Eastern Europe isn't know for producing DJ's but being the only female entry (93) in the DJ Mag top 100 Claudia Cazacu has plenty to shout about. With only 4 years behind her on the professional scene and with eight original releases, three remixes and two compilation albums in 2010 she's certainly been busy. We found out a bit more.

Hi Claudia – well done on your DJ Mag Top 100 poll position .What and who were the biggest influences on you when you decided to learn to DJ?

Living in London I was fortunate enough to be able to see the worlds best DJs at some of the worlds best venues on a regular basis. Seeing people like Tiesto, Sasha, Digweed, Carl Cox etc is just so inspiring as they are masters of musical storytelling.

Was music a massive part of your life growing up in Romania?

As a young girl I grew up under a dictatorship and didn’t have music Radio or MTV. I actually went to music school to learn violin and piano, my parents were very keen for me to be skilled in music although I’m not sure I could play the violin very well today!

What did you do before DJing?

My last job was managing a Modelling agency in central London which I really enjoyed because I would meet new people all the time. I’ve worked all kinds of jobs ranging from waiting tables to working for the inland revenue. I actually have a banking and finance degree, it’s always smart to have something to fall back on.

When did you move to London? Do you prefer the London lifestyle to Romania? Did you feel you needed to move to London to pursue your dream to be a DJ?

I moved to London 13 years ago and fell in love with the city straight away. I knew from the first moment that this is where I wanted to make my life. I grew up here and in a sense, coming from Romania the UK was so different, it’s proven to be the place where you can make your dreams come true.

What qualities do you think you need to be a successful DJ?

I can only really speak for my own experience which has been that you really have to focus, work hard and put your heart and soul into it. It’s all about passion and how you express that through your sound.

The DJ world is very male dominated – why do you think this is and do you think you under more pressure as a female DJ because of this?

Actually there are quite a lot of us girls out there but we are out numbered by the guys. I don’t feel extra pressure but being a woman does have it’s draw backs . . . It takes me hours to get ready before I go on stage, sometimes I wish I was a guy who could jump out of the shower, throw on a T-shirt and be ready.

Tell us what we can expect from your new album released in December?

This is the first Haute Couture compilation album which is 2 mixes of what I believe to be some of the most interesting records of the year. It’s been great to work on two mixes as it’s allowed me much more freedom with the music used. It’s available on the 14th December so make sure you check it out.

What are you top 5 dance floor destroyers at the moment

1. Michael Woods - Nitro (Original Club Mix) - Toolroom Trax
2. Jochen Miller - uPad (Extended) - High Contrast
3. Patrick Plaice and Frank Ellrich - Sticky Tape - Magik Muzik
4. Gio Red - Snake Bite - Headstick Digital
5. D-Mad - The Larky Revision - High Contrast

Your label/Album and Radio Show all work around your ‘Couture’ brand – are you actually a fan of couture clothing, how would you describe your own style/image?

Fashion has always been a big part of my life, I love clothes shopping although I’m not often buying Haute Couture clothes! The Couture branding relates to the high quality, one of a kind sounds that we release on the label, just like in the world of fashion.