Tricky must think we've all seen enough of him since he was recently outed as modern music's greatest new innovator.

The 28-year-old "trip-hop" pioneer from Bristol, England -- real name, Adrian Thaws -- has had his share of media hype since the release late last year of his second album, Pre-Millennium Tension, though he's not exactly a household name.

So he obscured things for his sold-out show at the Phoenix last night, literally, by playing in the near-dark for two hours.

Hiding from the audience was probably not Tricky's intention. There were clearly far more artsy forces at work here. BR>To call the anti-light show erratic might be giving it too much credit.

Tricky's self-titled band -- co-vocalist Martina and a non-descript-looking but highly skilled quartet with bass, drums, guitar and keyboards -- loomed in the shadows. Red and green lights flashed on once for a nanosecond during the pulsating opening track to reveal their leader, shuddering over a sampler with his back to the crowd of about 1,200.

Things pretty much stayed that way as Tricky joined Martina on vocals the second tune, Christiansands, and croaked into a rivetting performance that would have been even better had it been visible. It was exciting to watch the Tricky crew freak out the few times they were lit, particularly Martina, who spent much of the gig doubled over and writhing on the drum riser in some sort of trance.

Maybe the darkness was supposed to heighten the aural senses. Unfortunately, it just made the group's vital performance appear dull. Anyone not swept up in the music's hypnotic din -- powerful as it was -- must have been bored silly. A good way to weed out fairweather fans, anyway.

The music may have been equally alienating for those who didn't get Tricky's experimental treatments.

He took songs off the often thin-sounding Pre-Millennium Tension and expanded them into deeply demented 10-minute techno jams.

Martina injected soul into Makes Me Wanna Die and a barely recognizable version of Massive Attack's Karmacoma. Tricky went for -- and from -- the throat on Sex Drive and Vent. The bass levels were gut-rattling -- that's a lot of bass -- while the live drummer and guitarist layered on the dissonance.

This was a great musical performance that was nearly sabotaged by Tricky's own notions of anti-showmanship.

The fact that he managed to succeed in spite of himself scores him more points in the end.

Go figure.

JAM! Rating: 4 out of 5