Since making quite an entrance for himself with a string of self-released pearls in 2009, Cottam’s productions have been burning dancefloors nice and slowly. Throwing in samples from highlife, hip hop, techno and disco to the mixing pot, the results are a Balearic dream of 110BPM shufflers made for sunrises.
As a DJ first and foremost, it wasn’t until his decks had to make way for a nursery that he devoted time to making his own floorfillers, from disco edits on his own label to slow bubbling techno on Will Saul’s Aus Music. More recently, he has started the Ruff Draft label with a forthcoming release from Chesus under his DJ Earl Jeffers guise. It seems the decks have returned, with brilliantly titled mixes (‘Let’s Get Drunk, Dance, and Mix Badly‘ and ‘Afternoon session gone WRONG!!!!!‘) appearing regularly on Cottam’s SoundCloud.
Ahead of seeing what Cottam does best at Gottwood, the selector took a bit of time out to give us a glimpse of what pulls at his own heartstrings. In his own words, this playlist is made up of “moods” which “evoke different feelings in different people.” He says, “It’s all subjective, so this is just a personal list for me. You may understand, why I have chosen the music I have, and you may not. I might just slowly be turning into a big old softie who cries at anything, but celebrate the music that makes you weep, even if it’s uncool or whatnot. Any piece of music, film, book or poem that can do this, is special.”
Cottam plays at Gottwood Festival this June.
Letta Mbulu – ‘Mahlalela’
I don’t claim to know what the track is about. It’s just one of those. I’ve cried to this tracks a few times now. The feeling that has been put into the track is just phenomenal and, even the times I don’t cry, I feel a lump in my throat. Beautiful, powerful, emotional music that will stay for me for life!
Kenny Larkin – ‘Amethyst’
This record has been with me since it came out. The Metaphor album is possibly one of my most played records ever. In fact, I wore one copy out, but luckily a friend got me a fresh one. We used to play this track nearly every night. “It’s about that time” was the cue when we were bleary eyed and unable to carry on the deck session. Played when happy and when sad, it’s the mood of it that sets me off.
Plastikman – ‘Plastique’
9 minutes and 30 seconds that prove machines have emotions too, *laughs*. Richie coaxed beautiful, deep, emotional, weeping noises out of those machines on this one. I love it to bits. Again, like the Larkin track, it’s the mood that just gets me. Happy, sad, it doesn’t matter. I always have time for this. Lump-in-throat time while I listen and type this.
Erykah Badu & Stephen Marley – ‘In Love with You’
Not only is this a beautiful song but it has a tone to it which adds to its beauty. I was listening to a lot of this kind of stuff when I met my partner, Sian. This reminds me of her and how wonderful she is. So obvious reasons why this one is on the list. Sick bags can be found under your seat 🙂
The Sisters Love – ‘Give Me Your Love’
Yes, I know, I know. Marvin Gaye did it and, to be honest, it was the Deadly Sins edit of this that first got me booing onto my decks. I just love the tone of it. It was only recently, when I was coming out the other side of one of my MS relapses, that this song effected me so much. I was trying to get back on the decks – I hadn’t been able to play on them for a while – in the middle of recording a mix and, as soon as I played this, the floodgates opened. Maybe it was the fact that I was making a semi-good job of mixing again, maybe I was emotionally exhausted from the months of being ill, or maybe it was the feeling put into the track. I’ve cried several times since that first time a couple of months ago. That moment seems to have just stuck with me.
Cottam – ‘Healing Process’
I know you probably think this is shameless self-promo, but it isn’t. It’s a true story. I don’t think my tracks are very emotional, I wish I was that good. It was the situation. I hadn’t played a gig for a while then got one in London. To cut a long story short, I played this mid set and the crowd seemed to lap it up. Cheers, and all that business. I had a moment, had to turn and crouch behind the decks and blub. It was the crowd’s reaction, the thought that something I had done had evoked such a response. It was a magical moment for me!
A Group Of Pensioners – ‘Fix You’
I watched this documentary, Young At Heart, at home with Sian one night. It was a great watch about a group of pensioners getting ready to do a concert in their hometown. I am in no way a Coldplay fan, but when they sang this, the tears started. I think it was the context of the song in the documentary that did it to me… Or at least, thats my excuse 😉
Ebo Taylor and the Pelikans – ‘Come Along’
I love this track: the mood, the tone of his vocals, the bass, the horns. I just seem to get a lump in my throat every time I hear it. It’s just bliss to me, and I guess that’s why if effects me so much. Short explanation, but there you go.
