Today, at 1051 Magazine, the pleasure of writing this review is twofold. The first is the pleasure of doing so about a superb album released on a label we love, and the second is even more personal, being able to write about a fellow countryman who has been raising the level of electronic music for a few years now.

Personally, I think that together with Nacho Marco, he is the best artist that this region has produced in the last few decades. But this is just a humble and personal opinion of the writer of these lines.

But let’s leave the introductions aside and get down to business. Marc Martínez Nadal, a multifaceted guy if ever there was one, better known as AFFKT, releases his third full-length album, The Big Picture, today July 30th on Mobilee Records. Today is the digital edition, as we will have to wait until  August 13th to enjoy a lavish edition on two 12″ vinyls.

We always love to hear the artist’s words about his own creations, and in this case Marc gives his thoughts on this third album in his career:

“I’ve titled it The Big Picture as an invitation to look at things from a positive perspective, the album is meant to be an optimistic pill as well as a great reflection of what I have been, lived and ultimately become at this very moment. I feel like I’m in a time where I feel really good about looking at the past, but also imagining what the future can be”.

 

 

 

 

The content of the album is a perfect evolution in AFFKT’s sound and production… we’ve had to wait five years since Son Of A Thousand Sounds, album that he released in 2016 on his own label, Sincopat Records, and which received such good reviews. The Big Picture may be the work that defines definitely his sound, which escapes predefined labels (something very Mobilee Records too, where they love to find artists who escape rigid definitions) and which continues to explore sonic frontiers.

What can’t be hidden is Marc’s love for a varied and wide repertoire of organic sounds, which makes for hugely engaging and powerful results. The album opens with the beautiful As Far As We Can Go, spellbinding, evocative of a gorgeous sunset anywhere in the Mediterranean. Then enters the voice of South African Elle Holgate, better known as E11E, who gives way to strings and a powerful bassline in Abre los Ojos. Calypso is the next track, House music straight to the dancefloor, and later comes Zambomba, with the vocal contribution of Sutja Gutierrez, which takes you straight back to the eighties in essence, but with very current sonic definition.

The Dream Is Real drags a beautiful epic load, and End Of The Road leaves a short intermezzo of barely a minute and a half before the arrival of another of the album’s highlights, Bloom and one of the advance singles, Jandía. Two power-packed, fascinating tracks that are followed by Nothing’s Gonna Change My World, which takes a breather before Let It Burn, another of the advance singles. Tremendous rhythmic pattern as a base, powerful bassline and another demonstration of Marc’s handling of the cadence, which has as icing on the cake the vocal contribution of Sutja Gutierrez, repeating in these tasks. Torpedo, one of the longest tracks on the album with an impeccable House evolution but with the personal signature of AFFKT, continues to take dancefloors by storm.

The two tracks that close the album are Marc’s tributes to people who have recently left us. Ueli is dedicated to his recently deceased grandmother, a beautiful composition that exudes optimism and happiness, surely inspired by that figure that we love so much and that marks our lives so much, and that leaves a tremendous void when they are gone. To close the album is Adiós Ayer, dedicated to the figure of the great DJ José Padilla, who passed away recently, with the collaboration of DJ and producer Nacho González, better known as Piek.

Thirteen tracks, a beautiful sonic journey that AFFKT offers us once again. Absolutely recommendable, and we are sure it will be at the end of the year at the top of those lists of the best of 2021 that abound so much in the month of December. We already anticipated it before the end of July.

Now available for digital purchase and vinyl pre-order here.

 

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