Biography
Justin Robertson launched the Lionrock project in 1991, capitalizing on an already established profile as a DJ and remixer. Reticent about attention yet successful almost inadvertently, he followed a path so standard that fewer than one percent of dance music producers reach comparable heights. Born in Manchester, he earned a philosophy degree, then worked behind the counter at the Eastern Bloc record shop, where he amassed the funk-oriented end of progressive house and began regular DJ sets.
A remix of Mad Jack’s “Feel the Hit” on the in-house Creed label circulated widely underground, prompting commissions from the Shamen, Candyflip, the Sugarcubes, and Erasure, each seeking his developing sound. As that sound deepened, Robertson became linked to the rising Balearic scene, an eclectic house variant incorporating rock, R&B, disco, and garage. In 1992 he issued his first solo single, “Roots and Culture”/“Lionrock,” on Most Excellent, the label he founded. The release drew notice and further remix requests, leading Deconstruction, a pop and dance imprint, to sign him the following year.
Deconstruction put out the EP Packet of Peace in April 1993; afterward Robertson concentrated on his debut album. An Instinct for Detection appeared late the next year, an ambitious collection that paired abundant nonstandard instrumentation with gritty house breaks and forceful yet accessible arrangements. Though received favorably, its understated pop sensibility—recalling the Beach Boys rather than Mariah Carey—escaped many listeners, and the record persists as a cult favorite. An expansive tour followed, establishing guitars, percussion, and live drums as fixtures of Lionrock performances. In 1996 the Journeys by DJ series commissioned a mix, resulting in a large two-disc set that traced both Lionrock’s influences and two decades of electronic dance music.
Remix work continued, and further Lionrock releases, among them 1998’s City Delirious, surfaced intermittently until Robertson retired the alias for his first album under his own name, Revtone, released in 2001.
A remix of Mad Jack’s “Feel the Hit” on the in-house Creed label circulated widely underground, prompting commissions from the Shamen, Candyflip, the Sugarcubes, and Erasure, each seeking his developing sound. As that sound deepened, Robertson became linked to the rising Balearic scene, an eclectic house variant incorporating rock, R&B, disco, and garage. In 1992 he issued his first solo single, “Roots and Culture”/“Lionrock,” on Most Excellent, the label he founded. The release drew notice and further remix requests, leading Deconstruction, a pop and dance imprint, to sign him the following year.
Deconstruction put out the EP Packet of Peace in April 1993; afterward Robertson concentrated on his debut album. An Instinct for Detection appeared late the next year, an ambitious collection that paired abundant nonstandard instrumentation with gritty house breaks and forceful yet accessible arrangements. Though received favorably, its understated pop sensibility—recalling the Beach Boys rather than Mariah Carey—escaped many listeners, and the record persists as a cult favorite. An expansive tour followed, establishing guitars, percussion, and live drums as fixtures of Lionrock performances. In 1996 the Journeys by DJ series commissioned a mix, resulting in a large two-disc set that traced both Lionrock’s influences and two decades of electronic dance music.
Remix work continued, and further Lionrock releases, among them 1998’s City Delirious, surfaced intermittently until Robertson retired the alias for his first album under his own name, Revtone, released in 2001.
Albums
