What So Not Stays True To His Style and Sets Big Goals For Future in Interview

on 12 August, 2015 at 14:00

What So Not led the second day of Osheaga into a blur of visual hypnotics and tropical sounding synths! His performance was a highlight of the entire festival without a doubt.

Canadanightlife: Hey Chris, thank you for speaking with me today. To start off, let’s talk about how you wrote nearly 30 different tracks with other musicians this year. Do you think your audience will ever see all your unreleased projects?

What So Not: I hope so! But my music has to be good enough because I won’t put it out to the world until I’m completely happy with it. Some tracks I work on for two or three years before they actually come out.

What So Not: Over the past year I’ve developed other projects and built them up. I’m not sure what’s going to happen next, all I know is that I’m going to continue working on What So Not. I’m really looking forward to these next few years because the world feels like my oyster at the moment. I have so many good people around me and it’s exciting to see what’s ahead of me.

CNL: Now that What So Not has become a one-man project, what is your biggest goal to accomplish in the next 5 years?

What So Not: Well 5 years is a difficult one to answer. When I was 18 I had goals and they were to DJ at my local pub. So I definitely got past that! (laughs). You can have anything if you really work at it and put your mind to it. The possibilities are truly endless and you can really be anywhere.

What So Not: I don’t want to limit myself to a goal and just land there. I want to go past whatever I strive for now. You never know where things will take you and you’ll ride something that could lead to much bigger success. Imagine writing a song that could shift culture, now that’s a serious goal. That’s such an epic life achievement if you can get that in any art form or career choice.

CNL: How has working with other artists changed how you personally pace yourself in the studio or by solo producing with the sound parts?

What So Not: Everyone has their own little ways of doing things and sometimes you don’t even realize its become a habit. When you work with someone and you see something that’s like, “wow, you do that this way? If I did that I could save myself hours!” You piece together all these tricks and skills everyone has.

What So Not: It’s so cool collaborating with people and seeing what their process is, ways that they write, and how they inspire themselves. It’s great, creative, and healthy to bounce ideas off each other. These past few years of travelling I’ve stumbled into interesting people in interesting parts of the world that I would have never met otherwise.

CNL: After working myself with painting a mural I agree. There are some parts that you might not like or that you would have done differently, but ultimately the final product is the most important.

What So Not: Definitely. You might not see eye to eye with someone, but if you can both come to a middle ground and be happy with it, than it’s always worth it. A really good example of that that I’ve experienced is “Tell Me”. It was very much RL sounding and What So Not influenced and it came together wonderfully.

CNL: You’ve been touring by yourself for the entire festival season of 2015 and for roughly a year solo before formally announcing your separation as duo group. What is one of the biggest life lessons you’ve learned while touring as a solo musician?

What So Not: I’ve been on the road by myself for quite some time, maybe three years. I only got a tour manager last year because you need help on tours to handle everything else. The more time I spend on management the less time I spend on making music.

What So Not: The most crucial thing to my development as a person was spending so much time alone and having to depend on myself. It’s not always easy motivating yourself when you’re not sleeping much or eating well. When I first came to America I did a tour with GTA and their tour manager was a personal trainer. He got me exercising before every show and it was life changing. I now get on stage and I’m always pumped up ready to go!

What So Not: There was one instance when I was performing hung over, really tired, un fit, and I had no energy. I wasn’t giving anything to the crowd and they gave me a half response back. I don’t drink that much anymore at all because you can’t be tired on stage. I made a lot of changes in my personal life to keep going, keep touring, not loose energy, and stay excited about everything!

CNL: Do you still keep that routine? Do you try to find an actual gym?

What So Not: Totally man! (Laughs) But when I say gym I mean I barely ever touch weights. I usually find a nice park or river and go running listening to new music on my iPod with shitty little ear buds. I totally zone out and listen to great music to get my heart rate up and blood pumping.

CNL: Well I have to ask now, when you make new music are you usually listening on headphones or through speakers?

What So Not: I’m never at home so mainly on headphones. I am lucky though that RedBull lets me jump into studios around the world if they have time. They’re awesome for that! Also there’s always friends around who will let you jam.

CNL: Do you have any experience studying music?

What So Not: I studied music in high school and I played drums for about ten years. I took keys lessons a few years back, but it’s mainly been getting into the studio and do what feels right. I love to listen to great music, think about why it’s great, and what it is that’s making you feel like that.

CNL: What do you think helped significantly spread the Australian music culture into the North American market or do you think it was inevitable and only a matter of time until both music spheres crossed over?

What So Not: I was watching North America from Australia since I liked a lot of the artists here. I feel like we were influenced by America and Europe, since there were some cool things happening here. Not even the mainstream music, but artists like HudMo, FlyLo, Rustie, and even Montreal guys like High Klassified, Kaytranda, Shash’u.

What So Not: There was great music everywhere and suddenly everyone was like “that’s Australian!” (Laughs). We’re just getting influenced from everything around the world and we’re putting it all together. That’s what Australian culture is since we haven’t been around long at all. Because we’re an island isolated from everything, we have a thirst to go somewhere, to travel, and to be a part of what you’re hearing. It drives you to really be better than the best in the world.

CNL: How have you seen another popular artist like Chet Faker emerge into the global market?

What So Not: Chet was doing his own thing for so long, he has been in American media for years. He is just incredible, he is a visionary, he does everything himself, is very particular, and extremely creative. I’ve known Chet for years personally too.

CNL: Would you say then that there is a community of musicians who help each other?

What So Not: Totally man! It really is a global community though. When I came over here Sunny took me under his wing and introduced me to so many good people on this side of the world. There is such a positive energy around most of the people in this industry right now

CNL: What is the latest update on your Gemini EP with Flume as What So Not?

What So Not: I’m just waiting, I’ve been waiting for a while and I know a lot of people have been too. I’m really looking forward to everything that’s going to come after that! I have albums worth of material, but whether I feel it’s ready is a whole other matter.

CNL: I feel that once you have an audience, you are more concerned with what you release has to be top quality.

What So Not: Yeah, of course. What I love the most about the fans of What So Not is that they are very eager and open minded to different avenues. I can put something out that’s a little weirder and they’ll be into that. It gives me so much more freedom and draws away any fear I could have that they might not like it.

CNL: I agree with you, I think electronic music fans in general have become much more open minded to musicians trying new things. You really need to be as well, because if everyone did the same thing it would become boring.

CNL: So who are some other upcoming producers that our Canadian readers should keep their eyes on?

What So Not: Quix from New Zealand is currently killing it. Shash’u and High Klassified from here in Montreal are big inspirations to me as well.

CNL: What kind of music do you like to listen to?

What So Not: I try not to listen to dance music because I hear it so much already. I personally listen to a lot of hip-hop, rock’n’roll, the new Tame Impala album is insane. I want to hear something different, so today I’m listening to only bands because bands are fucking cool! (laughs).

CNL: So who else are you excited to see today at Osheaga?

What So Not: Well Kendrick is performing today and I’ve never seen him before so I’ll definitely stick around for that!

CNL: What So Not seems to be more than just a title to you, you want to create a story, a character, and a bigger brand behind the name. But how can any artists’ representation or unique style of branding help build a popular reputation?

What So Not: I’m developing a series of visuals for the What So Not show. We’re building a whole world where there is a narrative to the entire show. Today I didn’t have a VJ so it’s kind of a mix mash of all the visual patterns. It’s such an exciting thing for me to create the sound, visuals, final vision, and then a really unique ways to engage people with it. Doing a show where the stage is not limited to the stage, where things are hanging above the audience or there is stands in the crowd. It’s a goal more than anything to me, I want to create something that matters and will be talked about.

CNL: Series of Quick Questions.

What So Not: Alright! Let’s do this.

CNL: What’s the longest DJ set you’ve ever played?

What So Not: When I first started DJing I would always play these crazy house parties every night of the week. There wasn’t a whole lot of people DJing at that time, so every time someone had a party I would offer to play. I’d be playing back to back with friends for maybe 8 to 9 hours.

CNL: The most surprising turn out you’ve seen at a festival?

What So Not: It was very early on with What So Not when I played at StereoSonic in Sydney. There is generally around 500 people at this mini amphitheatre for the local artists stage, but when I came on there was thousands of people spilling out the sides screaming for me.

CNL: The best remix you know of?

What So Not: Branchez smashed the remix of “High You Are”, he turned this dark track into a pop sensation, it’s amazing. Although my favourite remix ever is of Royksopp – “What Else Is There?” (Thin White Duke Remix).

CNL: A deceased musician you would want to work with?

What So Not: It would probably be interesting to work with someone like Mozart. Let’s go way back.

CNL: The first thing you do in a hotel room?

What So Not: Leave the hotel room (laughs). Hotel rooms are so bland and you get stuck in this timeless place between flights just waiting. I always leave and go produce in cafes or parks, I like having a sense of humanity around me.

CNL: Weapon of choice in a post-apocalyptic world?

What So Not: It depends if there is radiation… I recon the smartest thing to get would be medications and vaccines because you could trade them to someone with weapons because they would be the most highly wanted things in those conditions.

CNL: Something you can’t do without on a tour bus?

What So Not: I’ve only been on one tour bus, which was the Mothership tour with Sonny. I would easily say my laptop though to be able to produce.

CNL: Your favourite summer drink?

What So Not: Probably soda water, maybe with a bit of lime. I hardly ever drink because you have to be on your game and performing for the people there to see you. It’s all about the people who come to see you.