by After recently wrapping his Dance Dance Revival tour around the country and successfully rallying Bunnings to host an epic warehouse party, Australian DJ and producer What So Not today unveils his stunning new EP, Motions. Described by What So Not as “a love letter to dance music”, the four-track EP is an emotive collection of electronic compositions including the top 40 Shazam hit ‘Lights Go Out’ with Benson and Lucy Lucy, and new single ‘Realise’ with Habstrakt featuring Maiah Manser. What So Not’s Motions EP drops before he is due to return to Australia for the Bunnings Warehouse party alongside Peking Duk, and to headline triple j’s One Night Stand alongside G Flip and Ruel, with some very special guests coming along for the ride.
Crafted with collaborators from France, the Netherlands, the US and Australia, What So Not (aka Chris Emerson) describes the four tracks on Motions as grown from the same garden, just blooming in different seasons. “What is the sound of this feeling? This texture? How do you reflect audibly what it’s like to walk barefoot in the grass on a foggy autumn morning? Where do I draw creation from and what are these visions representative of in my psyche? This has been my exploration through this EP.”
One of two new tracks on the EP, captivating lead single ‘Realise’ sees What So Not team up with French producer Habstrakt and and LA-based, noir-pop songstress Maiah Manser. “I first came across Maiah Manser when I saw her doing operatic experimentations for film scores. Her range and depth were breathtaking in these ethereal deliveries. As soon as I heard her voice I knew I had to work with her!”
‘Tower In The Woods’ sees What So Not collaborate once again with MNDR, who also features on recently released single ‘Slow Motion’ and first gained recognition after being featured on Mark Ronson & The Business Intl’s 2010 single ‘Bang Bang Bang’. “MNDR is one of the most genuinely cool people I’ve come across in the industry. I can’t remember who set up the session, but she just came round to the house one day and we hit it off, writing the vocals for both songs in one session. Amanda described our conversations leading into the writing as like being on a DMT trip, as we played with philosophy, settings and psyche.”
Accompanying each track on the EP is a cinematic visualiser, created by Emerson himself. “I have a place I go to in my mind for each song I make. A unique destination that fills the senses and enables me to return to the same stream of consciousness in order to complete the work. I would often try to commission works to be reflective of these settings to pair with the audio, but with so many tech advancements allowing new possibilities, I’ve been thoroughly enjoying diving head first into this new medium of expression myself.”
Before his return to Australia, What So Not will be hitting the famed Burning Man festival in Black Rock Desert, Nevada, before making a swift trans-pacific journey from Burning Man to the Bunnings Warehouse Party. Iconic.
Until then, dive into What So Not’s Motions EP. In the words of What So Not, “A trajectory of love – passion, longing, deciphering, acceptance, trust, separation and ever after.”
What So Not Motions EP tracklisting:
- What So Not & Benson – Lights Go Out feat. Lucy Lucy
- What So Not – Tower In The Woods feat. MNDR
- What So Not & IMANDU – Slow Motion feat. MNDR
- What So Not & Habstrakt – Realise feat. Maiah Manser
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