A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of returning to Turkey for not one, but two gigs. The first was in Bodrum, a holiday resort city in the south of Turkey. A bit like St.Tropez but more wild and rugged, less developed.

I was a guest of Xuma Beach Club – a more bohemian and laid back beach club compared to the other flash and tres chic such as Maca Kizi or Bianca Beach Club.

Flying in a day earlier to enjoy the sunshine and simply hang out was, ever so kindly - my hosts idea. With rain and very un-summer temperatures forecast for London, there was no way I was sticking around.


From the moment I stepped off the plane it was Turkish hospitality to the T.

38*C at 2pm there was only one place I was headed for ... the beach.

I had a quick but fresh lunch with the owner, Kamil by the water. If you ever get to go, Xuma has everything that you would need for a day out in the sun. Plenty of sun beds by the water or under large shady trees, a restaurant serving up great seafood, a cafe, a masseuse and even a gym.

I then met the everyone who worked at the restaurant and sat at the beach bar to enjoy the local drink of the region and enjoy  sunset beats from the resident DJ. The cocktail, called Sandoz was a mixture of freshly squeezed mandarin juice, orange juice and vodka. Let’s just say, I didn’t stop at one.

As a DJ, I like to get the feel of the place before I play so that you can entertain the crowd to the best of your ability. I love to study the people; what are they drinking, what are they wearing, are they young or older?  – all these things tell you the vibe and what music they listen to. Of course, a DJ doesn’t always have this luxury and these details are usually provided to you by the promoter but it’s a bonus if you can do it yourself.

A week ago I was presented with a great opportunity. A one month DJ residency in Hong Kong’s Tazmania Ballroom with guest spots at it’s sister club Dragon-I. All for the month of September.

Talk about being projected straight into the heart of Hong Kong nightlife. Sounds like a pretty sweet deal to me.

I’ve always wanted to go to Hong Kong. Lured by the tales of crazy nights, a city that never sleeps, foreigners everywhere, the gate to the Chinese market and a city that speaks English. Not to mention the mountains of steamed dumplings ! Did someone say Yum Cha??

I was all in. September in Hong Kong, my [ the model eats ] blog beefed up with HK entries - one month was a drop in the ocean ... and if it didn't work out at least I'd have HK ticked off my traveliving list. And with the friends I had in Honkers ... I know this would be done to the extreme.

But ... just one thing holding me up. News that I'd been accepted into a boutique agency I'd auditioned for, to get my presenting career back on track. Or up and running in London really ...

Now the dilemma starts to haunt my thoughts, hours of scaling pros and cons welcomes insomnia. Do I accept the residency for a month, return and hope I can pick up where I left off? Or is it trying to have the best of both worlds ....

5am. You hit the snooze button. Half an hour later and it’s really time to get up now. You get ready and walk out the door.
Cars beeping.
Buses revving.
Motorbikes whizzing past.

NOT the soundtrack you want to start your day off. Urgh, how uninspiring!

Well, I’ve got you sorted. My new mix is it out and packed with summer tunes that will have you smiling and bopping up and down.

https://soundcloud.com/djizabella/do-it-dance

Just click the link and if you’re on Soundcloud don’t forget to follow me for new mixes !

Here’s to good mornings!

On the 10th of June, 2013, techno legend Sven Vaeth hosted a welcome dinner like no other.

To mark the beginning of the 14th season of  Cocoon at the super club Amnesia in Ibiza, the artist and friends dinner took place right on the dance floor. It was the first time ever such an event took place in Amnesia.

I was lucky enough to be invited, having worked for Cocoon Records and being a friend and supporter of the team before that.

Guests included the artists playing that night – Ricardo Villalobos, Dorian Paic, Julien Bracht. Guy Gerber was in the Main Room doing sound check. It will be interesting to see how the crowd reacts to the new Main Room. It received a renovation during winter with the DJ booth moved from high up above, down to the dance floor. This will change the whole dynamic, allowing greater DJ-audience interaction and give the illusion of a bigger space.

Cocoon as you should know, throws their weekly parties every Monday night till the 30th of September this year. Cocoon will also hold a residency in Tipic – a small club in Formentera on Thursday nights till the 12th of September.
I made a little video of the night ... it didn't go till the final hours, I was too busy dancing!

Tuesday May 28th marked the first London concert of Depeche Mode’s ‘The Detla Machine Tour’.

A sold out 02 Arena had people jumping and singing at every opportunity.
I managed to get some standing tickets from a friend who couldn’t attend (read: Ibiza openings priority).
Coincidentally a few other friends also had tickets for the same night so we had a nice team to rock the dance floor.

Here’s a little clip of the classic ‘Enjoy the Silence’. The crowd erupted at the opening riff, Dave Gahan hardly even had to sing ! I remember first hearing this track actually from a Sasha and John Digweed remix. There's something quite ethereal about this techno track.

Apart from free drinks, attention and being the life of the party ,being a DJ has amazing perks such as traveling to countries you often dream of.

I’m off to Bodrum this weekend to play for a three day event on the Orient Star. Bodrum, in the south of Turkey is fast becoming the St Tropez of the East. Beautiful people, clear waters and sun sun sun! White stone houses and wooden beach resorts roll down the hills. Wild bougainvillea climbs up rock walls and even a wild goat or two skips across the road.

To add some glamour, London based luxury resort wear company LAZUL have decked me out in their silk kaftans and beautiful bikinis.

Tonight I’ll be wearing this silk kaftan with some mean gold tribal jewellery and summer wedges.

Check out their stunning range available in Harrods. Just in time for summer!