What So Not is an electronic music project by Australian record producer Emoh Instead (stage name of Christopher John Emerson). What So Not has toured the world, playing in various festivals, including

Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival The Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival (commonly called the Coachella Festival or simply Coachella) is an annual music and arts festival held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, in the Coachella Valley in the Colorado Desert. ...

Pukkelpop Pukkelpop is an annual music festival that takes place near the city of Hasselt, Belgium, in mid- to late August. It is held within a large enclosure of fields and woodland—adjacent to a dual carriageway called ''Kempische Steenweg''—in the ...

Ultra Music Festival Ultra Music Festival (UMF) is an annual outdoor electronic music festival that takes place during March in Miami, Florida, United States. The festival was founded in 1999 by Russell Faibisch and Alex Omes. It was first held on Miami Beach, ...

and

Lollapalooza Lollapalooza (Lolla) is an annual American four-day music festival held in Grant Park in Chicago. It originally started as a touring event in 1991 but several years later made Chicago the permanent location for the annual music festival. Musi ...

. What So Not is best known for his hits such as Innerbloom (What So Not Remix) (by RÜFÜS DU SOL),"Gemini" (featuring

George Maple Jess Higgs (born 25 May 1989), known professionally as George Maple, is an Australian born, LA based recording artist, songwriter and record producer. In 2017, Maple released her own debut album, ''Lover'' which debuted at #2 on the Australia ...

), "Jaguar", "High You Are" and "Tell Me" (with RL Grime). He has featured on charts such as the

Australian Singles Chart The ARIA Charts are the main Australian music sales charts, issued weekly by the Australian Recording Industry Association. The charts are a record of the highest selling songs and albums in various genres in Australia. ARIA became the offici ...

Triple J Hottest 100 The Triple J Hottest 100 is an annual music listener poll hosted by the publicly-funded, national Australian youth radio station, Triple J. Members of the public are invited to vote for their favourite Australian and alternative music of the ...

, and USA iTunes Dance Album chart. He released his debut album titled '' Not All the Beautiful Things'' on 9 March 2018.

History

2010–2017: Career beginnings

What So Not started as a project between record producer Emoh Instead and

Flume A flume is a human-made channel for water, in the form of an open declined gravity chute whose walls are raised above the surrounding terrain, in contrast to a trench or ditch. Flumes are not to be confused with aqueducts, which are built to t ...

. On 13 November 2011, What So Not released their debut EP, ''7 Dollar Bill''. During this time, they had released several remixes of artists such as

Peking Duk Peking Duk are an electronic music group made up of disc jockeys and music producers Adam Hyde and Reuben Styles. The pair first garnered attention in 2012 with the release of a Passion Pit bootleg remix. Their biggest hit "High" reached 5 on ...

, Tom Piper, and

Major Lazer Major Lazer is an American electronic dance music DJ trio, which includes record producer Diplo, and DJs Walshy Fire and Ape Drums. It originates from Kingston, Jamaica, and was founded in 2008 by Diplo and Switch, with Switch leaving af ...

,. In early 2013, they embarked on the Massive Universe Tour, in several venues across Australia. On 28 May 2013, they released their second EP, ''The Quack'', featuring a collaboration with

Action Bronson Ariyan Arslani (born December 2, 1983), professionally known as Action Bronson, is an American rapper, songwriter, chef, wrestler, exotic olive oil taster, and television presenter. Born and raised in Queens, New York, he embarked on his musical ...

on label

Owsla Owsla (stylized in all caps) is an American record label and creative collective. It was founded by Skrillex, Tim Smith, Kathryn Frazier, and Clayton Blaha in 2011. Skrillex announced the label on August 17, 2011. The label's first release was ...

. The duo released the song, "Jaguar" on 6 December 2013. On 24 June 2014, What So Not and RL Grime released their single, "Tell Me", with Chris Martins from

Spin Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thread by twisting fibers together, traditionally by hand spinning * Spin, the rotation of an object around a central axis * Spin (propaganda), an intentionally ...

describing the track as "of both melodic might and percussive ferocity". In February 2015, Flume announced his departure from What So Not, citing that he and Emoh Instead had been moving in different creative directions, and stated that the upcoming ''Gemini EP'' would be What So Not's last release as a duo. "Gemini" featuring

, the first track from the EP, debuted on 9 May 2015. The track was named on

later that year and peaked at number 52 on the

. ''Gemini'' was released as a free download on 18 December 2015, which featured collaborations with artists Dillon Francis, Tunji Ige and

KLP (musician) Kristy Lee Peters, known professionally as KLP, is an Australian singer, songwriter, record producer, DJ and radio personality from Sydney, New South Wales. Kristy was the host and presenter on Triple J's House Party program from the years 20 ...

. The EP was downloaded over 800,000 times, charted globally on iTunes Electronic EP chart and was named to various year-end "best of" lists. In November 2015, What So Not, Baauer and George Maple co-produced a track for Australian rapper Tkay Maidza, titled "Ghost". The song was premiered on

Triple J Triple J (stylised in all lowercase) is a government-funded, national Australian radio station intended to appeal to listeners of alternative music, which began broadcasting in January 1975. The station also places a greater emphasis on broad ...

. On 9 September 2016, What So Not released his first EP as a solo artist, ''Divide & Conquer'', which included previously released track "Lone". In October 2016, What So Not, George Maple and

Djemba Djemba Andrew Swanson (born August 4, 1987), better known by his stage name, Djemba Djemba, is an American multi-platinum record producer of Pop, EDM and bass music, from Fairfield, IA. Notable works include " Elastic Heart" and " Gangsta". He has pro ...

co-produced a track on Australian rapper Tkay Maidza's debut album, titled "Afterglow". On 3 November 2016, RL Grime released the single "Waiting" in collaboration with What So Not and

Skrillex Sonny John Moore (born January 15, 1988), known professionally as Skrillex, is an American DJ and music producer. Growing up in Northeast Los Angeles and Northern California, he joined the post-hardcore band From First to Last as the lead si ...

which was in production since 2013. The track's release was teased through a promotional video which parodied chat-line advertisements and featured footage of 1980-era-influenced vixens with a phone number flashing across the screen, where by calling the number listeners can hear the song in full. A collaboration between What So Not and New York artist LPX, "Better", was released on 8 September 2017; and was debuted on Australian Radio Station Triple J on 7 September 2017. "I had a few productions I’d been working on in this sonic field but struggled to find a vocalist with the right attitude and tone to fit. Lizzy and I clicked instantly on this trajectory & began jamming on the tune," stated What So Not about the track's production. He released "Be Ok Again" which featured Australian musician Daniel Johns on 28 November 2017. The track was produced after Johns noticed What So Not working with Slumberjack as he walked by the studio, which prompted him to invite What So Not to work together at his Newscastle studio.

2018–2020: ''Not All the Beautiful Things''

On 31 January 2018, What So Not announced the arrival of his debut album titled '' Not All the Beautiful Things'' which was released on 9 March 2018. The album featured collaborations with several artists, including

, Slumberjack,

San Holo Sander van Dijck (born 26 November 1990), better known by his stage name San Holo, is a Dutch DJ, musician, and record producer from Zoetermeer. He gained international recognition for his remix of Dr. Dre's "The Next Episode", which current ...

, and

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

rock band Toto. Together with the announcement, he released lead album single "Stuck In Orbit" which was co-produced with Jono Ma from Australian

psychedelic Psychedelics are a subclass of hallucinogenic drugs whose primary effect is to trigger non-ordinary states of consciousness (known as psychedelic experiences or "trips").Pollan, Michael (2018). ''How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science o ...

dance Dance is a performing art form consisting of sequences of movement, either improvised or purposefully selected. This movement has aesthetic and often symbolic value. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoire ...

band Jagwar Ma. What So Not released a third album single titled "Beautiful", a collaboration with Swedish singer/songwriter

Winona Oak Johanna Ewana Ekmark (born 8 October 1994), also known as Winona Oak, is a Swedish singer-songwriter. She is best known for her collaborations with What So Not and The Chainsmokers for the songs "Beautiful" and "Hope". Early life Oak was born on ...

, on 27 February 2018 and announced a national Australia tour for his "Beautiful Things' World Tour" where he visited cities Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane in June 2018. What So Not's first single of 2019, "We Can Be Friends" featuring American singer Herizen, was released on 22 January 2019. He previously met the singer at a songwriting workshop in

Nicaragua Nicaragua (; ), officially the Republic of Nicaragua (), is the largest country in Central America, bordered by Honduras to the north, the Caribbean to the east, Costa Rica to the south, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. Managua is the coun ...

, while citing American record producer and rapper

J Dilla J, or j, is the tenth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its usual name in English is ''jay'' (pronounced ), with a now-uncommon vari ...

as the track's main inspiration. On 6 February 2020, What So Not announced he was "taking a break", stating "I want to pull myself out of the 'routine' of it all and make sure everything I do is 110%." followed by radio silence on his social media.

2021–present: ''Anomaly''

On 8 January 2021, What So Not returned from hiatus with a remix for Run The Jewels featuring

Pharrell Williams Pharrell Lanscilo Williams (; born April 5, 1973) is an American record producer, rapper, singer, and songwriter. Alongside close colleague Chad Hugo, he formed the hip hop and R&B production duo the Neptunes in the early 1990s, with whom h ...

and Zack de la Rocha stating "I was honored to get the nod to put this record out, not only with RTJ, but also my childhood heroes Zack and Pharrell." In April 2021 What So Not announced a "new era" and subsequently release of "The Change" featuring

DMA's DMA'S (stylised in all caps) are an Australian three-piece rock band formed in 2012 in Sydney. The band is composed of Tommy O'Dell, Matt Mason, and Johnny Took. They gained popularity for their debut single " Delete" and for their self-titled ...

. ''NME'' said "The track channels the Manchester influences of DMA’S 2020 record ‘The Glow’, but flips the balance of rock and dance to the latter, aping an Underworld-style rave."

Discography

* '' Not All the Beautiful Things'' (2018) * ''Anomaly'' (2022)

Awards and nominations

AIR Awards

The Australian Independent Record Awards (commonly known informally as

AIR Awards The Australian Independent Record Awards (commonly known informally as AIR Awards) is an annual awards night to recognise, promote and celebrate the success of Australia's Independent Music sector. History The inaugural 2006 awards were held at ...

) is an annual awards night to recognise, promote and celebrate the success of Australia's Independent Music sector. , - ,

AIR Awards of 2019 The AIR Awards of 2019 is the thirteenth annual Australian Independent Record Labels Association Music Awards (generally known as the AIR Awards) and was an award ceremony at Freemasons Hall Adelaide, Australia on Thursday 25 July 2019. The awa ...

, "Beautiful" (featuring

) , Best Independent Dance, Electronica Or Club Single , , , -

Environmental Music Prize

The Environmental Music Prize is a quest to find a theme song to inspire action on climate and conservation. It commenced in 2022. ! , - , 2022 , "Messin' Me Up" (featuring

Evan Giia Evan Giarrusso, better known as EVAN GIIA is a Brooklyn-based musician and vocalist. Her first notable song was "Heat of The Moment" with music duo MEMBA, which was selected as the singles of the week by BBC Radio 1 in 2016. In September 2022, ...

) , Environmental Music Prize , , , -

Queensland Music Awards

The Queensland Music Awards (previously known as Q Song Awards) are annual awards celebrating

Queensland, Australia ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

's brightest emerging artists and established legends. They commenced in 2006. (wins only) ! , - ! scope="row", 2022 , "Every Single Time" Example featuring What So Not & Lucy Lucy , Video of the Year , ,

References

External links

* * {{Authority control Australian electronic musicians 2010 establishments in Australia Musical groups established in 2010 Australian house musicians Australian DJs Owsla artists Counter Records artists Electronic dance music DJs