Inside the Weird and Accountable World of What So Not

Chris "Emoh" Emerson, aka the newly-solo What So Not, is no stranger when it comes to the Australian music scene. Performing sell-out shows across the globe with a phenomenal set at this year's Coachella and a European Tour that was bat-shit bananas last year. His highly anticipated final works alongside Sydney bro Flume have everyone talking, with Skrillex and RL Grime leaking snippets during their recent sets. Now it's damn near impossible not to be excited for the EP, featuring collaborations with Skrillex, Dillon Francis, Dawn Golden, St. Lucia, ASAP Ferg and more. We crunched some facts with this creative wizard in the midst of his Australian tour of "Gemini."

THUMP: How're things?
What So Not: Interesting, man, pretty interesting. It's been a whirlwind, I've just been trying to take some time to appreciate it all.

As far as names go you've been called everything under the sun, if "What So Not" was taken what would be second in line for an alias?
My first ever DJ name was with two of my buddies I grew up with and we were the Dodge Falcon Millennium Space Robot Heads. Definitely a highlight of my adolescence.

When is Gemini coming out?
I have been trying to have the EP released for around nine months now. As you can imagine there are politics. The silver lining is that the "Gemini" single has made it's way onto the airwaves and that people are digging it. I'm so glad it was able to come out before Coachella and the most recent tours. It's always such a buzz to see people singing along at shows. I can't wait to share the rest of the music with the fans. I promise it won't be long now.

So, obviously the internet has been trying to expose your Gemini EP for some time now.
Ha, I guess so?

Reddit are so deep on that shit. So "Goh!" Is now being played by Skrillex, I've seen that coming up in YouTube clips and live performances of him playing. I see RL Grime is on that one also.
Oh he's got that one too now! see this is what happens, you make tracks with your buddies and then we all test them out to see how they go then before you know it they are plastered all over the internet. Pretty amazing really.

Any remix options or anyone you would like to work with in the near future?
I love collaborating with new people. I like discovering new artists and trying to think a little laterally about collaboration and songwriting, finding people in strange places. There's one track on the EP featuring Dawn Golden, I found via an episode of Suits! He had the perfect tone for the song. It was really random but worked out so well. Most of the time, collaborations are just an extension of a friendship, which makes the whole experience so much more fun.

You've been flying the What So Not flag for a while now, and as far back as I remember you were doing all the live shows anyway. But what is your secret to making a project go vertical?
This project has been my life for four years now, I don't know if there is a secret. My focus is always just trying to improve my craft, write better and better music, try and stay aware of opportunities when they present themselves and keep a good group of people around me.

You were an accountant?
Yeah, I spent a few years working as an accountant after uni. I was constantly tired. I was DJing up to 4 nights a week at the same time and trying to fit in production time on the side. I was actually DJing at this club in Kings Cross with Hayden James and Cassian, Alison Wonderland was the door girl. It's pretty funny and awesome to see where everyone is at now. I think it was really important for me to have a desk job. I learned how to be semi-organized, work with people and analyze. I'm also used to long hours now so that helps when you're on the road.

Do you feel like you need to have a strong social media background or a degree in marketing to be memorable?
You know, I don't really know anymore, I think there's a balance. It's important to have a memorable brand but really I think it should be a support platform, rather than a primary focus. The social networks allow us to communicate directly with the people who like the music. It's awesome to be able to communicate your vision for your project/ music directly, rather than going through a big marketing machine or being controlled by a label. It's like developing a world for people to listen to the music within but it is only one element…you need the music and the vision first.

Who were your biggest mentors growing up in Sydney? What made you want to produce?
One of my biggest mentors would have to be Ajax. When I was 18 and coming onto the scene he was always bending genres and his taste was really ahead of the game. I feel like he changed the dynamic of Australian dance music. Ajax, Van She and the Presets were such a wave of change for Australia.

Do you still get time to dust off the Esky lid?
With all the touring it's been kind of hard but since I've been back I spent a few days in Bondi and the surf was great. I think now more than ever I realize the importance of downtime. I'm trying to take the time to slow down and chill out. Surfing is like therapy for me, and definitely helps the creative process.

How do you draw the line on a beat that might be too left field? Or is there no such thing?
I feel the best music is intuitive. If you're feeling weird, be weird. Make something weird. I'm naturally really calculated and logical, but I've had to teach myself to kind of ignore than when writing music. I never want to start writing and think "I'm going to write X, Y or Z today" I don't think there shouldn't be too much pre-meditation as to why you're creating a track, I think that can stifle creativity. Engineering a track is far more mathematical, so I try and channel my logical energy into that part of the process. So yeah I guess no boundaries is the answer. It's all just expression really.

As a producer, what are your thoughts on ghost writing in the industry?
I guess it depends on the definition of ghost writing. Producing for other people is really fun, and sometimes it doesn't matter about credit but I don't really understand when people rip off a track or claim something that's not theirs as their own. I've had similar things happen to me recently when I've been writing for other artists and it's a bit weird. There was this one instance where an artist claimed to have 'produced' a track when there were actually about five people involved, including me. I don't get it, but each to their own I guess. It's not something I'll ever do. I think collaboration is far more exciting and a better way of creating a positive music community. I hope people start collaborating more, and giving credit where credit's due.

Where do you find inspiration for your tracks?
I find I'm inspired the most when I'm on the road, touring and surrounded by other artists. Changing time zones and countries all the time can be a bit of an emotional rollercoaster but sometimes that's the best juice. I have written some of my favorite tracks recently on planes or in hotel rooms when I'm sad or excited. Maybe it's because It's space and time to think and reflect for a second. I think it's really important to stop…take some space and chill out.

How would you best describe your sound now?
I haven't been asked that one for a while. I guess that's a really good question. I've been really inspired by the American hip-hop scene the last year or so. I've been spending a lot of time in the studio with some guys in Philly and New York. They are really straight up about what's cool and what's not in their world, which is really interesting. I have learned a lot from jamming in the studio with people like Noah Breakfast, A$AP Ferg, Tunji, Bauuer and James Earl. I've been spending some time with a lot of songwriters like George Maple, Kimbra, Joy, Dawn Golden, Wills, picking their brains and watching how they work. I'm writing more full songs at the moment and becoming more involved in the toplines and lyrics. So I guess the sound is evolving a little bit—maybe check back and ask me in six months.

Stay tuned for Gemini EP release details.