Mystery man Cottam whips up a house storm at Plastic People. Tom Armstrong reports.
The name Cottam has been shrouded in mystery since his EPs first hit the shelves back in 2009. His series of numbered vinyls crept into record shops overnight seemingly from nowhere – no advertising, no info; just raw house edits drenched in soul that were sending dancefloors into a frenzy. The man behind the music was subsequently revealed to be a relatively unknown techno DJ called Paul Cottam, who was also building up a reputation as a dab hand behind the decks.
Tonight, I’m at Plastic People, undoubtedly London’s finest small club, to see the Preston native play alongside the legend that is Mark E. These two have a well matched sound that was last displayed at Warm's 11th birthday party back in October; Cottam’s tech-heavy house married with the slo-mo electronica of Mark E seems to hit dancefloors with just the right energy to get a crowd moving.
As the clock strikes midnight Cottam appears behind the decks with his trademark cap shadowing his face. The opener, Social Disco Club's ‘You Know How I Feel’ is airy, full of strings and totally unexpected from a man more associated with pure house and techno. The strings sweep across the room like a tidal wave, big cymbals crash against the walls, and the dancefloor is left splashing ecstatically in a pool of disco.
The set goes from strength to strength with Cottam working tunes expertly and scratching – something you rarely see done well – with all the confidence of a seasoned hip hop DJ. I managed to catch him three times at the back end of last year but this is undoubtedly the best I’ve seen him play and up there with the finest sets I’ve heard all year. By the time his thumping re-work of Plantlife’s ‘Luv 4 the World’ drops, the sweat is dripping from the roof. This is what people mean when they say “it’s going off”.
He finishes with Romanthony’s ‘Let Me Show You Love’ which turns the dancefloor into one multi-armed entity, reaching to touch the low ceiling, and screaming the chorus over and over. It’s a special moment and the pinnacle of the night. Another thing which is overwhelmingly refreshing and deserves mention is Cottam’s overall attitude. He is one of the most humble, unassuming people you could ever wish to meet and has time to chat to everybody who wants to talk, even those who are a slightly worse for wear.
Next it’s Mark E’s turn to do what he does best, which is control a crowd as adeptly as he controls the decks with his trademark slo-mo beats, helped along by the fantastic soundsystem. The music pours out of the speakers and occupies every inch of space on the dark, intense dancefloor with perfect clarity. It’s an understated set: there are no real bangers, no hands in the air anthems, but it’s a credit to his skill that he can keep the momentum going without relying on the obvious.
Over the last few weeks I’ve seen big-name, internationally renowned DJs who couldn’t hold a candle to Cottam tonight. It’s a name that I’m sure we’ll be hearing a lot more of over the coming year, so should you see him pop up in the listings over the next few months I urge you to grab yourself a ticket and prepare for a display of exactly how it should be done. Well done that man.
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