Ten Tracks With…Justin Martin

San Francisco native Justin Martin takes us through a musical rollercoaster of thrills, spills and Lil B.

1, What was the first track you ever bought?

It will probably have to be a Run DMC cassette. Or maybe Beastie Boys – Paul’s Boutique or something like that. Now that I think about it though the first one I can actually physically remember buying with my own money is Deee-Lite, Dewdrops In the Garden. I remember opening it up and seeing Super DJ Dmitri and Towa Tai thinking they were so cool.

2, What was the last track you bought?

The track that I’ve just bought is ‘Frisky’ by Maceo Plex. I remember hearing it earlier in the year on one of his Soundcloud mixes and I sent him an email instantly saying “I NEED this track please, please, please” and then he never got back to me [laughs], but then it finally came out. It’s really, really good.

3, A track that changed your life?

I would have to say, it was a Goldie track. It was the first Drum & Bass track I ever heard and it just blew me away…and I don’t remember the name of it….oh I got it, Inner City Life. It changed my life, after that I was hooked.

4, Your favourite track to open a set with?

If it’s a deeper, longer set then Time For Change by Greg Paulus & Guy Gerber. If I’m playing a Dirtybird party then I’ve been opening my set with a track I’ve just done with my brother called Riding Spaceships. It’s like a fresh start, big sounding but not too big so that I can’t build my set up.

5, Favourite track to close a set with?

For a while it was Pillow Talk – The Comeback. It’s out now but when it wasn’t it felt awesome playing a track that not many people had heard before. It’s one of those tracks that you hear it for the first time but then you’re singing by the end of it.

6, A track you currently can’t stop listening to?

It’s more albums than it is tracks really. If I can pick an album it has to be the SBTRKT album which has been on repeat since forever. I didn’t really listen to SBTRKT that much to begin with, I think I had to be in the right mood for it like The XX album. At first I didn’t really get it, but then I was away and I started missing my girlfriend and was like ‘THIS IS AMAZING.’

7, The track you wish you’d written?

Eats Everything’s remake of Adam F’s ‘Circles.’ That is something that I’ve been meaning to remake forever and he got on it first, but I honestly don’t think I could have done a better job. It’s one of the biggest tracks in my set at the moment and it pretty much sums up the sound that I love.

8, Your biggest guilty pleasure?

I’m so bad at these questions because I have so much music constantly filling my brain. I don’t feel guilty about any of the music that I like, I’m very proud of my music tastes. Actually it would have to be Lil B – Wonton Soup.

9, The track you use to rescue a dancefloor?

It’s a little hard but Mr Spock by me and Ardalan still works. Eats Everything & Worthy – Trik Trak is great for that too. So many times that has worked for me when I was struggling to get it going.

10, 2012 is upon us. What track do you take to your underground bunker?

One song? John Coltrane – Kind Of Blue.

‘Ghettos & Gardens’ is out now on Beatport.