Hi Bianca! What have you been up to since I last spoke to you?

Hiya hun! It’s been non stop madness but its all good! Apart from playing every weekend, I’m working full time running Orange Artist Management which is a division of Most Wanted DJ Management. I also manage and A&R two record labels Orange Recordings which is house and a hard dance label, the name of which I cannot say at present. I also manage the new Fridge recording studio’s. Apart from all of that, I am also in the process of starting my own label to release my techno productions under, again I can’t disclose the name as yet! I now play techno under my psydonym ‘Ioana’ so as not to confuse things and will be collaborating with Andy Farley and Alex Calver to name but a few. I have also designed a record bag that I think will be great for dj’s traveling abroad as its very lightweight and inconspicuous. I have had great feedback and am now in the process of getting the prototype made so what this space!

Where do you currently hold residencies?

For hard dance I am resident for Colours @ The Fridge, Therapy @ Fire and Bedlam @ Fire. For techno I am resident for ‘F’ @ Fire, Kinetec @ The Fridge and my own Th!nk Techno events coming back in the very near future!

Would you say that 2005 has so far been a fairly turbulent year within the hard dance scene or no more so than in other years?

I don’t think its been turbulent as such, I think the hard dance scene is changing as everything does, new music, new djs, new clubbers and new promotions all lead to shifts in the way things are. I have been on the hard dance scene for 13 years now and it’s still thriving. Yes we have seen the closure of promotions and clubs but new ones are emerging all the time.

What exciting new music have you been discovering recently?

I’ve been buying breaks recently as I love mixing different styles and experimenting and I have always had a bit of a silent passion for drum and bass. I’ve also been listening to an Ambient station on my mac, its playing right now actually, very interesting use of sounds! I’m always on the hunt for production ideas. Ultimately it’s the techno that’s really doing it for me right now and the groovy chuggier hard house, bit like the old Tripoli sound!

July 9th sees you play at The Fridge for Convergence. Does this stand out as a special party for you or is every night at The Fridge a biggy for you?

I class every gig as a biggy but it will be the second Convergence for me so I am really looking forward to it. The last time was at Egg for the 5th Birthday and I loved it. Its always a treat to play to a different crowd and I’m also playing with my partner in crime Peter Ward so what more could I ask for!

What tunes are you especially excited about pulling out of the bag on the night?

I have a few CDRs that I’m excited about but what they are would be telling!

The Fridge must be like a second home to you now...how do you feel it has changed in recent years?

I have been clubbing at the Fridge for 13 years now so “fixture and fitting” does spring to mind! I used to LOVE it at the Super Fish! events (Captain bring it back please!!). I love the way it is now very glam compared the Fridge of old but from a DJ’s point of view, I loved the booth when it was all closed in, I loved mixing in there then the sound was amazing and it felt so much more underground, but hey things change!

What big gigs have you got coming up over the summer?

Apart from my ressies, I’m in Ireland on Friday night which I am so excited about and I have Bali in August and I’m counting the days. Romania, Poland and Brazil are also in the pipeline but nothing set in stone just yet.

Who was the last DJ that really took your breath away?

A young man by the name of Jamie who played at Later @ Fire on Sunday. I’m not a huge funky house fan but the energy in his set blew me away, the music was pumping and the dance floor was rocking. I know he is about to be a regular at Orange @ Fire, the Monday morning phenomenon!

What was the last thing that scared you?

Getting some bad news of a personal nature but that’s for me to know.

What’s the weirdest thing you’ve seen on the way home from a club?

Ooooo that’s a hard one… probably a car driving up the hard shoulder on the motorway the wrong way but I’d say that’s dangerous rather than weird!