DIDAC P LAGARRIGA, AKA UN CADDIE RENVERSÉ DANS L'HERBE, SEEMS TO REVEL IN THE UNPREPOSSESSING, MINIATURIST FORMAT OF THE 3"CD. MOREOVER, HIS APPARENT DIFFIDENCE EXTENDS TO THE NAMING OF HIS WORKS, WHICH ARE MORE LIKE MURMURED, TRAILING AWAY APOLOGIES FOR TITLES. SO, AFTER LIKE A PACKED CUPBOARD BUT QUITE... COMES ATLAS SALTA (MAPS, LIES, BORDER, LIES...) (DEKORDER 3"CD). YET DESPITE LAGARRIGA'S INSTRUMENTATION (FLUTE, GUITARS, CHIMES AND KALIMBA AS WELL AS TAPES AND LAPTOP), THIS ISN'T QUITE THE GENTLY ECLECTIC, MILDLY SPICED PROPOSITION YOU MIGHT EXPECT. IN FACT, THESE PIECES ARE AS TROUBLING AND MYSTERIOUS AS UNUSUAL NOISES EMANATING THROUGH THE WALLS FROM NEXT DOOR. TAKE THE OPENING "WHEN", IN WHICH A KALIMBA TICKS OVER A RHYTHM LOOP THAT SOUNDS LIKE THE FOOTSTEPS OF CHILDREN BEING HURRIEDLY EVACUATED DOWN A STAIRCASE, AS A MELODICA RESPIRATES,  THEN HOLDS A LONG, LOOMING NOTE AS THE FOOTSTEPS FADE AWAY. "TIME", TOO, IS AN ENIGMATIC TABLEAU OF WHAT MIGHT BE STRANGE DOMESTIC GOINGS ON: RUNNING WATER, FALTERING CHIMES, AS VOCALIST PELA BARELY IMPRINTS HERSELF ON THE PIECE, HUMMING AS IF ENGROSSED IN SOME TEDIOUS TASK, DEAD TO THE BIZARRE SONIC ACTIVITIES TAKING PLACE AROUND HER.

"OVERCOME" HAS A NOCTURNAL AIR ABOUT IT, THE AIR HEAVY AND SCENTED, WITH A DISTANT HOOTING AND THE GENTLE POUNDING OF AFRICAN INSTRUMENTATION, BUT STILL BEGS THE QUESTION FROM BEHIND THE CURTAINS; WHAT ARE THEY UP TO OUT THERE? "MISS" SEES THE TEMPERATURE RISE AS THE CAULDRON OF ETHNIC/ECLECTIC INGREDIENTS BEGINS TO COME TO THE BOIL, WHILE "LIAR" STRIKES A MORE OPENLY MENACING CHORD, WITH ITS ASTRINGENT ACOUSTIC LOOP DELIVERED LIKE THE REPEATED QUESTION OF A DETERMINED INQUISITOR, WHILE "ATLAS" AT LAST REVEALS UN CADDIE IN HIS FULL AND TRUE COLOURS, MARSHALLING ALL HIS INSTRUMENTS LIKE AN INVASION FORCE OF CLOCKWORK SOLDIERS. A WORLD OF DETAIL HERE FOR THOSE PREPARED TO PEER THROUGH ITS PEEPHOLE.
DAVID STUBBS | THE WIRE