What So Not - Not All The Beautiful Things

coreygman

Review by Corey Geier

Not All The Beautiful Things by What So Not: A Genre-Bending Sonic Adventure Let’s cut to the chase—What So Not’s debut album Not All The Beautiful Things is a wild ride through soundscapes that feel like they were stitched together in some underground club, an art gallery, and maybe even your subconscious. Released back in 2018 under Sweat It Out! and Counter Records, this record doesn’t just sit neatly in one genre; it sprawls across hip-hop, dance, electronic, indie electronica, experimental beats—you name it. It’s messy but intentional, chaotic yet strangely cohesive. And honestly? That’s what makes it unforgettable. Take "Same Mistakes (feat. Daniel Johns)" for example. This track hits you with all the feels right out of the gate. Daniel Johns’ haunting vocals float over glitchy synths and heavy basslines, creating something both fragile and colossal. There’s this moment near the middle where the beat drops out entirely, leaving only his voice echoing into nothingness—it’s chilling, man. Like, goosebumps-on-your-neck chilling. You can tell these two artists weren’t just throwing stuff at the wall to see what sticks; they were crafting something deeply personal here. Every layer feels deliberate, every note carries weight. When I first heard it, I had to pause whatever I was doing because it demanded my full attention. Still does. Then there’s “Beautiful (feat. Winona Oak).” If “Same Mistakes” punches you in the gut emotionally, this one wraps you up in velvet and whispers sweet nothings in your ear. Winona Oak’s ethereal voice glides effortlessly over shimmering production, blending house vibes with trip-hop undertones. The drop? Oh, the drop. It’s understated compared to other tracks on the album, but somehow that subtlety makes it hit harder. It’s not trying too hard to impress—it just is. By the time the chorus kicks in, you’re floating, lost in its hypnotic rhythm. Honestly, I’ve played this song on repeat during late-night drives more times than I care to admit. Feels like driving through neon-lit city streets while the world blurs past outside your window. The rest of the album keeps the energy alive, jumping from bangers like “Monsters (feat. Michael Christmas & Tobi Lou)” to introspective cuts like “Demons (feat. Rome Fortune & Tommy Swisher).” Tracks like “Goh” and “Stuck In Orbit” showcase What So Not’s knack for crafting infectious hooks without ever feeling repetitive. Even when he dips into dubstep or trap territory, it never feels forced—it’s always authentic, always him. But let me tell ya, listening to this album isn’t just about hearing music. It’s about experiencing a mood, a vibe, a whole damn journey. One minute you’re vibing in your bedroom, the next you’re transported to a sweaty European rave or an Australian desert festival. Credit goes to everyone involved—Adrian Kemp, Josh Kellett, and obviously What So Not himself—for pulling off such a bold project. So yeah, Not All The Beautiful Things might not be perfect. Some songs lean a little too experimental for casual listeners, and others might feel overwhelming if you’re not ready to dive headfirst into their sonic madness. But isn’t that kind of the point? Life itself ain’t all sunshine and rainbows either, right? Sometimes beauty lies in the chaos, in the cracks between genres and styles. Final thought: Listening to this album feels like finding a hidden mixtape in the backseat of a stranger’s car. You don’t know who made it, why it exists, or how it got there—but damn, are you glad you found it.

Table of Contents

Download

Filename: what-so-not-not-all-the-beautiful-things.zip
  • MP3 size: 100.8 mb
  • FLAC size: 1152 mb

Tracks

TrackDurationPreview
Stuck In Orbit5:25
Goh3:35
If You Only Knew (feat. Daniel Johns)3:12
If You Only Knew3:12
Us (feat. Daniels)6:16
Demons2:29
Warlord2:55
We Keep on Running4:39
Stuck in Orbit (feat. BUOY)5:25
Bottom End3:11
Goh (feat. KLP)3:35
Beautiful (feat. Winona Oak)3:45
Be Ok Again (feat. Daniel Johns)3:47
Stuck in Orbit5:25
We Keep On Running4:39
Same Mistakes (feat. Daniel Johns)4:31
Us6:16
Monsters (feat. Michael Christmas & Tobi Lou)3:1
Same Mistakes4:31
Be Ok Again3:48
Beautiful3:45
Be OK Again03:47
Demons (feat. Rome Fortune & Tommy Swisher)2:29
Monsters3:01

Video

What So Not - Not All The Beautiful Things (Album)

Images

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Catalog Numbers

  • COUNTCD141
  • SWEATDS296DJ
  • COUNT141

Labels

  • Counter Records
  • Sweat It Out!

Listen online

  • online anhören
  • kuunnella verkossa
  • ascolta in linea
  • écouter en ligne
  • lyssna på nätet
  • lytte på nettet
  • online luisteren
  • escuchar en línea
  • ouvir online

Formats

  • CD
  • Album
  • Stereo
  • 12 × File
  • MP3
  • 320 kbps
  • 2 × Vinyl
  • LP

Companies

RoleCompany
Published BySweat It Out!

Credits

RoleCredit
A&RAdrian Kemp, Josh Kellett

Notes

  • Australia’s What So Not is pleased to announce his long awaited debut album Not All The Beautiful Things -- out March 9th via Counter Records -- featuring frequent collaborator Skrillex, legendary rock legends Toto, as well as San Holo, 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 realized 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.
  • To help represent the many moods and voices of the project, What So Not enlisted a small army of collaborators and guest vocalists. 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).
  • Of “Stuck In Orbit” What So Not says: “This song started as a jam with Jono Ma (Jagwar Ma) in his film scoring studio in Sydney, the vocals started as a sketch of adlibs from BUOY with only two words, drawn out across half 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 a lot of the lyrics and brought Winona Oak in to help finish it off. At one point, when British Airways' entire computer system had crashed, I found myself “stuck in transit”. Even though I just had settled in a special place with amazing people around me, I found myself sitting alone staring at a hotel wall. I channeled the frustration and came up with the notion of "Stuck in Orbit".
  • 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. On the collaboration, 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 2 million collective streams and was one of the most played songs on Australia’s 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.
  • No barcode. Black inner sleeves
  • "Administered by Kobalt" on back

Barcodes

  • Matrix / Runout (Side A): SIMON-THEEXCHANGEVINYL BH08884-01 A1 COUNT141 A1
  • Matrix / Runout (Side B): SIMON-THEEXCHANGEVINYL BH08884-01 B1 COUNT141 B1
  • Matrix / Runout (Side C): SIMON-THEEXCHANGEVINYL BH08884-02 C1 COUNT141 C1
  • Matrix / Runout (Side D): SIMON-THEEXCHANGEVINYL BH08884-02 D1 COUNT141 D1

About What So Not

ladda ner album What So Not - Not All The Beautiful ThingsAlbum herunterladen What So Not - Not All The Beautiful Thingsdescargar álbum What So Not - Not All The Beautiful Thingslataa albumi What So Not - Not All The Beautiful Thingstélécharger l'album What So Not - Not All The Beautiful Thingslast ned album What So Not - Not All The Beautiful Things
For Chris Emerson, professionally known as What So Not, this past year has been one of realization and research, rethinking and renewal. Long before the pandemic hit, the Australian producer and DJ made the decision to scale down his touring significantly in 2020 to re-center himself as a person and refresh himself as an artist. I had to get out of the cycle of the touring artist life where you feel like youre forever chasing your tail, says a clear-eyed and rejuvenated Emerson from Perth, Western Australia, where he has temporarily set up camp. He continues, As an artist, you have to be careful not to get caught up in your own machine and in your own world. You have to come down to ground level and see whats actually up, whats emerging, check in on some younger people doing interesting stuff and prop them up like you were propped up when you were in that position. It would have been very easy for Emerson to stay sequestered in What So Nots significant accomplishments. He has surpassed one billion global streams, his song Beautiful featuring Winona Oak won Best Independent Dance, Electronica or Club Single at the 2019 Australian Independent Record Awards, and Gold certifications for his releases continue to accumulate. Instead, Emerson spent a year living at a friends house on the beach in Newcastle Australia alongside a dozen or so creatives working in a cross-section of mediums from visuals to design to music. In this artist commune of sorts, without deadlines or commitments, Emerson explored new genres of music, new ways of creation, new production techniques, new sound designs, new equipment, all the while absorbing recommendations from his fellow artists. From books and films to live performances and interviews, Emerson went from being segregated in his What So Not world, to becoming completely immersed in artistic stimuli. The first outcome of Emersons reflection and revitalization is The Change featuring Australian indie rockers, the DMAs. An invigorating stormer of a track, it has one foot in 90s Britpop and electronica, and one foot in the present time with skipping breakbeats and crafty production techniques. The Change started as a collaboration between Emerson and the DMAs Johnny Took, who corralled the rest of his bandmates with his enthusiasm for the song." We made it the day we met, says Emerson. Johnny comes from band world, but he loves Underworld & The Chemical Brothers and owns a lot of really cool synths. I come from highly technical sonic design and sound production. Individually we didnt have the right attributes to get it there. Together, it was the perfect combination. We came together and made the song we always dreamed of making. The Change marks the start of the second decade of What So Not whose first EP was released in 2011. In the last 10 years, Emerson has collaborated with Skrillex, RL Grime, Toto, Run the Jewels, Flux Pavilion, Noisia, Daniel Johns, San Holo and Jagwar Ma. He has performed in over 70 countries including all the major festivals across the globe. Additionally, he has headlined his own venue tours of North America and Australia in support of his critically-and commercially-acclaimed debut album, Not All The Beautiful Things. Now, with a new decade comes new innovations from ever-shifting Emerson.

Real Name

    • Christopher John Emerson

Aliases

  • Emoh Instead
  • Chris Emerson

Members

  • Harley Streten

Interesting fact about Album

Did you know? The album *Not All The Beautiful Things* by What So Not is a genre-blending masterpiece that feels like a journey through sound. Released in 2018, it mixes hip-hop, electronic, and dance styles with experimental twists. One standout fact: the track "Same Mistakes" features Daniel Johns, the former frontman of Silverchair, adding a hauntingly beautiful edge to the song. It’s wild how this album jumps from club bangers to introspective vibes, keeping listeners hooked. Feels like Australia and Europe combined their musical DNA to create something truly unique.

Comments

labelleandthebooks
2025-03-15
Tracklist:
1. Warlord (feat. SLUMBERJACK) - 0:00
2. Be Ok Again (feat. Daniel Johns) - 2:51
3. Beautiful (feat. Winona Oak) - 6:34
4. Stuck in Orbit (feat. BUOY) - 10:12
5. Demons (feat. Rome Fortune & Tommy Swisher & James Earl) - 15:28
6. Goh (feat. KLP & Skrillex) - 17:49
7. We Keep on Running (feat. Toto) - 21:19
8. If You Only Knew (feat. Daniel Johns & San Holo) - 25:54
9. Monsters (feat. Michael Christmas & Tobi Lou) - 29:01
10. Bottom End (feat. Dyro) - 32:00
11. Same Mistakes (feat. Daniel Johns) - 35:05
12. Us (feat. Daniels) - 39:32

Stream/Download: http://whatsonot.fm/NATBT
berniefamilyties
2025-03-14
This is my fav: We Keep on Running (feat. Toto) - 21:19 But all the tracks are dope! ♥
tanjimtc
2025-03-13
its Dope
lucasfrancalt
2025-03-13
Grumgrum law
mbellemare
2025-03-13
:)
Love this album :)
blackdragon16
2025-03-11
This album is literally soooo fire ????????
I feel this whole album in my fucking soul man i gotta say i would love to see What So Not live ? ugh how has this album not gone viral yet? Lmao ive been showing everyone!!! Well done im so freaking happy with this
mhiinformatica
2025-03-11
Demons ♥
shahdolsn
2025-03-11
such a cohesive album
cmaayan
2025-03-10
What? No comments? Well i wouldn't mind to enjoy this masterpiece alone ♡