international news_ Jonty Skrufff _ 10th January 2005

Justin Robertson's Catholic Guilt

Manchester dance legend Justin Robertson chatted to Skrufff on his recent jaunt to Argentina and revealed he's unashamedly happy about both his own career and club culture in general.

"I love DJing, but I also think it's a privilege because really what you're doing is playing records to people, impressing your own tastes on them and getting paid for it, which is something I'd probably do for nothing, which I used to do for nothing, round my mates' houses," said Justin.

"It's such a brilliant life; we're sat here round a swimming pool in the sunshine, it's ridiculous, but yeah, I absolutely love it."

Justin was on his seventh trip to Buenos Aires, to spin at the first ever South American Music Conference, spinning alongside DJs including Pete Tong, Derrick May and Ferry Corsten.

"There have been all these stories recently saying dance music is dead and it's the end of the superstar DJ, and in my opinion that's no bad thing; that superstar DJ thing was a bit of a distraction really and to some extent that's true," he continued.

"But underneath it, there's been this new style bubbling up where people have been combining an indie attitude and a certain coolness, such as DJs like Ivan Smagghe and Erol Alkan who looked cool as well."

"I've always had catholic tastes, there are a broad spectrum of styles I'm still interested in" he added, describing his current style.

"Jacking house, acidy-things, electro-house, whatever that is? I don't know what that is. I'm not really sure myself what it is in a record that inspires me but there's usually a little thread of something somewhere. There's a rawness or an energy." (Jonty Skrufff / Skrufff.com)

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