A quick word with Charlotte Birch

TimeOut talks to the former lingerie model-turned-DJ at 10.30pm her time. She's en route to a remote part of England where she's due to start her set of mental hard house at midnight.

Where are you playing tonight?

I'm playing as far away from my house [in Birmingham] as I could possibly play in England, really. I'm playing right down at Land's End - that bit right before you fall off England. It's this little place called the Barn in Penzance. I don't know what sort of people are going to be round tonight, I think I'll be playing to a bunch of farmers, it literally is out in the sticks, but I've got to take my sound everywhere.

What are the similarities between modelling, DJing, and producing records?

I think there's probably quite a lot. Obviously the travelling. I'm up and down the motorways and flying round here there and everywhere. And I have to look good for both jobs. I'm always in front of the camera in one way or another and I've just done a big magazine spread in [dance music magazine] M8 Magazine, so I guess it incorporates modelling anyway. And obviously I express myself through my music and I suppose my image is quite important as well.

What sort of modelling did you do mainly?

I was a lingerie model.

So you're pretty comfortable with your body?

I suppose I don't wear a lot when I'm DJing either, if you know what I mean.

Tell us about how you got into DJing?

It all began when I was 17 years old at my first rave back in 1989. I got totally hooked to the music and totally got into the whole culture. And a very good friend of mine just happened to have a set of decks at home, so I used to go back to his house after parties and get on his decks. Then one day he said, 'Right, that's it. I'm selling my decks'. I was absolutely gutted I wasn't going to be able to have a go on them anymore so I bought the lot, including three crates of records.

Are you still friends with him?

I am. I still see him, not too often. He's not very happy actually, 'I want my decks back'.

How often do you buy records?

I don't actually. I very, very rarely buy records. I should do really. But I do get sent a lot. And obviously now that I've got my record label I'm producing a lot [of tracks]. I'm on to my 37th track. So I like to mix up my new stuff with a few of the old classics.

Does your mum go to many of your gigs?

I've got my own night, it's a monthly thing which my mum does the door for. All the clubbers know her as Charlotte's mum. I'm playing in Spain soon and she's coming out to a few of those gigs. My mum is actually Australian so she's hoping to get over to your neck of the woods sooner or later. But you're from New Zealand aren't you? Is it hot out there at the minute?

It's just started to get hot because it's been raining a lot.

I'll bring my bikini then.

Absolutely.

* Charlotte Birch headlines Voodoo at the Studio in Auckland on January 28 and at Sub Nine in Wellington on January 29.