Stephanie, AKA Stefania Alessi, is hardstyle’s sexiest up-and-coming DJ. Inspired by her father’s work as a music events coordinator, her career first really took off in 2006 when she began working under the mentorship of DJ Activator. After getting involved in several massive events across the Netherlands in 2007 and gaining notice from Belgian booking agency Bass Events, Stephanie was playing the main stages at major festivals across Belgium and France, growing in popularity all the while.

As she gears up to play alongside fellow Italian hardstyle star Technoboy at Sydney’s X-Qlusive Technoboy this weekend in Sydney, Stephanie chats with ITM about her beginnings in the industry, and why everyone should be nice to this little girls who make hard kicks.

You’re being called the first Italian female hardstyle DJ, you’re gaining constant praise in the industry, and under searches of your birthplace Vicenza you have been graciously listed as one of the town’s famous artists. This recognition must make you feel incredibly proud of what you have achieved in the last few years; could you tell us a bit about how it all started for you?

To start, I have been trying to combine several hobbies of mine into a single profession; as you can see I like to dance and perform, I love clothing, and music has always been my big passion. As Stephanie I can combine these 3 elements into one single act and it shows. It is difficult to say when it started precisely but apart from being onstage I have lived my life like this, and it feels really natural. Still, looking back at the past 2 years, I can say things have changed a lot; that happens when you have thousands of people in front of you.

Having performed at high profile festivals such as Defqon.1, Summer Festival and X-Qlusive Technoboy in Amsterdam, is there a highlight show or a particular moment during any of your recent sets that stands out for you?

I loved X-Qlusive Technoboy; the theme and my role within it fitted me perfectly. And I played a long solo set in both the Main Area and Area 2; I expected the Main to be fantastic, and it was, but the set in Area 2 was even better. I saw a lot of fans coming especially for me and together we made it into a super experience.

After watching a couple of your festival performance clips I can see you certainly bring a lot of energy to your DJ sets, apart from that what can we expect from your set at X-Qlusive?

My dress. Actually, I have 2. I’ve been waiting to wear it for months now and I hope it will be something the Australians will talk about in the coming year. And of course I am going to show you kangaroos are not the only species that can jump high.

Being on the artist roster for The Saifam Group is also a major accomplishment for you, could you tell us about your involvement with the group and the effect it has had on your career?

It professionalised it. Suddenly I have deadlines for my tracks, lots of press requests and emails from managers. But it is all worth it; my tracks sound better than ever. I can schedule release dates, and being part of such a well-known label opens a lot of new doors. I reach new people who listen to every Saifam record that comes out, and I hope some of them will become fans when they hear mine.

As an international DJ and producer that travels across the globe, what (apart from your DJ gear and music) are a few things that you absolutely can’t tour without?

Clothing! Although some people would prefer me travelling naked, I guess.

I read that one of your talents is also as a vocalist. Are they your vocals that we hear in the upfront track Black High Heels? Are you self-trained or schooled and will you be lending your vocals to any upcoming productions?

I am trying very hard, but currently my English is not that good. I have been working on that for quite a while now and I hope to be able to use my own vocals soon. Still, I create all the lyrics. Black High Heels was a track I wanted to make for a long time and I receive a lot of feedback from girls; guess it worked!

Now a question for the techy inclined readers…can you outline your first DJ set-up, what you currently use, and your production studio set-up?

At home I mainly gather music and samples that I can use as inspiration. Then I design the track in the way I would like it to be. At the studio me and a producer start working on the music. We mainly work on a Mac Pro and Logic while a lot of sounds are produced in another studio; we say how we want them to be and then they are tailor-made for us. The mastering is done by Antonio AKA Tuneboy, who is also teaching me to be able to do it myself one day.

You have the skill set and ability to produce a track in the studio, and then take it to a performance to test it and see how the crowd reacts to it. When did you first play one of your tracks out? Which event was it and how was this experience for you?
My very first track was Incomprehensible, and I played it in an Italian club. I was really looking forward to playing it, and while I mixed it in, the CD player got jammed up. The track sounded like a hardcore record, and although I was pretty disappointed, the crowd went wild! Now when I play a track for the first time, it is always a special moment. Though, I have learned that people need to know a track before the maximum effect is visible; they want to sing along or know when to dance.

As I am travelling overseas next year (and for all of our travelling readers wanting to experience your music abroad), are you strictly playing the festival circuit, or do you hold any club residencies?

I have several loose residencies in Italian clubs where I play often, but not on a weekly or monthly basis. Besides that, you would need to keep an eye on the big events and festivals in Holland and Germany. I am not allowed to tell you where I have been confirmed but I think the organisers will make sure you know in due time.

You have had immense success with your releases The Power of Love, Black High Heels and Underneath, as well as your mix CD Pink Hard Volume 1; are you currently working on any projects, and what can we expect from you in the future?

There is another release coming in February, although it could be delayed for another month. Besides that, I am checking if we can continue the Pink Hard compilations on a more frequent basis. I really like that project, as it gives me all the room to show people what I mean with the title. People think I am a fragile little girl; I guess I am. But fragile little girls can make really hard kicks, and when they can do that on big speaker systems you might want to be nice to the fragile little girls!

Stephanie performs at X-Qlusive Technoboy at the Hordern Pavilion in Sydney on Saturday December 19th, check out her mix in ITM FM for a taste of what to expect.