WEIRD SCIENCE

Andrea Parker is the anti-DJ. In clubs. the 27-year-old baffles the crowd with sets that stagger from elec- tra to hip-hap. In the studia. she composes sonic melodramas that sound like Julee Cruise channeling Massive Attack. Parker first pricked the ears of the British underground three years ago with her second single for Mo' Wax, "Rocking Chair." a down- beat classic that typified her penchant for "weird, fucked-up depressive stuff." On her two new releases~he long-awaited full-length debut, Kiss My Arp, and a mix collection for Berlin- based compilation specialists Studio K7-Parker's many musi- cal pasts. pile onto each other. Her contribution to K7's acclaimed DJ Kicks series showcases the enthusiasms she developed early an as a member of obscure electronica out- fits, veering thrillingly between Afrika Bambaataa and Juan Atkins. The glassy vocals and beautiful ambient soundscapes of Kiss My Arp, meanwhile, recall the "ethereal stuff" Parker lis- tened to growing up in the countryside outside London. Then there's the chopped-up samples of Parker sneezing and crunching chips. None of which is as funny as it sounds. "I don't hate happy music." Parker protests. "I just hate Fatboy Slim and that cheesy European sort of stuff. Anyway. the album isn't that dark. I look at people like Gravediggaz as dark. I prefer 'weighty' to 'dark."' CRAIG MCLEAN

Andrea Parker: not exactly the look of a DJ who likes to mix "weird,depressive stuff."

Originally appeared in Spin May 1999 Copyright © Spin.