, I loved doing it. Dan, the director, Dan Ouellette, I met him online as a matter of fact. I found a link to his website and I contacted him because I thought his artwork was just amazing. It turned out he lived in New York and he checked out my site and said “I really like your stuff, maybe we can hook up and work together.”
So, I met him and he pitched the idea for “Stained” and we started talking. We eventually started to seriously sketch out ideas. He designed the costumes, and the set. He’s a very talented individual. We flew out to California to shoot the video after a few months.
[Carpe Nocturne] It looked like you were having a lot of fun.
[Shikhee] It was… (Smiling), it was a LOT of work, but it was great. I had a great time.
[Carpe Nocturne] Your latest video, “Dragonfly,” I loved the video and the costume! Did you have fun making that one too?
[Shikhee] Yea, that was good. I worked with Dan again. It was shot in New York in the middle of an album and tour. So time wise, there was a lot more pressure to get it done. We also had a lower budget for this one. We shot this on DV. While I think it looks great, I am partial to film. I think “Stained”, which was shot on film, kind of spoiled me.
[Carpe Nocturne] How do you feel, personally, that your career has evolved since “Resolution” and your latest release?
[Shikhee] (Thinking) Well, I think I consider myself a creative artist and try not to pigeonhole myself in any genre. I’ve done several albums now; tried out different writing processes and I think I know where my strength and my weaknesses are and I try to challenge myself more. Once I’ve explored something, I don’t want to go back there again because even if it sounds good and people like it, the process itself loses excitement. So I want to see what else I can do and in that discover new ways and techniques to keep myself motivated.
[Carpe Nocturne] It’s nice not knowing what to expect with the next release.
[Shikhee] Some fans expect you to do the same thing over and over. And…, that is a bummer, but ya know, you have to keep it interesting for yourself otherwise you die as an artist.
[Carpe Nocturne] Do you have anything in the works you want to discuss?
[Shikhee] Yea, I started working on the new album and so far I’m really excited about it. I’ve been toying with different instrumentation and different sonic palettes, if you will. I keep going back and forth between several options but so far it’s really stripped down. I usually write and produce as I write but now I’m writing more like a traditional songwriter and leaving the production for the recording phase.
But yea, I have a few songs in the works, and after these set of shows that end in November, I’m going to focus the next several months in the studio.
[Carpe Nocturne] You’re originally from Bangladesh. So, I have two questions; Have you ever played there and do you or have you considered using any of your native music within your material?
[Shikhee] No, I’ve never played there. Maybe someday I will, but it hasn’t happened yet.
As far as my native music, when I was younger I used to not like any of that. I thought I was only into hard rock and all that. But now when I look back at it, I think I must have been influenced by it somehow. Maybe it comes out in my rhythms, because people say I have strange timings, (laughs), ya know, It may come out in some melodies, some melodic elements I write. I’m consciously not aware of it, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it did.
[Carpe Nocturne] Well, thanks for taking the time to sit and chat with us.
[Shikhee] Oh you’re very welcome; thank you.
Topics: December 2007 |