Justin Robertson

Virtual Festivals: What'a it like playing in The Strongbow Rooms?
Justin Robertson: I really like it. The venue's got a great sound system and the crowd at all the festivals are always really friendly. The events I've done so far this summer have all been good and fairly consistent with each other. It's as if people go into The Strongbow Rooms and suddenly they're bang up for it.

VF: Which festival has been your favourite?
JR: Homelands was really good. I was on a bit earlier at the Isle Of Wight, so it wasn't quite so packed, but it had definitely picked up by the time I finished.

VF: What makes the perfect festival?
JR: Running water, reasonable toilets, lots of drugs. Oh, and music!

VF: You've been DJing for more than 10 years and have flirted with all kinds of music. Describe your current sound.
JR: It's wonky electronics I suppose, kind of dynamic and energetic. Later on today I'll be playing some new bits and pieces, a few records of mine, and I'll be trying a few new things. The crowd in The Strongbow Rooms always seem fairly receptive to new things, they're all quite knowledgeable. It's great because it means you can experiment more and you don't sit there fretting about what to play. Last year at Creamfields I thought The Strongbow Rooms was the best venue of the whole festival.

VF: What else are you doing at the moment?
JR: I'm currently producing a single on Touche's label, 'Bodyclap', called 'I'm Still Waiting'.

VF: More wonky electronics?
JR: No, it's not that wonky actually, it's more crowd pleasing and summery. I'm also doing two album projects, one with the working title 'Leisure', which I'm three quarters of the way through. It's a bit like Joy Division and I'm singing on it. I'm also doing a Rextone album for Nuphonic, but I've only just started it. It's all electronic, really quirky, with kind of odd sounding looped instruments. Norman Cook's going to do a mix on one of the tracks.

VF: Is dance music back to its best?
JR: It's coming out the other side definitely. I think the last few years have been a process of sorting the wheat from the chaff. It got to the point two or three years ago where it wasn't cool to like dance music anymore, but the real fans stuck with it and now it's got back to being about really good music, being pushed by some great new faces. And of course there're still the old bastards like me hanging around!

VF: So why do you think Manumission has started bringing out indie bands to the island for its 'Ibiza Rocks' night?
JR: I'd like to see Babyshambles playing in Manumission, that'd be great, but I've got no time for Kaiser Chiefs really. I don't know how well it will go down in Ibiza, because the people there do tend to be more into their acid house. It's funny that Manumission seems to have gone from being the most commercial club out there to one of the most adventurous. It's great they're trying to keep things fresh, and anyone who tries to keep the island going has got to be applauded.

You can catch Justin Robertson playing in The Strongbow Rooms next at V Festival Stafforshire on Saturday 20 August. Click here for more.

He also plays the Benicassim festival in Spain between 4-7 August. Click here for more.