by Cyclone Wehner

DJ Heaven is arguably the first female super-DJ. It all began for the Brummie party girl when she bought herself some turntables and taught herself how to mix. Heaven's major professional break came when she landed a residency at Ministry Of Sound's Frisky?. Since then, the blonde has had her face splashed across the British dance press, romanced big beat stalwart Jon Carter, and travelled the world several times over. Yes, Heaven has been blessed with a dream rise to fame. Still, for all that, house music's very own Material Girl has managed to keep her feet on the ground -- that is when she isn't jetting to her next gig.

DJ Heaven is a regular visitor to Australia and recently returned with her box of trancey house to take up a residency at the Sydney superclub, Home, her first visit to these shores since playing alongside Judge Jules earlier this year.

A few months ago in a surprise move the DJ relinquished her slot at Frisky?. Heaven obviously left on good terms, as she has continued to occasionally tour abroad under the Ministry banner. Earlier this year the DJ explained that she wanted to spend more time finding her way around the studio. Heaven now admits with a laugh that she is yet to produce anything. 'I've been so busy. I was over in Australia in February ... and I've been to Brussels, Hungary, Ireland, Scotland, Vancouver and Toronto. I've been to Ibiza just last week. So I've literally been out of the country pretty much every week. I've just had a problem with my passport -- I've gone to get my Visa put in my passport and it's so full that I've got to get a new one first. So that sums up how much I've been out of the country. I've been in the studio on the odd occasion, but I haven't had the chance to sit down and get my teeth into it, because I've been away so much.'

Heaven may consider herself to be spreading the 'universal language' of dance music, yet for some she is among those representing dance music's new commercial ethos. Heaven isn't gonna buy into the debate on whether or not dance music has sold its soul to the corporate devil. 'I don't think there's any point in having a purist attitude within dance music because, at the end of the day, it's a scene. It's a wonderful thing. Why shouldn't it become bigger and better? I've been going out for 10 years and I have the same passion as when I first started. It hasn't changed. It's just that more and more people have got into it. It means that as a DJ you travel around the world and there is a big market out there. So it can't be a bad thing. At the same time, it just means that you have to stick to your guns by doing something kinda different.'

It is a wonder that Heaven can have any spark left at all considering her lifestyle, but she seems to exude enthusiasm in abundance. She has even found a way to overcome jetlag. 'I don't know whether I'm just running on the energy of it all or what. I'll probably just burn myself out one day [laughs]. But, no, I just really enjoy it all. I think if you enjoy something and don't tell yourself that you're jetlagged, it helps. You know, you have to say to yourself, "Oh no, I'm fine" -- it's so psychological. Jet lag has a lot to do with psychology.'

Nevertheless, the pace of it all has meant that Heaven and Carter are no longer an item -- for now Heaven is just focussing on her career. And it could well be that we see her again before the year is out. Indeed, Heaven has just landed a deal with Jive Australia to release a series of three spanking new mix-CDs (with the first due in September) and she hopes to tour on the back of them. So, girlfriend, you better hurry up and get that new passport.