MISS KITTIN, THE continental chanteuse of the electro scene, has brought a sassy sexuality to a musical movement better known for being cold and clinical. With a deadpan vocal delivery over lo-fi electronic beats, the Frenchwoman also known as Caroline Herve emerged as one of the leading lights of the electroclash scene. But although the novelty of a genre that referenced 1980s synth-pop in a modern dance context soon wore off, Herve has carved a niche of her own with an attitude a mile wide, and a catchy selection of minimal, robotic grooves. After making her mark with releases on Germany's International Deejay Gigolos label, Herve is now on the road showing off her DJ skills. Tomorrow's gig at Volar will be another treat for Hong Kong electro fans, coming a week after an invitation-only appearance by Herve collaborators Chicks on Speed. Even though she's known mainly for her ice-cool vocals, Herve says she's always considered herself a DJ first and a recording artist second (although she stands out from other DJs by dropping vocals over her tracks). 'I started as a DJ, and even today, it's what I'm best at,' she says. 'I know why I'm here - because I'm good. I'm good because I'm more enthusiastic, focused and concerned with details than most DJs. To me, to be that professional is fun, and to keep it fun is a lot of work and organisation. I don't take drugs, don't f*** around, don't party with promoters. Maybe I'm too serious about it, but it's my business - that's why I'm respected and what I'm paid for.' And respected she is. With her recording partner, the Hacker (aka Michael Amato), Herve has bucked the trend of electro artists remaining in the shadows and provided the soundtrack to electroclash and beyond with singles such as Frank Sinatra and 1982. 'We met in our local new wave - then techno - club in 1990,' Herve says of Amato. 'When someone asked me to contribute a track for a compilation, he was the only one I knew who had the machines to help me do it. Our relationship is like brother and sister. We're very proud to say we're about the only electronic duo who are not a couple. Our freedom and independence saves us. We can't work together often, because of the distance - he still lives in our French home town, Grenoble, I live in Berlin - and, mostly, we need to miss each other, to have things to tell each other. 'That's why it works, because it's fresh and spontaneous. Nothing can replace that - it's the real key to success. When you start calculating, it's already dead - I learned that from collaborating with other people ... and it's no fun either.' Besides Amato, Herve has been affiliated with artists such as Felix Da Housecat, Sven Vath and Takkyu Ishino. She says she enjoys musical teamwork. 'I love to share ideas, discuss points of views, cope with other personalities - it makes you feel so alive,' she says. 'It's fun and opens your mind. You learn a lot - about yourself, about the world, about human beings. That's also why I love to travel. Collaborating is like travelling without moving in a way. 'A solo project is another thing. It's less fun because you're alone. You carry the whole thing on your own. In return, you get total freedom and power of decision.' Herve takes her inspiration from left-field electronic artists such as Aphex Twin, Dopplereffekt and Autechre. 'I'm a 90s rave and electronica kid,' she says. 'The music I play when I DJ shows my influences more than the music I make.' But Herve didn't always see her career path laid out so clearly. 'At the age of 20, who has a plan?' she says. 'We were driving all around the country to parties, illegal or not - in big warehouses. We saw Laurent Garnier, Richie Hawtin, Jeff Mills - the 'seniors' as I call them. We made our connections, our crew. My friends encouraged me to play my first party, and then that would continue in the city next door, and so on.' Herve's debut solo effort, I Com, was released in 2004. Ambitious and engaging, the LP shows her progressiveness, producing tracks to match her evolving musical style. 'Each song has a story, each song explores a special atmosphere, and at the end it makes a full personal album,' she says. 'Like a DJ set, in a way.' Musically, Herve's success is built on an ability to blend an eclectic collection of styles. Employing a live vocal dynamic among the records, her secret to track selection is refreshingly simple. 'Intuition. That's all,' she says. 'I try not to think too much whether a track is tasty or not. A record can sound cheesy, but if it's played well, it can be a great joke, for instance, and be one of the best moments in a set. A dark, aggressive, experimental record can bring the right tension at the right moment. I simply try to stay faithful to the quality of the track, not its style. 'I DJ for myself, because it makes me happy. I don't play for the crowd. That doesn't mean I don't respect the audience, just the opposite - only when you entertain yourself can you truly entertain your crowd. It's my golden rule.' Miss Kittin, tomorrow, 11pm, Volar, basement, 38-44 D'Aguilar St, Lan Kwai Fong. Entry by guest list only. To be on the list, e-mail intoxicated@volar.com.hk . Entry is free for members, $350 for non-members (with a glass of champagne). Inquiries: 2810 1272