Justin Robertson

Justin will be in conversation on The Talks Stage and then play a set on the DJ Stage!

Emerging from behind the counter of the legendary Eastern Bloc records in Manchester Justin soon became a recognised figure in the nascent acid house scene of the city. His refusal to be categorised musically led him to developing a reputation as an open-minded DJ and fledgling remixer. Regular guest spots around the world followed in short order and his production reputation was cemented with a string of remixes for the likes of Erasure, Happy Mondays, Bjork and Talk Talk that were staples in the sets of DJs worldwide

As the electronic music scene grew and morphed into ever more interesting shapes, so Justin’s music evolved too. Drawing on his love of Dub, Psychedelia and 1960’s film soundtracks he fused these varied influences in his psych hop beat combo Lionrock. Top 40 hits, Top of the Pops, touring with the Cocteau Twins and regular festival appearances make them still one of the most revered British bands of that era.

His remix work shown any sign of slowing up. The list is ridiculously long, but perhaps Justice, Noel Gallagher, Steve Mason, Andy Bell, New Order, Paul Weller, Andrew Weatherall stand out.

Justin’s debut novel, a breathless offering of folk horror and sci-fi, ‘The Tangle’ was published in November 2021 by White Rabbit to great critical acclaim including a Times recommended book of the month. The Tangle has now been optioned as a television series. He continues to perform readings from the book at various literary events and has in recent months debuted a new collaborative work with counter cultural pranksters Stone Club that promises to combine music, readings, and psychedelic projections in an ever-evolving performance. Justin’s next book promises to be the time travelling tale of a cultural vampire, and something of a fictional autobiography called ‘The Trial of Jonah‘ and was published by Velocity Press in February 2025.

When not engaged in his own work Justin somehow finds time to lend his experience and expertise to other projects. These have included the scoring of short films, soundtracking fashion shows, a music consultant to successful hospitality venues and designing t-shirts which feature his artwork, all of which have quickly sold out. Justin Robertson is a restless polymath always searching for new adventures. Enjoy the trip. Justin lives with Harry the dog and a vast collection of hats in Surrey.