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Andy Interviews... |
Being a member of the International Jet Set can be hard. Off one week on a little DJ'ing jaunt to Uruguay. Next, back home in Manchester, preparing to go over to Dublin to spin a few more platters, but finding a little time to give DV8 an interview to promote your new album. Such is life for Justin Robertson, veteran Cream DJ and lynchpin of the band Lionrock. How can such a busy man catch his breath, let alone give an interview? It amazes me, but he did it anyway.
"I sometimes feel like a bit of an underachiever. I think maybe I could have done more."
Not really words you would expect from a universally respected DJ who has just had his single "Rude Boy Rock" plastered all over Radio 1's playlist. When you consider his background, starting his DJing career at Manchester's "Spice" in 1990 where Cream's Darren Hughes and The Chemical Brothers regularly shook down their formative asses, you can see why. Even the world's most confident music legends faced with the "Block Rockin'" of such prodigies might quake in their boots. Justin Robertson looks back on it with a kind of fond regret, but fortunately with some hope for the future.
"I've enjoyed myself, probably done things which maybe haven't led on to other things, which were worth experimenting with, and I enjoyed doing. I can't say that financially I've done that well out of it all, to be honest. I've had a good laugh with my music, but I can see myself coming into a whole new phase now, my interest and energy in club culture and electronic dance music has been really revitalised over the last year. I feel full of energy, it feels like I'm just starting again. People say you've been doing clubs for years now, and it seems like yesterday a lot of those things. I suppose that when I started a lot of people were still at primary school or something, still at school certainly. I don't feel like I've been doing it for ages."
At the centre of this new phase is Lionrock's new album, "City Delirious". With a diversity characteristic of Robertson's own taste, it treads a careful path through the pitfalls of the "Big Beat" twist on dance music that have recently opened up.
"It's kind of like the natural succession to the first album, it's a little bit more uptempo, but it continues the urban soundtrack feel. It's funky, quite edgy, kind of electronic, but with a kind of organic feel, and I'm really pleased with it! I couldn't make a record which was just one style all the way through to be honest, it just wouldn't interest me. It's different. It's got a different sort of feel. That's where I'm at, at the moment, that's kind of what I'm doing at the moment, and I'm happiest with it."
Theming an album with the city in mind seems a dangerous game. Maybe it gives a large chunk of us music which relates to our modern lifestyles, but in the same way, to some it would be irrelevant. Is it a deliberate goal of Justin Robertson's solely to make and play music for those who are similar to himself, or does he try to embrace all comers?
"The clubs I play music at are quite varied, and the music seems to go down well with all sorts of various shapes and sizes, age groups, types of people really. Urban sophisticants. I can't imagine people who are into the countryside liking me very much. I've never really liked the countryside, I don't really like nature. Nice place to visit, but I wouldn't like to live there. It's just there all the time. It's not that "City Delirious" is like a concept, storytelling "Townie" record, it's urban music. I've always liked urban music. I think, when you're making music, your environment always comes out in what you do, whether you like it or not."
Whatever method they employ, at present Lionrock are doing alright for themselves. Having survived since 1992, expanded from a lone swordsman to a four piece, with two albums and a handful of singles under their belt, they've enjoyed a modicum of success. The music is anything but mainstream, with no obvious "Cream Anthems". The few tracks to dance to are hidden between chunks of psychadelia, minimalism and trip-hop. How does such music fit in in the music scene today?
"It probably doesn't," says Robertson. "I'm not that interested in fitting in really. What I'm trying to do always is to try and be totally different from everything else that's going on. That's my main concern. That's what I tend to do. I don't really like trying to do things that sound like other people. In sounds quite contemporary, it's quite a modern record, in comparison to anyone else, and hopefully people will be excited by that."
Justin Robertson as crusader for truth and justice in music. In the music industry of today, where samplers and sequencers are king, such an attitude is both rare and admirable. I asked Justin, with temptations all around, is it hard to stay original?
"It's harder to be original and sell lots of records. I don't know, I don't think it's hard to be original. I think if you believe in what you do, and love music, it kind of just comes out like that. Sometimes really good music comes out of pastiching other things, taking influences and doing a twist on it, that's what we do quite a lot. What I do quite a lot. Making a ska record that's not quite a ska record. There's still some really good original music being made by people around and about though. I don't think it's harder to be original. I think it's tempting not to be though, to take the easy option and run off with the money. I don't think I've done that really, so far, which I'll probably regret when I'm completely impoverished in years to come."
Where is your proof Robertson? Can you SHOW me originality? Come on, there must be someone who's original.....
"I really like all the Newphonic kind of gear. It's kind of organic house, Ashley Beadle's just done an album for them called "Future JuJu", fusing traditional jazz, funk and disco vibesand updating it. There's loads of people, Daniel Ibbotson, guy from Scotland, and Air, obviously they're hyped at the moment, and a lot of good producers."
Life as Justin Robertson. Must be pretty varied. One minute music pundit, next DJ at top plush clubs, next slumming it in the mud at Reading or the like, as you play your tunes live. With such opportunity for tasting lifestyles, the question must be asked: Which is best?
"I like all sorts of things, we're not doing so much live stuff this year, we might do some later in the year, that was good fun, I really enjoyed doing it, it was good experience, but I like DJ'ing mainly. That's my bag really. That's what I started doing, and that's what I still love doing. Clubswise, there are loads of different clubs with different styles, that are all really good. It's like being paid for your hobby, it's really a bit of a privileged position to be in to be honest. And I love it all really. Just 'cos I've always really loved music, listened to music, bought records. And you just get paid for playing people your favourite records, it's just a buzz. I don't know what your hobbies are, but imagine getting paid for that. The whole thing's a total gas. You get paid really well for it as well. I'd sooner be doing that than working in a factory."
Sounds pretty good, eh? Well I'm sure it can't be all good plaining really."
"Hangovers are pretty bad, travelling can get on your tits occasionally, if you're constantly in airports or on trains, lugging stuff about the place, but it's a small price to play. There's a few aspects of the scene that get on my tits, the sort of snobbishness, the trainspotters. Not trainspotters, but purist types. You get a lot on the techno scene particularly, you get the kind of people who think that no idea what sort of people like my stuff. should be made a certain way, but I'm not complaining really."
Justin Robertson: all round lucky bastard in general, then. So, all you have to do to be like him is buy some music taste, take the time to learn the art of mixing perfectly, then how to make and write music, then once you've done that get noticed and signed and sell lots of records. Be warned though, there are some suggestions that only people of a certain character ever achieve this. What character is that, you ask? We'll let Justin explain.
"When I'm not listening to records all I do is watch videos for a pastime and collect more records. I'm a bit of a sad twat really!"
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