Profile: Alison Wonderland

The last few years have seen the dramatic rise in popularity of bass music and tropical house, and the nation of Australia, somewhat dormant on the global scene since Pendulum crushed the main stages of the dubstep era, has taken tremendously to these sounds. And while there is a slew of Aussie producers and DJs that are making waves, there is one artist that has risen to the top of the pile quicker than anyone else: Alison Wonderland.

Purveyor of last year's relentless banger 'I Want U', the young Ali Scholler suddenly found herself the focus of the dance music world after spending years DJing and honing her production swag in native Sydney.

"Honestly, it still feels like a dream," says Alison, real name Ali Scholler. "I have an album and I played Coachella as my first American show. Woah. I have worked so hard and have done all this completely out of love and from an honest place. I can't stop smiling when I think about it."

'I Want You' was her breakout tune, and smashed the international festival circuit and led to a fistful of big remixes from the likes of Ganz and DJ Hoodboi. Since then she's gone on to carve out a name for herself with her ferociously energetic live shows and her solid trap-y bass productions with a melodic-focus and a stark feminine edge.

In March she released her hotly anticipated debut album 'Run', which she wrote in Los Angeles, citing the scene's swelling creative scene and burgeoning dance music community as a major influence.

"I think LA draws a lot of creatives to its city," notes Scholler, who'll be throwing down in the Lab LA this Friday. "I have met so many amazing artists whilst spending time there. It's really inspiring to see such driven and creative people, and in a way it sparks something in me. I spend a lot of time in LA, so it already feels like I kind of live there."

But while the magnetic draw of Hollywood might be pulling Alison Wonderland to the West Coast, the influence that she has had in her native Australia is difficult to understate. Her massive sold-out Wonderland Warehouse Project in Australia is back for another round, and she's currently performing to as many as 5000 fans in various abandoned warehouses around the country. The parties were created out of a desire to throw an epic music-centric party, and to do it in environments closer connected to dance music's roots.

"I've always loved warehouse parties and how they're not places where people generally go to be 'seen' but more a place for music lovers and people who just want to have a good time."

Joining Wonderland on this round round of warehouse parties are Motez, Awe and Slumberjack along with a handful of surprise guests, and with her status rapidly on the rise here in the US we're hoping to see her smash some warehouses out here really soon.

Mixmag welcomes Alison Wonderland in to smash The Lab LA this Friday, June 12.