JUSTIN MILLER (DFA)

Justin Miller is the rare yet enviable combination of the two ends of the disc jokey spectrum: he is all at once a "DJ's DJ" and a party-friendly, floor-commanding maestro of the downtown New York City scene. Justin has always had the aim of one day creating―and, subsequently, fostering―a reputation as an international taste-maker DJ and has recently gained that acclaim. Employed by the iconic DFA Records by day, Miller has, in many ways, become a public face for the label. Justin couldn't be happier to have been given the opportunity to work so closely on a day-to-day basis with the company's founding members James Murphy, Jonathan Galkin, and Tim Goldsworthy.

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In 2007, Miller commenced 205 Tuesdays, a weekly party he ran with good friend and producer/DJ Jacques Renault. The event aimed to bring something new to New York's inconsistent nightlife and proved to be very successful. Miller saw the event as an ideal way to develop a strong, branded identity of his own while simultaneously expanding the horizon of his professional pursuits at the DFA office. After over a year of hosting countless local and internationally renowned guests, off-the-wall ragers, and delirious mornings after, 205 Tuesdays closed its doors. However, Miller didn't see this as the end of an era―for him, it was just the beginning. Justin continued to foster his growing reputation, using the 205 event as a formidable credibility card. His desire is to emulate the great DJ's of the 70s and 80s―those who focused most on curating perfect party environments and "breaking" records―stuck with him.

Always a huge fan and admirer of the art world, Miller happily found himself embraced by MoMA and has now spun at several of their openings and galas, including a special DFA Dance Party for the Color Chart Exhibition, the 2009 and 2010 Armory shows with Gang Gang Dance and the Walkmen respectively, and the benefit for Tim Burton's retrospective. He's also been stationed behind the turntables for many openings at the galleries scattered throughout New York's SoHo and Chinatown neighborhoods, like Deitch Projects and Terence Koh's ASS gallery. For these events, Miller sees himself as a source of the evening's soundtrack, but he also revels in being the artist audiences come to see. Testament to this is his long list of globe-spanning gigs, from Fabric, Cargo, and Plastic People in London to Social Club, Scorpitone, and Le Baron in Paris to the humble War Room in Bushwick, Brooklyn.

At the end of the day, Miller is cementing DFA's presence in the dance music scene as well as continuing to explore the world of classic 12"s, dusty milk crates full of vinyl, and whatever his music-making friends throw his way. Whether he's leading a small yet loyal crowd into the wee hours of a Tuesday morning or conducting the synchronized fist-pumping of thousands overseas, Miller is enthused to be in the thick of it and deeply gratified to be revered as one of today's most sought-after names in an industry he's dedicated his heart and soul to.

Justin Miller / We Live In Brooklyn, Baby by warmhq