James T. Cotton - On Time

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  • You'd be right to accuse James T. Cotton of a slavish devotion to a sound, but that merely sidesteps the fact that Cotton is Tadd Mullinix. Dabrye. And Sk-1. Mullinix is hardly a one-trick pony. He's one who simply divides his music between his aliases instead of grouping them all under one moniker. The Cotton name, for those not familiar, is Mullinix's tribute to Ron Hardy (and the music he'd play at Chicago's Music Box). "On Time" is the frenetic acid pop that never was, a tune that doesn't let up for more than eight minutes, culminating in a chorus of voices wordlessly singing the melody. "Octopus" follows the down-to-business acid house, it's flightier and more melodic, a miniature with surprising muscle. On the flip, Rick Wade figures out how to translate "On Time" into his signature Rhodes-heavy deep house. It gives up the ecstasy in favor of smoothness and loses something in the process. Regardless of its source material, it does the same thing as many of his previous releases—only with a sample of someone saying "on time." It's uninspiring, and the same goes for its partner on the side, a JTC called "Jak Your Own Stars," which does little to excite beyond its obvious referents. "On Time" nods to the past and adds a wrinkle or two, but "Jak" doesn't have much new to say at all.
  • Tracklist
      A1 On Time A2 Octopus B1 On Time (Rick Wade's Grimetime remix) B2 Jak Your Own Stars
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