Ahead of her set at the launch of Global Underground: Hong Kong, the DJ and producer tells Lisa Onland about filling John Digweed's shoes

Charlotte Horne, better known as DJ Lottie, has been a prominent figure in the house scene ever since winning the Best New DJ prize at the Ericsson Muzik Awards in 1999. Ahead of the launch of new monthly night Global Underground: Hong Kong, she told us what it feels like to follow in John Digweed’s footsteps.

So how are you feeling about the big launch here next month?
Really excited. It’s fantastic. Hong Kong is quite small but has an amazing atmosphere. It’s a real diverse mix of people and characters so I can’t wait, it’s going to be good.

How did you get involved in this Global Underground project?
I think they’ve kind of known about me for a long time because I’ve been DJing for quite a while in Europe. I did a few Global projects years ago and I’ve produced tracks as well so there was a kind of link-up. It’s just a great brand and a great name to be associated with so I jumped at the chance really.

John Digweed did the last Global Underground: Hong Kong. Any issues filling those big shoes?
I’ve done my time DJing so I know what to do, how to work a venue sonically, how to change your set slightly to work with the dimensions of the acoustics in the room, which is what I think he does very well. I think that’s a difficult thing to do but something you just learn over time.

These days you’re as well known as a producer as you are as a DJ. Was it a challenge to make that leap?
I think I’ve always been fascinated with how it’s all made, the electronic sound. When I produce I find it to be an experimental process, it’s always pushing boundaries and that’s the nature of electronic music, more so than any other genre.

When producing for other artists, such as Jamiroquai, do you find yourself altering your own style to fit?
Normally I’d go in and be like, “Right we’re gonna really mess things up here we’re gunna make a mad sound and its gonna freak everyone out!” and that’s the excitement and fun of it. In Jamiroquai’s case though, they needed to keep the vocals so it still sounded like him, which was much more challenging. But ultimately the whole purpose is to put your stamp on it because that’s why you’ve been asked to do it.

You were something of a trailblazer for female DJs back in the 1990s. Do you think it’s easier for women to break through now?
I think that at the time when I was really gaining success, there weren’t many girls, which I thought was going to change, and it hasn’t changed enough for me. Although I don’t think it’s harder, I still think it needs to be more balanced.

Global Underground: Hong Kong with DJ Lottie is at Sugar on July 31.