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INTERVIEW: Alison Wonderland

2 July 2012 | 12:00 pm | Staff Writer

Get to know Alison Wonderland, the Sydney DJ making a name for herself with her eclectic and highly original mixes.

ALISON WONDERLAND is not necessarily the type of person you'd expect to end up as a DJ, having started her music career as a cellist in the Sydney Youth Opera and later the bassist in an indie band.

But that's what makes her music so fantastically original? She's not afraid to mix anything, something that she makes effortless work of. She recently took some time out of her busy schedule to talk to our contributor Dom about DJing, festivals and Larry Edmure. Want to get to know her better? Read on...

PS: Your bio says your eclecticism is one of your best assets. Is there any genre or artists you wouldn’t touch?

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AW: I’m willing to incorporate almost anything.

PS: Rebecca Black, Carly-Rae Jepsen?

AW: Ok, well I’d have to draw the line somewhere.

PS: You’re from a classical background, as a trained cellist. Have you managed to incorporate that into your repetoire?

AW: Actually, yes. I once opened a set with a Strauss track which features a cello. It was a proud moment, I actually got the crowd to waltz.

PS: Your debut Welcome to Wonderland has been very well recieved. What's your status on original material? Anything for us to look forward to?

AW: It’s in the pipeline. You’ve actually called me shopping at the apple store for new equipment! But yeah, I’ve got a couple of songs up my sleeve.

PS: Up until this point, you’ve been working solo. Any collaborations on the horizon?

AW: No confirmations as yet, and I don’t wanna get too excited but getting the 'official LITTLE DRAGON remix’ was a huge moment for me. I love LITTLE DRAGON. I was literally jumping around my bedroom when I found out.

PS: You’ve been booked at a couple of upcoming festivals, Splendour/Parklife. Artists at festivals, whats your routine? See many other acts, do the side of stage thing or locked up in the tour bus?

AW: NO WAY! I LOVE live music. If I was locked in the tour bus I’d probably escape. At Parklife, I’m really excited to see Robyn, The Presets, and Hermitude, as for Splendour, I cant wait to see the Smashing Pumpkins. I actually wrote a song about Billy Corgan when I was 14.

PS: Any Pre-gig riuals? Prayer? Animal Sacrifice?

AW: Not really. I just get really anxious.

PS: What’s in your rider?

AW: Promoters know that I’m really petite (5’1’) so sometimes a step stool.

PS: She can DJ - Please don’t take this the wrong way, but there’s an implication in the competition’s name that it’s harder for women to break into what is very much a male dominated industry. Do you agree? Is it harder for girls taken seriously as legitimate artists?

AW: I totally agree. A lot of girls use sex to get where they are. Now that it’s become cool to DJ, everyone’s at it, getting into it for the wrong reasons. I had to work really hard to get to where I am. When I started, DJing was a boys club. But through my hard work and love for it…

PS: Paris Hilton and Kim Kardashian have given it a go. Helping or hindering?

AW: Paris is one person I would like to shoot in the head. And you can quote me on that.

PS: Axl Rose recently banned fans from wearing ‘Slash’ T-shirts @ Guns n Roses gigs. Any items of clothing you want blacklisted?

AW: Anything YOLO.

PS: What about trends you WOULD like to see? Trademark accessories e.g. Kanye shutter-shades?

AW: Odd socks. It’ll help keep the washing machine monster at bay.

PS: Complete this sentence. Every good mix must have…?

AW: An open mind behind it

PS: Facebook shows you as a fan of Dexter, a man living two lives, blood splatter analyst by day, vigilante justice warrior by night. So Alison, do you have any ‘extra-curricular activities’ you’d like to tell us about?

AW: If I told you, I’d have to kill you

PS: Finally, you appeared on ‘The Morning Show’ last month. Are Larry Emdur’s teeth, as pristine as they were on ‘The Price is Right?’

AW: Like merchant ivory. (In spite of his appearance that morning) he’s actually a really cool guy. And yes, he invited me to come on Price is Right!

Find more ALISON WONDERLAND on her website.