Justin Baule: From Twin Cities to Sin City (and to Envy Saturday)

Justin DJing in Las Vegas

​ I first met Justin Baule at Let It Be Records in 2001 when he was 17 years old. He was the youngest member of the up-and-coming EC/DC house music collective, but even then his music taste was years ahead considering his penchant for artists like Teddy Pendergrass and Stevie Wonder. House was a dominant dance music genre in Minneapolis back then, powering long nights at First Avenue, the Quest and warehouse parties. Gigs were never scarce for Baule -- the kid had soul.

Now 26 years old, Baule finds himself a Las Vegas resident - both in terms of living and DJing - and for the first time since his 2004 move to Sin City, he's coming back to Minneapolis for a headlining slot at Envy Nightclub on Saturday night .

We had 5 questions for him, and here's what he had to say.

Hats off to our expatriate

​ Gimme Noise: Last we saw you, you were the youngest DJ with the EC/DC house music crew in Minneapolis, and now your face is on billboards advertising club nights in Vegas. How did this happen?

Justin Baule: I moved out west to snowboard and rode about 6 winters. I was sponsored for 4 of those but sadly couldn't make ends meet. I ended up in Las Vegas, shooting club photos at Drai's Afterhours for only $200 a week and an open bar tab for me and my friends. About a month after working there, the Music Director, Chris Garcia, let one of the electronic music DJ's go and asked me if I could fill in. That gig soon turned into a residency and grew from there. My advice: be consistent in character, work hard, be humble and stay positive.

What is something you miss most about Minneapolis, besides family and friends? What do you not miss?

The view of downtown when you're standing at the south/west corner of Lake Calhoun. I don't miss the humidity.
 
What's your favorite memory of DJing in the Twin Cities?

Playing the "Liquid" warehouse parties back in '01. It only lasted for only a few weeks before the authorities got involved, but it was probably one of my most memorable moments in my career.

What would you say is your biggest accomplishment in Vegas since moving there?

I received a text last Memorial Day from an old friend I hadn't seen in years and it read, "Dude, there is some guy with the same name as you on the JumboTron at Las Vegas Blvd & Flamingo. There is no way that is you. Is it?"

Do you ever get bogged down with the non-stop Vegas party lifestyle? What do you do when you want to get away?

Living in Vegas is like an art form, you've got to stay balanced. Work and play is pretty much the same thing out here. So you've got to find that middle line. Too much of one side or the other won't really bring you any results. Getting away in Vegas is easy. I usually go hiking at Red Rock Canyon in the summer or snowboarding at our local mountain, Mt Charleston, in the winter.

Update: Justin's playing the Solera rooftop on Sunday as well

DOWNLOAD: JUSTIN BAULE AUGUST 2010 MIX (sounds like: glitchy, funky, chopped-up house; best moment: 46:20)
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