Lady Tom

Carrying a perfect set of cheekbones, Switzerland's Simone Kromer initially worked as a part-time TV model — appearing in commercials for such well-known brands as L'Oreal, Nestle, and Schwarzkopf. Nevertheless, the Aargau teenager decided on a full-time career in dance music and took on the stage name of Lady Tom. Most DJs have to toil on the decks for years before getting the chance to cross over into production and unleash their own music onto an unsuspecting public, but not this lady. She was freshly out of high school when she first lobbed into a studio to record her debut single. Titled "It's a Dream," the progressive trance tune was a mighty club hit in Switzerland and Germany. Appearances at Mayday and Love Parade (a couple of the biggest raves on the continent) followed for the blue-eyed brunet — who, by now, was looked upon as one of the dance scene's brightest young things. Her next single, "Loops & Tings 2000" (a cover of Jens Mahlstedt's 1992 anthem "Loops & Tings"), also made a big noise in clubs around Europe. She then released another popular club track, "House of House," before unveiling her first album, a double-CD set titled Wild Child.