- Ilija Rudman reminds me of that character in Amélie; you know, the old recluse who's too frail—or is that afraid?—to go outside and experience the modern world, stubbornly and painstakingly replicating the same Renoir masterpiece in meticulous detail. Switch painting for music production, and Renoir for '80s Boogie, and you can start to get an idea of the impressively-executed impasse that tends to constitute Rudman's work.
Time and Time is no exception, and if you like Boogie music, it's exceptionally hard to find fault with it. All the classic hallmarks are there: a catchy bass hook, faux-calypso marimbas and hammy vocals about getting dumped by your boyfriend. Great! I'll definitely pull an enthusiastic move or two to this on the dance floor; I'll probably get caught miming the lyrics in front of the mirror thinking no one's looking; heck, I might even give it the thumbs-up on one of those venerable social-networking sites.
The only thing that doesn't sit quite right with me is that, without prior knowledge, I'd be more inclined to believe you if you told me this was recorded in 1983 rather than 2010. There is, of course, nothing wrong with wearing your influences on your sleeve. It's just when the latter becomes increasingly eclipsed by the former, you can't help but wonder what a producer of Rudman's talent and dexterity could achieve if he just messed around a bit more.
Tracklist A Time & Time
B1 Time & Time (Dub Mix)
B2 Time & Time (Michael J. Collins Remix)