Kiss My Arp

Amazon.com
Though bits of Kiss My Arp remind one of a moody, mysterious DJ Rap, Andrea Parker is more than the thinking man's DJ Rap. As one of the torchbearers for eclectic electro, Parker turns in music that is both refined and rough; stirring strings soar with shifty breakbeats and manipulated found sounds. Parker weaves sonic odds and ends into chunky electro workouts like "Melodious Thunk," which was previously available in a modified version as an import. Easily the gem of the album, "Melodious Thunk" sounds just like the name implies: heavy, sweltering bass drum kicks, raunchy electro noise and percolating synths carry the track through to its magnificent end. The record reaches its lowest point when Parker sings in a distant voice that neither provokes nor engages the listener (see "The Unknown"). But the beats, as they say, are phat. --Tricia Romano

Tracks:

The Unknown
Clutching At Straws
Breaking the Code
In Two Minds
Melodious Thunk
Some Other Level
Elements Of Style
Going Nowhere
Sneeze
Return Of The Rocking Chair
Exclamation Mark!

Amazon.com

Though bits of Kiss My Arp remind one of a moody, mysterious DJ Rap, Andrea Parker is more than the thinking man's DJ Rap. As one of the torchbearers for eclectic electro, Parker turns in music that is both refined and rough; stirring strings soar with shifty breakbeats and manipulated found sounds. Parker weaves sonic odds and ends into chunky electro workouts like "Melodious Thunk," which was previously available in a modified version as an import. Easily the gem of the album, "Melodious Thunk" sounds just like the name implies: heavy, sweltering bass drum kicks, raunchy electro noise and percolating synths carry the track through to its magnificent end. The record reaches its lowest point when Parker sings in a distant voice that neither provokes nor engages the listener (see "The Unknown"). But the beats, as they say, are phat. --Tricia Romano

Customer Reviews:

Actually, I think the vocals are the best part.......2004-11-30

This album comes in a number of versions. Good luck finding them all. One version has two bonus tracks and the tracks are in a different order. There is another version that is all instrumentals. This is for all of you that are complaining about the vocals.

This CD is the basic standard version. It is 66 minutes long. About half of the tracks contain vocals.

I don't particularly like this type of music. It is repititious electronica dance music. If you are dancing wildly, in a sweaty, sexually charged disco with strobe lights, then this music is perfect. But, in any other setting, this music is just annoying. If you are in a disco, but not on the dance floor, this music can be torture. I don't see why anyone would want a CD for "personal enjoyment".

I do like the first two songs. I think that the vocals give accesibility to the music. The music plays a good backdrop to the songs. I don't think the music can carry itself.

But, not all the songs or vocals are good. On the later songs, like The Return to the Rocking Chair, the vocals get annoying and repititious, just like the music.

Some other level.......2004-01-08

I personally have to disagree with most of the reviewers here who thinks Andrea Parker's vocals are utter useless and takes away from the haunting melodies in the music. I enjoy Andrea's singing on "Kiss My Arp". She reminds me of the lead singers of Supreme Beings of Leisure, Olive, and Portishead. Andrea has that icy smooth, laid back quality that I love in trip hop music. I haven't heard of Andrea's work on DJ Kicks so I can't compare her work on "Kiss My Arp" to that cd. The production on "Kiss My Arp" is excellent especially on "Clutching At Straws", my favorite song off the album. I love the haunting melodies in the beginning. They just send chills down my spine. "Breaking the Code" is an interesting mish mash of sounds. The song itself sounds like it would be perfect for a science fiction soundtrack. The entire album in general is a mish mash of all sorts of bizarre noises and sounds. "Kiss My Arp" may not be one of my favorite cds in general but I like it enough to listen to on a regular basis. Andrea Parker reminds me like Aphex Twin, Portishead and DJ Shadow were cloned together and "Kiss My Arp" was the results.

instrumental..........2003-01-15

this is a five star album if you can get a copy without ms parker singing on it (just listen to "return of the rocking chair").

it's weird though... i read somewhere else that parker didn't produce the album (or that she had a co-producer), yet she is known as a producer. i'm not sure how true that is, but the production and instrumentation of this album is top notch. i really hate to say it but her singing definitely takes away from the album. but if it is indeed her who produced this album, i must say it is an absolutely stellar job.

Make the singing stop! Please!.......2001-02-14

Oh my. This is a gloomy electro album, plodding in the steps of more talented predecessors like Portishead and Plastikman. But I don't much want to talk about the music, because it's really not interesting enough to be worth much comment. We are talking dull stuff, something for disaffected ravers who just can't let go of those repetitive beats.

The real trouble with this album is Andrea Parker's voice. Again, in itself there's nothing especially offensive about it. It's pretty nondescript. If she were singing in the shower, nobody would take offense. EXCEPT. The woman absolutely drives me nuts by missing any and every note that's even a tiny stretch. She mercifully graces only a few of her tracks with her voice, and she sings flat on every single one.

I'll admit that I am a musician, and maybe more sensitive than your average listener as a result, but Parker goes a good quarter tone below the fundamental all the frickin time, and it makes me want to kick, beat, tear at my stereo until it stops!

If it weren't for the singing, I'd rate this album as a total non-event. As it is, it veers between invisibility and being wildly annoying. I'll give it an extra star simply because she doesn't sing on every track.

Unorthodox behavior.......2000-09-11

Andrea Parker, who is primarily known for her contribution to Studio K7's "DJ Kicks" series, delivers her first solo album with the help with producer David Morley. Together they have developed a style which reminds me of Autechre's more club-oriented material under the Gescom name, plus a few elements from other Warp artists and Morley's solo output (album: "Tilted"). Consequently, "KMA" mostly treads familiar territory and isn't particularly innovative; Complex, fractured rhythms, harsh bass lines, splinters of psychedelic melodies, and string arrangements are the features here, falling half-way between dancefloor material and equally pleasant home listening. Andrea packed all the strongest tracks into the first half of this 70-minute disc. "Breaking..", "Melodius thunk", and "In two minds" are experimental, mid-tempo techno numbers with a notable degree of complexity. "Some other level" with its keyboard drones and squeaks, and especially the 10-minute "Ballbreaker" have a more aggressive stance. The latter one starts with high-pitched crunches, but after three minutes or so, it begins to match its title with a series of brutal bass punches and metallic beats. The album's second half is much weaker, perking up only mildly with the bass-heavy "Going nowhere". The strings sound obtrusive and gratingly overblown on "Lost luggage" and "Return of..", while "Sneeze" and "Exclamation.." are too short and sketchy. This is not the best album Andrea will ever release, but I definitely recommend it to fans of the aforementioned artists.

Average customer rating:

Kiss My Arp (+2 Bonus Tracks)
Andrea Parker
Manufacturer: Toysf
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00004SAK8
Release Date: 2000-02-21

Tracks:

Breaking the Code
In Two Minds
Clutching of Straws
Some Other Level
The Unknown
Elements of Style
Going Nowhere
Sneeze
Lost Luggage
Return of the Rocking Chair
Exclamation Mark!
The Unknown (DJ Magic Mike Mix)
The Unknown (Tony Vegas Mix)

Album Details

Japanese Reissue featuring Two Bonus Tracks: In Two Minds (Remixed by DJ Magic Mike), and Clutching at Straws (Remixed by Beyond There and Tony Vegas).

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