WHAT SO NOT ANNOUNCES DEBUT ALBUM ‘NOT ALL THE BEAUTIFUL THINGS’ OUT MARCH 9 FEATURING COLLABORATIONS WITH SKRILLEX, TOTO, DANIEL JOHNS, ROME FORTUNE, SLUMBERJACK, SAN HOLO + MORE
Australia’s What So Not is pleased to announce his long awaited debut album Not All The Beautiful Things — out March 9 via Sweat It Out — featuring frequent collaborator Skrillex, legendary rock lords Toto, plus San Holo and SLUMBERJACK to name only a few. Over three years in the making, Not All the Beautiful Things is about transformation and metamorphosis, a culmination of everything the Australian-born artist has been working towards as he’s built his reputation as one of the most innovative producers in the game, garnering over 455 million combined streams in the process. More than an album, it’s a fully realised artistic statement in which What So Not is in full control of every aspect, from the stage design and visuals to the music videos and merchandise. “I didn’t want to put anything out that doesn’t cohesively match the essence of the songs,” explains the man behind it all, Chris Emerson.
What So Not enlisted some friends to help represent the many moods and voices of the project. The 12-track album will include his last single Be Ok Again featuring former Silverchair frontman Daniel Johns, as well as his brand new single Stuck In Orbit which has just dropped today – featuring vocals by BUOY and co-written by Jono Ma (of Jagwar Ma). Listen to Stuck In Orbit HERE.
Of Stuck In Orbit What So Not says: “This song started as a jam with Jono Ma (Jagwar Ma) in his film scoring studio. The vocals began as a sketch of adlibs from BUOY with only two words, drawn out across the verse “I ov-er comp-en-sate”. That set the tone for the entire piece; each word delivered with much thought and consideration. I wrote the next phase of the lyrics whilst ‘stuck in transit’. I had just reached a point of feeling settled in a special place with amazing people around me when (as usual) I had to pack up my life and jump from city to city for months on end. At the beginning of the journey a British Airways’ system crash left me stranded for a night sitting alone staring at a hotel wall. The circumstances compounded and I channeled the frustration and came up with the lines for and around ‘Stuck in Orbit’. Things came full circle as on this very trip I ended up crossing paths with Jono multiple times, jamming further on ideas for the song and when I finally returned, brainstormed the final elements of the vocal with Winona Oak and BUOY.”
For his debut project, What So Not tapped longtime collaborator Skrillex, and fellow Australian breakout stars SLUMBERJACK along with Rome Fortune, San Holo, Dyro and more. Daniel Johns lends his versatile vocals to multiple tracks on the project. Johns praised What So Not saying, “Watching Emoh work is eye opening. A real professional with great vision.”
Perhaps most eyebrow-raising of all, the album features a collaboration with rock legends Toto. After years of Emoh dropping their seminal sing-a-long hit Africa in his sets, Emoh was able to go into the studio with one of his favorite bands to write their new anthem We Keep On Running.
Having established himself as one of the world’s most revered electronic acts, it’s hard to believe that What So Not hasn’t yet released an album. The man behind such massive anthems as High You Are (50 million-plus streams), Waiting (with Skrillex and RL Grime), and his remix of RUFUS du Sol’s Innerbloom (#30 on Triple J’s Hottest 100 list for 2016), has a slew of EPs under his belt, including 2016’s widely-praised Divide & Conquer. Last year What So Not released Be Ok Again, writing and performing the vocals himself for the first time. The song has garnered over 2 million collective streams and was one of the most played songs on Triple J throughout the summer.
Balancing prolific touring and studio time, 2017 saw What So Not close Coachella’s Gobi tent and headline Australia’s Listen Out festival and sold out shows across Europe, the USA and UK. His creative sphere has not been limited to music either, delving into the writing and co-directing of music videos, conceptualising his 600 square foot ‘Peacock Horse Monster-truck’ and heavy involvement in all aspects of the show programming. What So Not promises it’s just the beginning of what fans can expect from this exciting new phase of his evolution looking ahead to his 2018 touring schedule. “We’re creating this entire world that people can step into,” he says.
Not All The Beautiful Things will be released through Sweat It Out on March 9.
What So Not – Not All The Beautiful Things
1. What So Not & SLUMBERJACK – Warlord
2. What So Not – Be Ok Again (feat. Daniel Johns)
3. What So Not – Beautiful (feat. Winona Oak)
4. What So Not – Stuck In Orbit (feat. BUOY)
5. What So Not & James Earl – Demons (feat. Rome Fortune & Tommy Swisher)
6. What So Not & Skrillex – Goh (feat. KLP)
7. What So Not & Toto – We Keep On Running
8. What So Not & San Holo – If You Only Knew (feat. Daniel Johns)
9. What So Not – Monsters (feat. Michael Christmas & tobi lou)
10. What So Not & Dyro – Bottom End
11. What So Not – Same Mistakes (feat. Daniel Johns)
12. What So Not – Us (feat. Daniels)