Claudia Cazacu is a name that for some may scream euphoric trance to as she was a heavy hitter in the scene back in the day, but now she finds herself deep inside the darker realms of techno following her most recent release on Italian label Gate Null Recordings.

“Everything is difficult in the beginning, but with hard work and determination you can achieve anything you wish for. Those challenges are keeping me going, getting me stronger and more determinate towards achieving my dream.”

Lot,lot of hard work. I have my own studio where I spend days and nights to produce music when I’m not traveling. I have my own record label that has just been signed to Spinnin (Dutch record company), I have 14 radio shows per month… so.. it’s no time to sit.

How do you feel about your newly obtained position in the DJ Mag top 100 poll?

I feel extremely happy and blessed to be able to be among the first 100 DJs in the world. It’s an honor for me and I am very grateful to everyone who supported me.

Can you tell us about your musical background and the age that you decided to pursue a career in music?

I’ve been involved in music since I was a little girl. My parents sent me to a school for music where I studied piano and violin and also have vocal lessons. I decided to pursue the career of being a dj about 5 years ago when I realized that actually my calling was on that stage. I’ve loved music since I can remember. Music it’s my life, everything else revolves around it.

Through your experiences in this industry, do you perhaps have an interesting tale for us, like maybe some male fans stalking you or something?

The best story must be the one from Vietnam. I finished my 3 weeks tour in China and flew straight after to Vietnam for a gig, with no sleep. I only had few hours before the gig so I thought it would be a good idea to rest for a bit. I fell into this deep sleep and only woke up 15 minutes before the gig. And we have to take into consideration that I need at least 2 hours to get ready before I get on the stage. So, with no make up on I put my glasses on and rushed to the club. I was still yawning when I started my set, but then few red bulls later I was flying. As for male stalking, I am practicing martial arts, so no problems here. And also, I told you I am from the vampires land… you don’t want to mess with me.

What was your big career break?

I didn’t have one particular big break as such, rather everything has built up over time. Of course, there are some events along the way that mark your presence more, such as the release of my first vocal project, Freefalling featuring Audrey Gallagher, a track that was heavily supported by Armin van Buuren: And my entry in the TOP 100 DJs poll last year made a big difference. Each extra milestone just makes people take you that little bit more seriously.

In terms of productions, how involved are you actually in the whole creative musical process ?

I have my own studio at home where I create ideas and new projects. I spend most of my day in front of my Mac and Virus experimenting with new sounds. I finished a course for Logic 9 and I also take piano lessons so I can improve my skills. I create a project and then take into an engineer’s studio to finish it and to add the final key points. It seems that some people think that unless you engineered every last bit, you didn’t write the track… I am not going to deny that I have to finish it in a proper studio with an experienced engineer, as you need years and years of practice to be able to get to those standards… a producer of a film doesn’t act all the parts and do all of the editing. I create the ideas and work with talented people who can bring those into a polished finish.

Looking back over your career what has been the highlight for you?

The highlight is that I am doing what I love and that it continually evolves with new adventures, new experiences and new faces along the way.