Out today is the video and single (get it here on Bandcamp) for the track “Are You Listening” which was recorded by Shikhee from Android Lust together with kaRIN from Collide. The two women have been friends for a while, and typically, they spend time discussing the ills of the world and protesting social injustices, while sharing a vision of a more just world.

At a holiday party last year the two decided to take a stab at working on a track together to see what would happen. “Are You Listening” happened and started of in a rather dark mood, but after the pandemic hit the track took on a slightly different direction, opting for a more hopeful message in a moody ambient electronic soundscape.

kaRIN: “Shikhee and I have been friends for many years now. Typically, our concerned conversations usually go to what is going on in the world. When we have time, we go out and peacefully protest together with our hopes of the world becoming a better place for humanity. I am very grateful to know Shikhee as a human being, and as a very good friend. During the holidays, before the world went crazy I asked her to send me a track that I could mess around with – she did and I tried to channel what I felt about our many discussions together. Ultimately, I would say the track feels dark with hope – which I feel sums it up pretty well.”

The accompanying video, directed by Tas Limur, portrays the concept as well, to rise above our base selves and reach for something better. Below is the download and the video. Excellent work as always!

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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In honour of the 20th anniversary of the first volume of “The Unquiet Grave”, Cleopatra Records presents “The Unquiet Grave 2019”, a compilation that features 25 international Post-Punk, Goth, Industrial, Darkwave and Experimental artists from across the dark music spectrum.

The label’s original concept behind “The Unquiet Grave” varied from other Cleopatra compilations they completed such as “The Goth Box” (1996) as well as “The Black Bible” (1998), that included legacy acts such as Bauhaus, Virgin Prunes and Legendary Pink Dots along with a variety of up-and-coming bands. On the other hand, “The Unquiet Grave” (1999) exclusively featured new artists that deserved the opportunity for exposure to a larger audience. That original 1999 edition would include such bands as Bella Morte, Diary of Dreams, Android Lust and Rhea’s Obsession, to name a few.

“The Unquiet Grave 2019” applies the same formula as that original volume by showcasing 25 artists that equally deserve your attention. “The Unquiet Grave 2019” will be available on June 14th via all digital and streaming outlets.

The Unquiet Grave 2019 features: The Ink Bats, Social Station, The Sedona Effect, Antidote for Annie, Silver Walks, New Zero God, The Long Losts, Schedule IV, Hypofixx, Lorelei Dreaming, Fear Incorporated, Metamorph, Angel Metro, Abbey Death, The Drowning Season, May May Graves, Red Lokust, Acclimate, Traumabond, ENGRAM, Tragic Impulse, Spider Lilies, RCH IV, Dreamchild, Moss Garten.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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Out today, 24 August 2018, is the newest Android Lust EP “Shores Unknown”. The EP is the follow-up to her sixth album “Berlin (Crater Vol 2)” which was released on August 18, 2017. The EP features the songs “Born To Rule” and “Shores Unknown” which are found on the horror survival video game ‘Agony’, next to the brand new song, “Liquid”.

“Shores Unknown” also features remixes by Eric Beam and I,Parasite. The EP is out now and is available on Android Lust’s Bandcamp at a name your own price.

The EP has been self-released by Bangladeshi-born New Yorker Shikhee, the one-woman army behind industrial act Android Lust.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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Shikhee D’iordna was born in Bangladesh and schooled in England and the USA. She set up Android Lust in 1995, she released her first work on cassette format while the official debut album got released in 1998 on Tinman. She also worked together with Projekt and finally set up her own label: Synthellec Music. Shikhee is an independent artist who takes care of every little detail, which maybe explains why she’s not releasing new work every single year. She this year released her newest album inspired by the great city of Berlin, which according to me also is one of her best albums to date.

(Courtesy by Inferno Sound Diaries)

Q: You released your very first work (on cassette format) exactly 20 years ago now! What are the first things that come into mind when evoking the early years of Android Lust and how do you see yourself as an artist today?

Shikhee: I am starting to find that young artist again. In the early 2000s I got pretty disillusioned with music and music business in particular. Things were a lot more exciting when Android Lust began and I feel I am starting to tap into that again in the last few years. When I started out it was a blank slate and the years piled of expectations which had become a burden. I am trying to navigate out of that and slowly.

Q: You seem fascinated and inspired by ‘cities’. Where does this fascination come from and how do you transpose this concept into music?

Shikhee: Cities are so rich and filled with so much character. One picks up the flavor of a city from its people, food, music and art. And of course one’s own experiences color it greatly. I traveled a lot as a kid with my family and I think that instilled a thirst for travel, learning about cultures and a feeling of belonging nowhere and everywhere at the same time. I have this romantic notion when I record environmental sounds, nothing again will have those very same frequencies in the same order at the time I capture them. It’s me making sonic time capsules.

Q: Your newest work has been inspired by the great city of Berlin where you spend several days visiting museums, buildings, famous studios ao. What makes the magic of Berlin or what makes the city that special? What did you feel being there and do you have favorite places?

Shikhee: A lot of my musical influences had their origins in Berlin so I wanted to travel there for inspiration. I wanted to surround myself in a new place with new experiences while keeping my focus on gathering sounds. It’s a city that doesn’t let you forget its history and you can feel its weight wherever you go. I enjoyed East Berlin in particular.

Q: You clearly didn’t want to compose a similar album as “Crater Vol. 1”, which was more into instrumental- and cinematographic music. This opus is more into the ‘classical’ Android Lust-approach although maybe darker and more minimal! Tell us a bit more about it all?

Shikhee: I originally intended to write more like “Crater Vol.1” but after I started working on the sound design I found myself leaning more towards some structure, but they came out stark and minimal. Also some tracks ended up picking up techno influences from some of the current artists I am listening to like Kanding Ray. The only album that ever stayed true to my initial concept was “Crater Vol.1.” Every other piece of work decides midway where to go and I have to allow it.

Q: Are there some plans about live performances in Berlin and/or other European places and what’s the importance to play live?

Shikhee: Android Lust has never played Europe so I’d love to do that at some point. I think that’s the next frontier for Android Lust live.

Q: Android Lust is now active for more than 20 years! What has been the impact of this project and being an ‘artist’ on you and what are your further artistic plans?

Shikhee: Making music is what I do so I’ll continue to do that. Being a musician certainly has not been an easy life, specially as an independent artist who happens to be a woman. Still, there is a certain satisfaction in having lasted this long in a field that has been less than friendly to someone like me who never conformed.

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

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Genre/Influences: Electro-pop, experimental-pop, minimal-electronics.

Background/Info: Shikhee better known under the Android Lust moniker is now busy for more than 20 years. She’s one of the very few female artists having gained an international reputation in the electro-underground scene. This new opus is the second one in the “Crater”-series, which is inspired by cities. Berlin is a great city to get inspiration and Shikhee visited studios, museums ao places to get immersed by the magic of this great city.

Content: The sound of Android Lust has been always something apart. I can’t say if it’s ‘feminine’ touch supporting the songs, but the releases always had something different. Android Lust is a band you can’t compare to another and this new work simply confirms the very personal approach of the artist.

Shikhee mixes elements of pop-, industrial- and minimal music. It sometimes sounds pretty experimental and sometimes moving on the edge of industrial-pop music. The particular sensual and sometimes haunting timbre of voice of the artist remains another main characteristic.

+ + + : I can’t say that Android Lust reinvented its own sound, but this album has something different from previous releases. It sounds a little bit more minimal and experimental and that’s precisely what I like. The sound treatments are original and sometimes reminding me of a contemporary version of Klinik. “Heart Tunnel” is an outstanding song in the genre and according to me one of the most accomplished and greatest cuts this artist has ever composed. Shikhee makes no compromises, but just moves on with her own flow and inspiration. Berlin seems to have been a great source of inspiration!

– – – : The minimalism and experimental side of the work might be the main obstacle to seduce a wider audience. “Berlin” is probably not her most accessible work!

Conclusion: Berlin is a sonic metropolis and always has had a visionary appeal, which seemed to have now contaminated Android Lust. It resulted in a creative disease and according to me maybe the best album of this artist to date!

Best songs: “Heart Tunnel”, “Crawl”, “Plaza Steps”, “Madness In Men”, “Daughters Of Dawn”.

Rate: (8).

Band: http://androidlust.com / www.facebook.com/androidlust

Label: http://synthellecmusic.com / http://synthellecmusic.com

Inferno Sound Diaries

I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.

www.side-line.com

Los Angeles, CA based electronic/industrial artist Android Lust has announced the release of her 6th studio album “Berlin (Crater Vol 2)”.

Regarding the album Shikhee D’iordna says: “I am inspired by cities. ‘The Human Animal’ was my New York record; Berlin has always attracted me for many reasons. It spawned more than a few of my musical heroes.”

‘The Crater’ series has seen Shikhee, the sole creator behind Android Lust, shift focus from songs to soundscapes and sonic sculptures and this through the ambiance of busy streets, lonely alcoves, even the Berlin wall itself.

Berlin will be released August 18th.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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PIG promoted the UK release of his current studio album ‘The Gospel’ with a recent UK tour where the band jointly headlined with Mortiis. PIG mainman Raymond Watts and Mortiis have also recently reworked one of each other’s songs for new remix records, Mortiis’ remix album being called “The Great Corrupter” (more info here).

Appropriately entitled “Swine & Punishment” (available right here), PIG’s latest record will contain reworks by Skold, Marc Heal, Android Lust, Kanga, London After Midnight, Indradevi, Mortiis, Chris Vrenna, Pull Out Kings, Inertia, Joe Haze. Even Watts himself joins in for a special remix.

The album also holds the track “Violence”, previously only obtainable on the vinyl format of “The Gospel”.

For now you can enjoy the Mortiis remix of “Viva Evil” by PIG.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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Android Lust’s Shikhee is kickstarting her newest album “Berlin (Crater Vol 2)”. Says Shikhee: “Since v.1 came out (…) I needed something new to inspire me. I’ve been experimenting with location recording for a while, and it’s something I’ve wanted to delve deeper into. But it wasn’t until I was in Nepal earlier this year and recorded a group of monks chanting in Nagarkot that the idea really hit me — I needed to combine the experience of discovering new places, capturing sonic snapshots of that place and time, and base the record around that! So now I want to go to a city that has become the center of my musical focus, Berlin.”

Basically Shikhee wants to walk the streets of Berlin with a portable recorder and soak up the ambient sounds including placing contact mics on surfaces of historic structures and pick up their resonance.

This will be Android Lust’s 3rd release on Kickstarter and the project’s 6th full length record. Rewards this time include handwritten lyrics on Japanese archival paper; the “Venus Flytrap for the Dragonfly” music video, designed and hand made by artist, director Dan Ouellette; the last remaining copy of the “Foreign Body” demo cassette; the entire catalog in physical and digital format with the “Resolution” box set which includes “Resolution”, “Evolution”, and “Rarities” CDs; the entire catalog in physical and digital format, etc..

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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