Gemini (EP)
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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 Coachella (officially called the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival and sometimes known as Coachella Festival) is an annual music and arts festival held at the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California, in the Coachella Valley in the Colora ...
,
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 v ...
,
Ultra Music Festival Ultra Music Festival (UMF) is an annual outdoor electronic music Music festival, festival that takes place in March in Miami, Florida. The festival was founded in 1999 by Russell Faibisch and Alex Omes. It was first held on Miami Beach, but bes ...
and
Lollapalooza Lollapalooza () is an annual American four-day music festival held in Grant Park (Chicago), Grant Park in Chicago. It originally started as a touring event in 1991, with Chicago becoming its permanent location beginning in 2005. Music genres i ...
. What So Not is best known for his hits such as "Innerbloom" (What So Not Remix) (by RÜFÜS DU SOL), "Gemini" (featuring George Maple), "Jaguar", "High You Are" and "Tell Me" (with
RL Grime Henry Alfred Steinway (born February 8, 1991), better known by his stage name RL Grime, (previously known as Clockwork) is an American record producer and DJ. RL Grime specializes in trap and bass music and is a member of the Los Angeles electr ...
). He has featured on charts such as the
Australian Singles Chart The ARIA Charts are the main Australian record chart, 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 beca ...
,
Triple J Hottest 100 The Triple J Hottest 100 is an annual music poll presented by the publicly-funded Australian youth radio station Triple J. Members of the public are invited to vote for their favourite Music of Australia, Australian and alternative music of th ...
, 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 is an Australian electronic music band from Canberra, made up of disc jockeys and record producers Adam Hyde and Reuben Styles. The pair first garnered attention in 2012 with the release of a Passion Pit bootleg remix. Their biggest ...
, Tom Piper, and
Major Lazer Major Lazer is an American electronic dance music and DJ trio, which includes record producer Diplo, and DJs Walshy Fire and Ape Drums. They were founded in 2008 by Diplo and Switch, with Switch leaving after three years in 2011. He was the ...
,. 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 and television presenter. Born and raised in Queens, he released his debut mixtape ''Bon Appetit ..... Bitch!!!!!'' in January 2011 and indepe ...
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 Henry Alfred Steinway (born February 8, 1991), better known by his stage name RL Grime, (previously known as Clockwork) is an American record producer and DJ. RL Grime specializes in trap and bass music and is a member of the Los Angeles electr ...
released their single, "Tell Me", with Chris Martins from
Spin Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spin (physics) or particle spin, a fundamental property of elementary particles * Spin quantum number, a number which defines the value of a particle's spin * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thr ...
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 George Maple, the first track from the EP, debuted on 9 May 2015. The track was named on
Triple J Hottest 100 The Triple J Hottest 100 is an annual music poll presented by the publicly-funded Australian youth radio station Triple J. Members of the public are invited to vote for their favourite Music of Australia, Australian and alternative music of th ...
later that year and peaked at number 52 on the
Australian Singles Chart The ARIA Charts are the main Australian record chart, 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 beca ...
. ''Gemini'' was released as a free download on 18 December 2015, which featured collaborations with artists
Dillon Francis Dillon Hart Francis (born October 5, 1987), also known as DJ Hanzel, is an American electronic music producer and DJ. He played a key role in popularizing moombahton and later developed its heavier variants, moombahcore and EDM trap. Earl ...
, Tunji Ige and KLP (musician). 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 Harry Bauer Rodrigues (born April 30, 1989), known professionally as Baauer, is an American record producer and DJ, best known for his double platinum song "Harlem Shake (song), Harlem Shake". He has produced varied dance music from the age of 13 ...
and George Maple co-produced a track for Australian rapper
Tkay Maidza Takudzwa Victoria Rosa "Tkay" Maidza ( ; (born 17 December 1995) is a Zimbabwean-born Australian singer-songwriter and hip hop artist from Adelaide, South Australia. She has been nominated for and won many awards, and released two albums: '' Tk ...
, titled "Ghost". The song was premiered on
Triple J Triple J is an Australian government-funded national radio station founded in 1975 as a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). It aims to appeal to young listeners of alternative music, and plays far more Australian conten ...
. 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 co-produced a track on Australian rapper
Tkay Maidza Takudzwa Victoria Rosa "Tkay" Maidza ( ; (born 17 December 1995) is a Zimbabwean-born Australian singer-songwriter and hip hop artist from Adelaide, South Australia. She has been nominated for and won many awards, and released two albums: '' Tk ...
'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, record producer, musician, singer. Raised in Northeast Los Angeles and Northern California, he began his career in 2004 as the lead vocalist of the ...
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 Daniel Paul Johns (born 22 April 1979) is an Australian musician, singer, and songwriter, best known as the Lead vocalist, frontman, guitarist, and main songwriter of the Rock music, rock band Silverchair. Johns is also one half of The Dissociat ...
on 28 November 2017. The track was produced after Johns noticed What So Not working with
Slumberjack Slumberjack (stylised in all caps) is an Australian electronic music duo consisting of Morgan Then and Fletcher Ehlers. Their 2017 single, "Fracture", peaked at 89 on the ARIA Charts. Members Morgan Then Morgan Then was raised in Borneo, be ...
as he walked by the studio, which prompted him to invite What So Not to work together at his
Newcastle Newcastle usually refers to: *Newcastle upon Tyne, a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England, United Kingdom *Newcastle-under-Lyme, a town in Staffordshire, England, United Kingdom *Newcastle, New South Wales, a metropolitan area ...
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
Skrillex Sonny John Moore (born January 15, 1988), known professionally as Skrillex, is an American DJ, record producer, musician, singer. Raised in Northeast Los Angeles and Northern California, he began his career in 2004 as the lead vocalist of the ...
, Slumberjack,
San Holo Sander van Dijck (born 26 November 1990), better known by his stage name San Holo, is a Dutch DJ, musician, songwriter and record producer from Zoetermeer. He gained international recognition for his remix of Dr. Dre's " The Next Episode", w ...
, and American 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
dance Dance is an The arts, art form, consisting of sequences of body movements with aesthetic and often Symbol, symbolic value, either improvised or purposefully selected. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...
band Jagwar Ma. What So Not released a third album single titled "Beautiful", a collaboration with Swedish singer/songwriter Winona Oak, 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 geographically largest Sovereign state, country in Central America, comprising . With a population of 7,142,529 as of 2024, it is the third-most populous country in Central America aft ...
, while citing American record producer and rapper
J Dilla James Dewitt Yancey (February 7, 1974 – February 10, 2006), better known by the stage names J Dilla and Jay Dee, was an American record producer, composer and rapper. He emerged from the mid-1990s underground hip hop scene in Detroit, Michiga ...
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'' and ''Motions''

On 8 January 2021, What So Not returned from hiatus with a remix for
Run The Jewels Run the Jewels, also known by the initials RTJ, is an American hip-hop Supergroup (music), superduo, composed of Brooklyn-based rapper and producer El-P and Atlanta-based rapper Killer Mike. They released their critically acclaimed Run the Jewe ...
featuring
Pharrell Williams Pharrell Lanscilo Williams (; born April 5, 1973), also known mononymously as Pharrell, is an American musician, singer, songwriter, rapper, record producer, and fashion designer. He first became known as one half of the music production duo ...
and
Zack de la Rocha Zacharias Manuel de la Rocha (born January 12, 1970) is an American musician, rapper, singer, songwriter, and political activist. He is best known as the vocalist and lyricist of the rock band Rage Against the Machine. Through both Rage Against ...
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 are an Australian rock band formed in 2012 in Sydney, New South Wales. The band is composed of lead vocalist Tommy O'Dell, lead guitarist Matt Mason, and rhythm guitarist Johnny Took. They originally gained popularity for their debut sin ...
. ''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." On 16 August 2024, ''Motions'' was released, collaborating with artists including Lucy Lucy,
MNDR Amanda Lucille Warner (born September 12, 1982), known professionally as MNDR, is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. She rose to prominence after being featured on Mark Ronson & The Business Intl's 2010 single " Bang Bang Bang ...
, IMANU, Habstrakt, and Maiah Manser across the four-track EP.


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 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 Blacket Hot ...
) is an annual awards night to recognise, promote and celebrate the success of Australia's Independent Music sector. , - ,
2019 This was the year in which the first known human case of COVID-19 was documented, preceding COVID-19 pandemic, the pandemic which was declared by the World Health Organization the following year. Up to that point, 2019 had been described as ...
, "Beautiful" (featuring Winona Oak) , 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) , Environmental Music Prize , , , -


J Awards

The
J Awards The J Awards are an annual series of Australian music awards, established by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's youth-focused radio station Triple J, and which also extend to sister stations, Triple J Unearthed and Double J. The awar ...
are an annual series of Australian music awards that were established by the
Australian Broadcasting Corporation The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is Australia’s principal public service broadcaster. It is funded primarily by grants from the federal government and is administered by a government-appointed board of directors. The ABC is ...
's youth-focused radio station
Triple J Triple J is an Australian government-funded national radio station founded in 1975 as a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). It aims to appeal to young listeners of alternative music, and plays far more Australian conten ...
. They commenced in 2005. ! , - ,
2024 The year saw the list of ongoing armed conflicts, continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), Myanmar civil war, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudane ...
, What So Not , Live Act of the Year , ,


Queensland Music Awards

The Queensland Music Awards (previously known as Q Song Awards) are annual awards celebrating
Queensland, Australia Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, ...
'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 Owsla artists Counter Records artists Australian electronic dance music DJs