'I'M STILL in the process of moving in,'' says Jackie Joyce of her recent relocation to London. ''Looking at the furniture catalogues and trying to remagnetise myself to the different water and air.''

Though born in Dundee, to Scottish and Ghanaian parents, Joyce, who is 31, has travelled extensively, both on holiday and while a member of Mouth Music, yet has had no reason to move to London.

That has changed in the past year, as her alter ego, Helicopter Girl, has geared up to become the first album release for the Zen-conscious, Instant Karma label, which, unlike London, seems like a natural home for a spirited and self-aware performer like Joyce.

''It was largely a move for practical reasons,'' she says. ''I've always been quite a restless person and have always moved a lot for my work, so it didn't seem like that big a deal moving to London. I was spending a lot of time flying back and forward to London, and I wanted to be nearer the record company, so that I was more able to do things when the album came out. Having said that, I think I am at a stage now where I want to put my roots down and stay in the one place for a while.''

Being near the offices of Instant Karma, a subsidiary of Sony set up by big-shot, music-biz type Rob Dickins, fits well with the company's philosophy. Dickins has stated that he wants the label to be based on ''the classic years of Island'', where an artist- friendly environment produces great, innovative records that become, rather than are, pop music.

Dickins's track record with female artists suggests that Helicopter Girl has a more than evens chance of success. Among his previous signings are The Corrs and Enya. As head of Warner Brothers he was also UK A & R person for Madonna, Tracy Chapman, and Cher, famously coercing the latter into recording her huge hit, Believe.

''I think the fact that Rob signed Enya, who came from a similar kind of background to me and made her a huge success, was definitely a factor in working with him,'' says Joyce. ''She was very much from the folk world and I would like to think I am on a par with that. Her success proved that it is possible to crossover into the mainstream and retain a sense of integrity

and individuality.

''Also, I know that Instant Karma want to encourage people to be creative and build their own thing. Of course, they have an input, but they also respect the artists' vision. With me, I have quite an extreme sense of clothing and I wanted to define Helicopter Girl visually as well as music-ally, which was something they encouraged me to do. By creating your own package, ultimately you control it.''

It may be that Joyce's roots are more complex than the comparison with Enya suggests. As well as her multi-cultural background, her musical grounding in Mouth Music was in the context of a folk group who assimilated a huge range of influences as they became established on the world music circuit. Many of these distinctly uncommercial influences still impart themselves on Helicopter Girl.

''Being in an Afro-Celtic band was great,'' she says, ''because the sounds and the instrumentation were unique and rooted me in a certain kind of music. It is something that I would never have had if I was in a pop band. I also did a lot of live work with Mouth Music, including playing at festivals like Womad, which gave me a lot of confidence in myself.''

Outside her own previous music-making, it is difficult to identify obvious influences from other artists - something that has a lot to do with her own listening habits.

''I do love all kinds of music,'' she says, ''but I don't really follow any particular artists or watch Top of the Pops. I guess I try to shut it out, partly so that I am not influenced by what other people are doing. I only buy a couple of CDs a year, the last record I bought was the Basement Jaxx album.

''I like things like Portishead, and I also listen to a lot of old stuff. I love ska, Dean Martin, and Donna Summer, and I was into bands like the Human League in the early eighties. Even now, when you look at the likes of them and Japan, they had a certain style you rarely see now.''

It remains difficult to see how Helicopter Girl will fit into the current musical climate, raising questions as to whether Dickins is trying to recreate past successes rather than address contemporary buying patterns. Though the album, How To Steal The World, is both tastefully adult and gently innovative, underpinned by some great singing, it will take time to seep into any kind of mainstream acceptance.

Early reviews have been encouraging,

but radio play and sales have both been

limited, perhaps the reasoning behind the indefinite rescheduling of the album's first single, Subliminal Punk. Joyce is philosophical about her chances of success.

''I am under no illusions about how difficult it is as a new artist trying to break into a saturated market,'' she says, ''especially when you are doing something that is not easy to categorise. Music is very sectored just now, and I guess I live somewhere between a number of areas.

''I just have to hope that people hear the music and see the visuals and find something in it that draws them in. It may even take some kind of turnaround in the market for there to be a place for what I do, but

the past five years have been pretty stagnant, so maybe that will happen. For now, I just want to sell enough records to be able to make another album, and to open some doors for other people who are doing more eclectic things.''

If Joyce is successful in her aim it will go down as another notable achievement for Dickins, but more importantly a triumph for the depth and craft of her music.

n How To Steal The World is available now on Instant Karma