Hi April!

We have known each other for some time from my trips to NZ. The scene in NZ is pretty good. What was it that attracted you to the hard dance scene as opposed to any other type of dance music?

It's hard to describe really, I just loved everything about hard dance; the friendly people, the underground vibe to it, and the amazing, euphoric tunes. I loved the way hard dance made me feel. I would be so excited waiting for the weekend to come around again so I could go mad on the dance floor. There was nowhere else that offered all this. Actually, I think it was just the bright, pretty lights.

When did you decide that you wanted to make the jump from clubber to DJ and when did you first start playing and what was your first gig?

I was pretty intrigued with the whole thing the first time I entered a club, and always thought that I'd love to do it myself. I loved the way the crowd responded when the DJ dropped a wicked tune. But I didn't make a definite decision to learn how to mix until I saw Steve Blake play at Fevah in Wellington one night. He totally blew the whole dance floor away with his performance and tunes. The atmosphere was electric. That one night inspired me to take it up and see what I could make of it. And I'm so glad I did! It's my over-whelming passion in life now. My first gig was in 2003 for Faction in Wellington, supporting Ilogik and Paul Janes, I was a nervous wreck beforehand and couldn't eat the whole day!

Did the decision to move to England have to do with wanting to pursue a career in DJing or was it for personal reasons?

The sole reason for moving to England was to pursue my DJing career. I'd pretty much gone as far as I could in NZ and I wanted more. Back home we've all heard tales from Kiwis who have experienced clubbing on a grand scale over here, and the amazing parties they went to. Clubs like Camden Palace, The Fridge, and Heaven were places of legend for us. And as DJ's we'd all would have loved to have been given the opportunity to play for giant dance brands like Polysexual, Tidy, Frantic, or Slinky. So I decided to move over here to see if I could break into the scene.

What would you say were the differences between the scenes in New Zealand and England?

Well, there aren't too many really. I'd say that NZ crowds are noisier, you're more likely to get a vocal reaction when you drop a fantastic tune, which I think is quite nice. We don't dress up in crazy outfits as much, probably because we can't buy any of it back home. And I think we like a slightly harder form of hard dance. We definitely worship anything that comes out of the UK in terms of hard dance though! The excitement generated by the news a UK hard dance DJ will be touring is great to witness. Some of the best nights of my life have been on a dance floor in Auckland, with hundreds of other clubbers going mad to Nick Sentience's set. I've never felt energy like it. Now I'm getting homesick!!

When you first got to the UK did you find it hard getting gigs?

It was difficult in terms of networking as I knew no-one. And as a DJ wanting gigs that's pretty limiting. It took a lot of ground-work, I had to start all over again, and spent a huge amount of time going to events, meeting people, and getting to know the local London scene. SPIN gave me my first booking and I'll always be grateful to them for giving me a shot.

Would you recommend other Kiwis to come to the UK if they want to follow there dreams in music?

Definitely! This is the place to be. There are so many opportunities to take your DJ career further here. I've been lucky enough to work with some amazing producers such as Greg Brookman, Technikal, Nick Sentience and Tom Parr, and have played alongside some of the most well-known names in the industry, which obviously I wouldn't have been able to do back in NZ.

In a scene which is shrinking and is saturated with DJ's what would you recommend to all new DJ's to make them stand out from the rest?

You have to offer something special, or different. It's not enough just to be able to mix well, you have to offer something else, whether you're producing your own tunes, or you're extremely versatile, or you can scratch like a demon. A lot of it comes down to luck too, being in the right place at the right time. As long as you believe in your ability and constantly try to improve yourself and your performance people will take notice.

Who have been your biggest influences so far?

DJ's like James Lawson, Steve Blake, Nick Sentience, Dan Ro, Justin Bourne and Andy Farley definitely influenced my early career. These are the guys who used to regularly come out to NZ and rock it! I was always impressed with their attitude, showmanship and technical ability. These guys knew how to entertain a crowd. Locally it was DJ's like Pooley and Blair Hawkes, who used to run Fevah NZ. Pooley was like a mentor to me, he taught me so much about the scene. Scarlet, my fabulous b2b partner for most of my NZ gigs, was also a great source of inspiration. Currently I really admire artists like Pick-Up and Rise, who have the energy and passion that many DJ's seem to lack and Nicky D, who mixes flawlessly every time I see her play. I'm a big fan of any DJ who isn't content to sit on their laurels and strives to deliver the best set they can.

What would you say is the best thing about DJing?

The best thing about DJing is the crowd. There's nothing better than playing tunes to a room full of up-for-it clubbers, it's a huge rush and definitely worth all the blood, sweat, and tears. I can't think of anything else that makes me feel the same way.

And the worst thing?

The late nights, and having to wear super high heels so I can see over the equipment! Oh, and also recently people have started stealing my cds while I'm playing which is really annoying. Not getting paid for gigs sucks. I think it's important for the strength of the scene that promoters value their artists.

What does it feel like to get your first residency with Puzzle Project in London?

Pretty damn good! I had a huge grin on my face for ages after Ben rang me. I've always been a big supporter of Puzzle Project. They consistently throw great parties, are always seeking out new and exciting talent, are not scared to take chances and try something different, and they really listen to their punters. I'm really chuffed to have been made a resident!

The 414 has seen quite a few changes over the past few years, what is it about the venue that you like?

It's a very friendly club, I've been going there for so long now that I can just turn up on my own and know I'll have lots of friends there.

Now I know that you have started to produce some tracks yourself. Can you tell us a bit more about that?

I was very lucky to get into the studio last year with Greg Brookman, we came up with Oddball and Jellybean, which were the last releases on Addiction Digital, and they did really well. I kind of got the bug after that. I loved the whole process of starting with nothing and seeing a track emerge as you layer sound after sound down. Since then I've worked with Nick Sentience, Tom Parr and Technikal. I have to pinch myself sometimes! Impact Recordings have signed my two latest hard dance tracks, which are coming out in February, so keep an eye out for them!

Would you say moving into production is a natural step from DJing?

Yes, definitely. Although production wasn't something I thought I was interested in until last year, and then I was given the opportunity to make a track with Greg so of course I took it. After that I was hooked. So I signed myself up for a beginners production course. I have so much to learn, and I'm not very good with computers, but I'm really enjoying the whole creative process.

Apart from Hard dance are there any other styles of music that you like and play?

I also play electro, you can find some very sexy, dirty electro that works well as a warm up to a hard dance night. And I enjoy going out to a decent Drum and Bass party. But there is nothing better than hard dance.

What interests do you have away from the dance scene?

Not many! I can't afford anything else, and promoting myself as a DJ and playing on the weekends takes up all my time. I love travelling though, and have spent a lot of time gallavanting around Europe, especially Southern Europe, I love the sun and food! And I love shopping. Oxford St calls to me.

Do you have any funny stories to tell us from your experiences clubbing and DJing (none of which can include me!!!!)

Right, so I can't mention the trapeze then. My friend and I were on a mad dash from one end of the North Island in NZ to the other to try to get to a party on time, and a cop flashed us for speeding, instead of stopping we sped off. Luckily when he did catch up with us he let us off with a rather large speeding ticket and a warning, for some reason he found it quite funny we'd tried to out-run him.

Do you have any goals for the year ahead?

To learn more about production and to work with a variety of engineers. I'm working on raising my profile out of London. I'm making my debut for Polysexual in April, which I'm so excited about, but I'd love to play for smaller promotions as well outside of the capital.