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In Depth: Justin Robertson Is Ever The Enthusiast

"there have been times where I’ve felt a bit outside the zeitgeist..."Have you always felt this way? I think so. I think that’s what has always been key to me, especially as a DJ. You have to always remain a fan and be an enthusiast. I could never be one of those people who calculate the direction they’re going to go in for commercial reason. I kind of like what I like and as long as people keep making good music I’ll keep playing it. I think if I lost that enthusiasm I wouldn’t be able to do it for the sake of it, I just couldn’t do it. Do you think this should be key to everyone else? I’ve been doing it for so long and people often ask me what advice to I have for people starting out. I know there’s things like DJ courses which I can understand are useful in terms of the technical side of things but I think the main thing is to love it. If you don’t love it then just don’t bother. If someone says I’m going to get into DJing because I want to have a lot of money, fly around the world and wave my hands in the air in front of 10,000 people but to be honest I’m not that keen on the music then I’d say it’s probably best not to bother. There’s a lot of people like that… Yeah, there are but then we don’t really know what’s going in their heads, you know? What’s kept you motivated for so long? Well it’s not say that I’ve always felt motivated. I’ve been DJing since I went to university in 1986 so I’ve been doing it for years but there’s been times during that period where I’ve felt a bit disconnected but that’s showbiz, y’know? Sometimes you’re in vogue and other times you’re not. There have been times where I’ve felt a bit outside the zeitgeist so to speak and where I’ve not really liked some of the music out there but there’s always been enough to keep me going. There’s been times where you kind of lose your way for a few months but its all part of the experience and the journey of being involved in music. Use the times that aren’t so good to galvanise yourself. Some people can’t always get past that dip and move forward though… Maybe it’s not the sort of thing that people would admit but there’s always going to be times when you will lose your way. Every gig you play can’t be amazing and you’re not always going to be into it. A lot of the noisy techno throughout the middle 2000s I didn’t really gel with. Schisms happen in dance music! In the early mid 90s some people went off in the techno direction and others went towards the more vocal driven, garage route so there’s always been times when change has occurred. It’s quite an exciting time for you at the moment… Yeah, I’ve got a new Deadstock 33 album. It’s exciting because I actually have a record deal, remember them? I can’t actually say who it is as it’s not been officially signed, sealed and delivered but I am very excited. I released the first album on Gomma back in 2013 so this will be the second. I’ve also done a few remixes and last year I released my Clouded Vision and Days Of Being Wild EP so a lot’s been happening. I think 2015 will be a busy year. A lot to keep you motivated? Yeah, I’m lucky because I’ve remained a fan boy of music long enough to be able sustain this enthusiasm.

"...we are in a situation where it’s slowly dawning on people that this is the new reality"So you think it’s affecting the music industry? London attracts so many people so there will always be an audience but that’s not to say the industry isn’t in danger. You once said that you thought the industry was fucked and that new models need to be found? I’m a terrible business man and I don’t really know anything about economics in a practical sense so I don’t really know. Things have changed in how people consume and listen to music but there did seem to be a time when the artist would get hammered from every direction. I’ve not got a great love for big record companies – they have certainly inflicted a lot of damage on themselves and ripped people off over the years – so in some ways it’s good if we can get back to a more independent state. I mean, there are plenty of independent labels out there that are massively thriving and I know vinyl sales are meant to be on the rise but there are still issues about subscription services, illegal downloads – which is theft as far as I’m concerned – but having said that, it’s a reality we find ourselves in and we need to deal with it. So to be honest with you, I don’t really have a firm view on it. There’s an idealistic view about what I would like to happen but then there’s the reality of what’s actually happening. In terms of the illegal downloads, I think it is all non-tentacle bullshit but people seem to think it’s a reasonable way of behaving. I think the digital age does allow some scope for people to do things themselves. I suppose what is interesting is if we decided to support and nurture it rather than rip people off. It’s an interesting place to be. I just think it might have made it all seem a little over saturated…? You see, I don’t have a problem with that. Yes, there might be so much bad music but there’s equally enough good music out there if not more. I don’t have a problem with sifting through the nonsense. Much rather that than a drought. Imagine if everyone stopped making music and there was only one good record month? That would be disastrous! You’re right, but this is the world we live in now. You can’t go back time, can you? I think you have to really try to find that balance. It can be so liberating if we allow it to be and we don’t allow it to be controlled and manipulated by a few people. So we should embrace the digital age? Exactly and we should find positive things to do with it. It’s a weird thing but we are in a situation where it’s slowly dawning on people that this is the new reality. I couldn’t possibly predict where we’ll be with it in 10 or 20 years… We’re still at a relatively early stage so I think eventually we will find some way of navigating through the nonsense. I mean, we could sit here and talk about this all day but the idea about what’s disseminating, what’s true and what people take to be reality is fascinating. I think we need to learn to think for ourselves a little better and not depend on what’s being repeated across the internet. So it’s the same with music. You just have to make the effort to navigate through all the appalling promos. I never quite understood why people complain about this process. It’s an essential part of what we do as DJs. When I first started playing records I really quite enjoyed inflicting my taste on to people. When I was at university I’d sit in the corner putting on records for the entire duration of the party. There’s always one… (Laughs) Yeah, sorry! So I think what I do now is just an extension of that. I think you get to a stage where you might disconnect yourself with that process but I think it’s a little odd. I guess it’s a good indication of how enthusiastic you still are. Well, it’s my job. The good thing about the dance community is – and I used to get it when I worked at Eastern Bloc – is that it’s a hub where people congregate to interchange ideas whether it’s via the internet or not there’s still that community of sharing, discussing and disseminating. I think that’s fascinating. It’s always been essential to me and it’s what drives me to do this. For better or for worse.

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