Alberto Lizarralde - Haizetxe

Second visit to the Basque Country this week, and of course it would be courtesy of the great Hegoa Diskak, the label dedicated to documenting the multifarious voices of the region. This time out they delve into the archives of Alberto Lizarralde with this collection of 15 unreleased recordings made on a four-track over various points in the 80s and 90s. Given the disparate time of origin of these tracks, Haizetxe's success inevitably hinges on its sequencing, which has been thoughtfully divided in two. The A side consists of a range of MIDI-based compositions that take influence from both Reich and Budd, undercut by a DIY charm that recalls, for me at least, Cheri Knight and Janos Masik's various homely innovations. On the flip we see Lizarralde entering Hassell-inspired territory ala Power Spot or Flash of the Spirit, and in parts draws to mind David Cunningham's contribution to the Made to Measure series, which is to say the compositions are either more layered or evocative (sometimes both), and it's this section of the record that provides greater reasons for repeat listens. Haizetxe translates as 'wind house', which should be the name of a new micro-genre but also serves to perfectly capture what Lizarralde has captured here, especially on the few songs that close out the B side. So there you have it, wind house, my two word review. Sorry for making you trawl through everything else to get to that.