Andrea Parker's work scares me a bit. The first full CD of original material by this celebrated UK DJ and Mo Wax remix artist is equal parts somnolent trip-hop and ice-cold electronica. It's also 100% unnerving. Parker coats her Massive Attack-style vocals and beats with gallons of reverb, then layers on the sinister keyboard effects. Cuts like "Breaking the Code" are gorgeous but creepy, full of feverish imagery and siren-song sibilance; it's as if they're intended to lull the listener into a false sense of security and then, when all defenses are down, pounce. Parker's sparse electronic enhancements wouldn't seem out of place on a Photek album -- she trims the fat from her tunes with merciless accuracy, leaving the barest framework. In this context, it becomes clear that every blip, every bleep, every thump has a clear and distinct purpose, though Parker doesn't divulge her motivation. Those who think all of this audio detailing is camouflage for lackluster vocals are directed to "Return of the Rocking Chair," which features Parker in full torch-song mode. "Return..." is a lush, elegant elegy painted in vivid, cinematic colors, its impact all the more significant after the spartan tone of the previous nine songs.

If you're not the type to wallow in dark music, you may find Kiss My Arp difficult to like. It is beautiful and compelling, but overwhelmingly morose. For many, this will be a disc to appreciate, but never quite to like -- though, for its ability to affect your emotional state, you've got to respect it, too.