Justin Robertson shouldn't really require any introduction in these parts, but just in case here's a brief wrap-up tucked into a quaint little nutshell:
Robertson is the British DJ/producer also known as Lionrock and, more recently, Deadstock 33's, who started out spinning records during the Madchester period and himself impacted upon the Chemical Brothers before they dreamed up Exit Planet Dust.
This is the man who since released as much music through indie conventional labels (One Little Indian/Rough Trade) as he has via dance music outlets (Bugged Out/Nuphonic/Southern Fried Records) - and has also remixed Roy Budd, Bjork, The Sugarcubes, The Shamen, Inspiral Carpets, Erasure, Fortran 5, Talk Talk, Happy Mondays, Fatboy Slim, Luke Slater, and Felix Da Housecat.
More personally, his was the deft hand behind a remix set that I consider to be one of the best CD mix compilations. Period.
With this unshelled background guff over, in return Robertson kindly took the time out for 20 unreasonable queries.
1. Yawn question. How did you get inspired to start making music?
"Well, I have been writing songs and music since i was at school, I was in a couple of bands and we were pretty awful! But i got a real taste for it. I actually got my break by accident really, I was working in Eastern Bloc Records in Manchester; they had a band called the Mad Jacks, who needed a remix, and I volunteered even though I had never been in a studio in my life! It turned out rather well, so i was hooked!"
2. Where were you born, and what's the place most famous for?
"I was actually born in Walton Upon Thames, famous for being the birthplace of Julie Andrews."
3. You've been producing music and interacting within the music industry for quite a time now - how long exactly? What keeps you motivated, and what integral changes have you noticed over that time period?
"Been at it for about 18 years! It's just such a joy to be paid for what you love doing. I remain motivated because it's what i love; I'd do it even it wasn't my job - music is quite central to my being, not to be cosmic or anything. The biggest change, I guess, is the democratisation of music, facilitated by technology. It's a proper revolution, more so than punk."
4. Here's the mandatory inane question: If you were pressed into a corner and forced to confess under great duress, how would you define the sounds/styles you're currently making?
"Outer space thump and inner space disco."
5. You also run your own label, Neverwork. What's the story there?
"The label is asleep presently, but may awaken very soon."
6. Biggest influences on your own music?
"Reggae is massive, dub techniques from masters like King Tubby and Lee Perry; spacey cosmic disco from the likes of Arthur Russell, Alexander Robotnik Italo stuff, the irreverence of Balearic beat, and acid house of course. Raw, edgy music with a lo-fi swagger. The Fall and film music - I'm thinking of Ennio Morricone, John Barry, John Carpenter. The Mods and the '60s beat thing, psychedelic music... and that's just the for my dancefloor stuff!"
7. What new Justin Robertson releases can we look out for?
"I'm fully immersed in my Deadstock 33's project: it's all about spacey Balearic. The album is gonna be Underneath the Pines - it's Nick Cave meets Elkin and Nelson; murder ballads with a disco beat! Deadstock releases also on Paper Recordings, and I also have an EP with Guy Williams out on Arcobaleno next year called World Keeps Turning. New little dancefloor projects keep popping up all over..."
8. Thirteen years ago you released CD Scape, your entry in the esteemed Journeys By DJ series. Personally, that double-CD blew me out of the water at the time, and I still play it even now - I loved the way you (somehow) blended together such diverse sounds by T Power, the Green Velvet mix of Dajae, Cristian Vogel, Dan Curtin, and DJ Shadow. How do you feel about that mix selection now, and is breaking the mold and playing different styles important to you?
"I don't think about it too much really, I think I'm just restless, so I find my ideas mutating constantly. I also take energy from the massive amount of music that's out there to discover. It makes you want to absorb new influences and keep re-inventing your sound."
9. You've also remixed pretty much everybody - from Roy Budd, Bjork, The Sugarcubes, The Shamen, Inspiral Carpets, Erasure, Fortran 5, Talk Talk, Happy Mondays, and Gary Clail On-U Sound System, to Fatboy Slim, Luke Slater, Felix Da Housecat, and the Luke Solomon outfit, Freaks. What's the attraction of remixing for you?
"I've always said remixing should be about adding your own take on something - it's a chance to take that something in a new direction and give it a personal stamp. It's also a top laugh; being able to work with some very talented people's material is a dream come true."
10. How has the remixing technique you apply changed over the years?
"Technology has advanced so massively. I used to spend a day just time-stretching vocals and chopping up samples. That takes minutes now. When I first started I was synching-up to tape, midi was in its infancy, and everything was much more hands-on - all of which has its plus points, but I love the speed and possibility that digital allows. Plug-ins have come a long way, and now have a much more genuine sound, so I'm pretty much a laptop guy these days."
11. How would you describe the two recent remix undertakings you did for Australian producer Ben Mill as well as my own project Little Nobody? ...Sorry, just gotta ask! ;)
"Epic wonkiness. Love both tunes so was hard to improve on them, thus I decided to take them in another direction. Both tracks were so full of great ideas, and there was so much to use! I tried to keep the mixes close to the spirit of the originals but give them a J.R. slant."
12. CDs seem to be a disappearing facet of the electronic music industry, and a fair amount of people are cutting back on vinyl production these days because they say it just doesn't make back the money invested. How do you feel about this?
"Vinyl still has the best sonic integrity, though i DJ mainly with CDs now. I don't think vinyl will die as there are still plenty off people who appreciate its warmth and beauty.The electronic scene has always been forward-looking so it's no suprise its distribution has been largely digital, which has made a rod for its own back, with file sharing so rampant that being an electronic music producer is now a bit like being a busker."
13. Is vinyl dead? Or just becoming more of a select option?
"Is this question an important one? Or it simply doesn't matter? Like I say, the romance and sound of vinyl is impossible to recreate, but I think if a new generation is not turned onto vinyl it has a danger of becoming a museum piece - which would be sad, because we are loosing not only the sound, but all the other good stuff like sleeve-notes, great artwork, etc. This digital revolution has opened up the world of music, making it accessible - there's no need to deal with grumpy record shop staff! But it also means we lose the expertise of the nice record staff, and the sheer fetishism of vinyl which is priceless."
14. When we decided to switch some of the IF? Records back-catalogue to digital download, I got an anonymous email saying "You've sold you're [sic] soul to the devil!!!". So... have we...?
"Not at all, there's a reality to trying to run a label these days: It's a labour of love, but it's also important to try and pay the bills, or everything will be Warners/EMI/Sony/etc... Do what you have to do to get the music to the people! I think digital is a graet way to spread the word to the casual dabbler, who doesn't mind spending a single $ but wouldn't buy your your five dollar 12-inch."
15. What do you think of historically (and musically) iconic fellow British producers like Cabaret Voltaire, Throbbing Gristle, et al, from 30 years back?
"I love all that Sheffield stuff, it sounds suprisingly organic now, with great sense of possibilities of machine funk."
16. Which '80s British outfit was your stand-out favorite from choices like New Order, Joy Division, The Shamen, Inspiral Carpets, Erasure, Happy Mondays, Gary Clail On-U Sound System, etc, etc?
"The Fall, Joy Division and New Order were my faves; I was also hypnotized by Durutti Column and that whole Factory thing was so sexy. One of the best gigs I went to was a festival with New Order and A Certain Ratio and The Fall on the same bill - I was in heaven! I loved the look of Echo and the Bunnymen and I loved Julian Cope, The Nightingales, Orange Juice, David Sylvian and Japan. Ryuchi Sakamoto continues to be a massive influence on me."
17. What gear/software are you making most use of in the studio at the moment? Compared with 15 years ago, how has your gear changed?
"I do everything at home now on my laptop plus one or two synths; this allows me to record on the road also. I use Logic 9 and a bunch of plug-ins; it's so fast and easy to use, compared to 15 years ago when I would spend two days chopping up vocals or fiddling with samples! The Lionrock studio was like an Aladdin's cave of synths and a lot of cables - now it's far more minimal! It's just another world now, and I truly dig it... just so many possibilities."
18. Which part of your studio is the most vital facet (this doesn't have to be technological - it could be a toy robot or a furry dice)?
"My Gibson Chet Atkins - it's therapeutic!"
19. What food/drinks keep you fueled throughout production time?
"Just water, lots of water - not very rock and roll."
20. How do you like your mushrooms cooked?
"Grilled, with a sprinkling of grated parmesan."
