Alison Wonderland revives old alias Whyte Fang at Coachella

Acclaimed Sydney producer Alison Wonderland will debut new music under her old alias at one of the world’s best-known music festivals— all while in her third pregnancy trimester.

After a decade of dominating the electronic dance music scene and global festival circuit, Aussie DJ Alison Wonderland is opening a new chapter at the world’s most famous music festival.

The Sydney-raised, LA-based Alex Sholler (better known as her stage name), is seven-and-a-half months pregnant, and debuting her new album Genesis at Coachella this Friday under an old moniker: Whyte Fang.

The performance will be one of her last until September.

Speaking to The Daily Telegraph from the Californian desert, Sholler said cancelling her upcoming shows wasn’t a difficult decision.

“It’s important to acknowledge that women need maternity leave, even artists,” she said.

Alex Sholler AKA Alison Wonderland/Whyte Fang is now seven-and-half months pregnant. Picture: Supplied

These pictures were taken earlier in Sholler’s pregnancy. Picture: Supplied.

“I want to put the health of myself and my child before anything else and I think every mother feels that way.”

Sholler kept mum about her pregnancy with partner Ti West until this month, telling fans that she has struggled with fertility issues and didn’t want to make an early announcement.

“I’m not ready to speak about that journey yet but I do think that it is important for people to realise that it’s not their fault,” Sholler said.

A regular at clubs around Sydney in 2011 – including the infamous Candy’s Apartment, where she also worked as the doorwoman – Scholler caught the eye of EMI Records, who signed her as Alison Wonderland.

As Alison, Sholler became one of Australia’s most successful dance exports, but the record deal didn’t include the “underground” music she was making as Whyte Fang.

Acclaimed Australian producer Sholler will drop an album under her old-but-new alias Whyte Fang this Friday – and give the project its festival debut at Coachella. Picture: Supplied.

She was forced to “make a home” for it under her own label, FMU records.

On Wednesday night, Sydney fans were among the first in the world to hear this project that Sholler’s been sitting on for a decade.

Soundboks hosted an intimate listening party for superfans at COMA Gallery in Chippendale.

“The album is unlike anything you’ve heard from me before,” Sholler said, describing it as an “industrial, experimental, musically-driven sound”, entwined with a high-octane visual production.

Alex Sholler AKA Whyte Fang.

“The only time you really see me in this performance is under a black light through transparent LED screens,” Sholler said.

The dance scene has not historically been welcoming towards mothers, but Aussie DJs in particular are shifting that perspective.

“Yes, I want to be able to experience life while I’m cooking this baby,” she said.

“I don’t feel like playing shows or making music got in the way of my pregnancy, or vice versa. It’s second nature to me.”

“I really miss Australia, and I want to play shows as Whyte Fang there, as soon as I can travel there. 100 per cent.”