He’s served as one of Australia’s electronic musical heavyweights for close to a decade, but now Chris Emerson has revealed that he’s putting his What So Not project to rest for a while.
Taking to Facebook this afternoon, Emerson shared the news with his dedicated followers, explaining that the recent events in Australia has caused him to sit back and take stock of things, ultimately resulting in his decision to take some time off.
“I’m taking a break,” Emerson (using his stage name of Emoh Instead) began. “Most of you have seen & heard about the devastation thats taken place in Australia. It has me thinking about what really matters in this world & this life.
“I’ve done something like 400 shows in the last 3yrs. It’s been exhilarating & fun but I’m taking some time to reset, time with friends & family, time to craft & capture everything I’ve been thinking & feeling. I want to pull myself out of the ‘routine’ of it all & make sure everything I do is 110%.”
Despite revealing he’ll be largely off the grid for the coming year, Emerson notes that What So Not will still play a handful of shows around the world, while another record is still set to be released at some point in the future.
“There will be a few scattered shows announced around the world (focused on being special & fun) but for the most part I’m going to be offline this year,” he added. “I have one record planned shortly, but this will be it from me for a little while. You can catch me here every now & again.”
Forming What So Not alongside Harley Streten (better known as Flume) early last decade, the pair were a staple of the local electronic scene for a number of years, issuing a number of singles and EPs. Though Flume departed in 2015 due to creative differences, Emerson has continued under the name, releasing the project’s debut album, Not All the Beautiful Things, in 2018.
Currently, What So Not have a handful of shows still on the agenda, including an appearance at the Electric Gardens Festival in Sydney this month, the Japanese edition of Snow Machine, and a pair of dates in the US this May.
