- If Barraca Music knew what was good for them, they'd lock Marc Martínez Nadal, AKA AFFKT, in a room without an internet connection and force him to work on music all day. Who knows? Maybe that's what they did in 2008: Nadal has been the driving force behind all three of the imprint's releases. But now that they're out, the secret is too. Nadal is seriously talented, someone that label boss Andrew Grant calls "our little Martin Buttrich" and that will soon have records out on Rekids, Buzzin Fly and Rebirth as well.
Nadal works here with Alberto Sola, a Spanish DJ, and the duo come up with yet another winner. The key to my ears at least is Nadal's unusual snare placements, offering an occasional counterpoint to the 4/4 plod that worms its way into your head in the foreground. With that snare popping up every so often to remind us why we've come amid a mildly infectious riff and a smoldering bassline, the track avoids the usual "ethnic" techno traps. (And that horn-led finale ain't bad either.)
Dutch deep house grandfather 2000 and One takes the most ethnic piece—the sampled voice of an old man—and wraps his lighter, upbeat take around it, adding a healthy shot of organ. It's a simple one-chord thing that was probably knocked out in less time than it took for his recording program to boot up, but it lends itself perfectly to the original, highlighting how simple and effective these elements are.
TracklistA1 AFFKT & Alberto Sola - Big Cake
B1 AFFKT & Alberto Sola - Big Cake (2000 and One remix)