Not All the Beautiful Things

Not All the Beautiful Things
The album cover shows a leaping gray stallion streaked with blue at its centre, surrounded by a twilight-paletted backdrop.
Studio album by What So Not
Released 9 March 2018
Recorded 2014–2018
Genre
Length 46:46
Label
  • Counter Records
  • Sweat It Out
Producer
Singles from Not All the Beautiful Things
  1. "Be Ok Again"
    Released: 28 November 2017
  2. "Stuck In Orbit"
    Released: 30 January 2018
  3. "Beautiful"
    Released: 27 February 2018

Not All the Beautiful Things is the debut studio album by Australian musical project What So Not, which consists of DJ and producer Chris Emerson. It was released on 9 March 2018 through Counter Records. Emerson began work on the album after completing a six-year long global tour, which had left him unable to commit fully to working on a studio album. His frequent travels influenced the sound of many of the album's tracks, including "Beautiful" and "Us". Emerson chose the record's title because the "simple pleasures" of life are ignored by people who focus only on their grandiose ideas. It features collaborations with a range of artists, notably Toto, Skrillex, Dyro, Daniel Johns and San Holo.

The album received generally positive reviews from music critics, who praised the featured guests and production quality. The record includes three singles—"Be Ok Again" with Daniel Johns, "Stuck In Orbit" with Buoy, and "Beautiful" with Winona Oak.

Background and development

Emerson had released four extended plays (EPs) under the name What So Not. Three of these were co-produced with Australian artist Flume who subsequently left the project.[1] After touring extensively, Emerson returned to Sydney in 2017 hoping to complete work on a studio-length album, which ultimately became Not All The Beautiful Things.[2]

He had been unable to do so while touring, saying: "I had a few test runs with EPs and things, particularly with Divide And Conquer, but I don’t think I could have really done an album before this point, because I ended up on tour for almost six years."[3]

Emerson's experiences while on tour influenced several of the album's songs. For example, he said the song "Beautiful" was created while he was backpacking and camping in Nicaragua.[4] Emerson took on the role of creative director for the first time in his career on Not All The Beautiful Things. This gave him control over the production, songwriting, film scoring and the album's direction. He felt this led to a "cohesive narrative" across all creative aspects of the project.[5] The album took him a period of four years to produce and record while touring, from 2014 to 2018.[4]

Emerson said the album's title was a "tribute to the things we lose along the way when we're striving for things", in particular when individuals focus on "all these grand goals" and "forget everything that's in front of them".[6] He also said the title "fully embodies the entire narrative of the album" and encapsulates his own "dramatic endings to personal relationships".[7]

Emerson said while working on the album he avoided "putting any pressure on [himself]" and simply tried to "have it done by a certain point".[3] The producer focused on the record's songwriting and toplining (lyrical writing over a pre-made track).[7] Originally, as many as 100 song demos were produced for the album, but only 12 tracks that fit Emerson's ethos, narrative and story were used.[3] Emerson described the album's songs as "brutally honest and raw", representing his attempts to "[dive] into the deep end with things [he had] maybe never tried before".[4] He said it was difficult to "take on an album with so many different pieces".[7]

I'd been playing "Africa" in a bunch of my DJ sets, touring around America. A few months later "Africa" actually re-entered the American charts, and Rolling Stone actually tracked me down for a call. They explained that they'd come to the conclusion that the reason it had charted again was because Skrillex and I had been playing it at all the giant festivals. Lukather and I have hung out a bunch of times since we've worked on this new song, and he's actually really thankful to me, he's like: 'you kind of made me cool again, without realising'.
—Chris Emerson, regarding the collaboration with Toto[3]

The album includes collaborations with other artists Emerson describes as "people that I’ve admired across the years", many of whom he says have become "quite good friends".[4] He said that the collaboration with Daniel Johns occurred during a time when they "randomly crossed paths and hit it off".[3] The collaboration with Toto surprised Emerson as the band had not previously worked with a dance music producer. They reportedly held jam sessions where Emerson would play some chords, a riff, or a drum beat and the band would "riff over the top and do a call and response thing".[3]

On 31 January 2018, Emerson announced the album's release date of 9 March 2018 on Counter Records, and publicized its track list.[8][9][10][11] The record primarily incorporates Emerson's signature trap and future bass sound,[7] while encompassing bass music[4], hip hop[12], dubstep, and house.[7]

Singles

The album's first single, "Be Ok Again", was released on 28 November 2017 and featured Australian singer Daniel Johns, former frontman of the rock band Silverchair.[13] Critics described "Be Ok Again" as a future bass track which "plays upon the project’s earliest core appeals, returning to fluttering vocal work over bold, bombastic build ups and wiry, off-kilter breaks".[14] Emerson, who described the song as a "really personal track",[15] said it originated during a studio session in 2017 with producers Slumberjack. Daniel Johns was walking by the studio and heard their jam session, prompting him to invite Emerson to his Newscastle studio to work on a collaboration.[13] The track's music video, produced with Australian film maker Luke Eblen, was released on 23 January 2018.[16]

"Stuck In Orbit" was released on 30 January 2018 as the album's second single. It features Sydney-based singer Buoy and was co-produced with Jagwar Ma.[17][18] The tracklist and release date for Not All The Beautiful Things was announced together with the single's release.[19] In an emailed statement to Billboard, Emerson revealed that the song started as a jam with Jagwar Ma in his film scoring studio. The vocals "began as a sketch of ad libs from Buoy with only two words, drawn out across the verse 'I ov-er comp-en-sate'".[20] Emerson discovered Buoy's vocals through a local community radio station in Australia. After learning she lived near his parents in Sydney, they met up to collaborate.[12] One night when an airport system crash had left Emerson stranded, he channeled his frustrations musically and came up with the lyrics for "Stuck In Orbit". After returning home he brainstormed the final elements of the vocals with Winona Oak and Buoy.[20] The song was recorded through Skype, due to Emerson's busy touring schedule, which made it difficult for him to spend time in his studio.[4]

"Beautiful", featuring Winona Oak, was released on 27 February 2018 as the final single from the album.[21][22] Critics praised the "hypnotic, carefree aesthetic" of the track which complements Oak's "show-stopping" vocals.[23] Emerson explained the song was put together in a Nicaraguan camp where he met Oak, and this influenced the track's sound design. They worked on the idea of "beautiful pain", which led to a song of "optimism, anxiousness and longing, but also an undertone of sadness".[21] House music producer Chris Lake gave him production tips on "how to do a few things I had forgotten."[12]

Tour

On 16 January 2018, Emerson announced a 2018 worldwide tour for his album titled the "Beautiful Things World Tour".[24] Lasting from 19 January to 4 May, the event brought the producer to many international festivals including Ultra, Bonnaroo and Lollapalooza, as well as performances in India, China, Europe, South America and North America.[25] The Australian leg of the tour was announced on 27 February 2018. Emerson played at Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane in June 2018.[26] The tour included Emerson's newly launched touring rig, which featured a large chrome horse and chariot setup.[24]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[27]
Exclaim!6/10[28]
Themusic[29]

The songs in Not All The Beautiful Things received particular attention from music critics: Matthew Meadow from Your EDM complimented the common themes shared between each track and Themusic's Emma Salisbury felt that the "unique flavors" inhabited by the tracks led to a "well-curated, well-rounded work on a bed of exquisite production".[30][29] The former selected "We Keep On Running" with Toto as his favourite track, citing the "powerful production" and the song's "plucky transform[ation] into distorted rock" at the drop.[30] Hayden Manders of Nylon praised the songs where Emerson had "full control", notably the closing track "Us" which she described as a "cosmic journey through a couple's private life in a public sphere; [Emerson]'s ebbing and flowing synths at the song's back half are transcendent." The critic also described the record as a "fully packaged, uncompromised artistic vision", rather than "an electronic dance album filled with singles ripe for remixing but a fully packaged".[2]

The collaborations with other musical artists were also widely praised, with Nylon writing that the artist collaborations "work to a satisfying extent" while Neil Z. Yeung from AllMusic commenting that the collaborations with the "inspired guests and fellow Aussies" resulted in a "pleasant journey through different pockets of electronic dance featuring a handful of synth throbbers and pretty electronic soundscapes".[2][27] Ashley Hampson of Exclaim! also called the album's guests "inventive" and lauded the record's promising opening.[28]

However, several elements of Not All The Beautiful Things were not as well received by critics, especially its predictability and tendency to sound clumped up. Exclaim! felt the record was predictable in its later parts with songs that "capitalise on uninspired progressions and slopped in a grime we've heard the world over", while AllMusic noted that sections of the album occasionally "sound like a mishmash of multiple artists vying for the same spotlight".[28][27] Contrasting Your EDM's opinion, Exclaim! gave a lukewarm reception to the Toto collaboration, calling it a "bad Top 40 anthem any number of at-the-moment pop stars might throw out." [28]

Commerical performance

In Australia, Not All the Beautiful Things peaked for two weeks on the ARIA Albums Chart at number 14,[31] surpassing his previous extended play Divide & Conquer which peaked at number 19.[32] On the US Dance/Electronic Albums chart, the album peaked at number eight for one week.[33]

Track listing

Tracklist adapted from the iTunes Store,[34] and credits adapted from AllMusic.[27] All tracks are produced by Chris Emerson.

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Warlord" (with Slumberjack)
  • Chris Emerson
  • Morgan Then
  • Fletcher Ehlers
2:55
2."Be Ok Again" (featuring Daniel Johns)
  • Emerson
  • Daniel Johns
3:47
3."Beautiful" (featuring Winona Oak)
3:45
4."Stuck In Orbit" (featuring Buoy)
  • Emerson
  • Oak
  • Charmian Kingston
5:25
5."Demons" (featuring Rome Fortune and Tommy Swisher)
2:29
6."Goh" (with Skrillex featuring KLP)
3:35
7."We Keep On Running" (with Toto)
  • Emerson
  • Toto
4:39
8."If You Only Knew" (with San Holo featuring Daniel Johns)
3:12
9."Monsters" (featuring Michael Christmas and Tobi Lou)
  • Emerson
  • Michael Chrismas
  • Tobi Lou
3:01
10."Bottom End" (with Dyro)
3:11
11."Same Mistakes" (featuring Daniel Johns)
  • Emerson
  • Johns
4:31
12."Us" (featuring Daniels)
  • Emerson
  • Jaramye Daniels
  • Georgia Ku
6:16
Total length:46:46

Personnel

Credits adapted from AllMusic.[35]

Technical and composing credits

Creative credits

  • Luke Eblen – artwork

Recording personnel

Charts

Chart (2018) Peak
position
Australian Albums Chart[31] 14
US Top Dance/Electronic Albums[33] 8

References

  1. ↑ Bein, Kat (9 September 2016). "Hear a Solo-Emoh Sound on What So Not's 'Divide and Conquer' EP". Billboard. Archived from the original on 1 December 2016. Retrieved 7 July 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 Manders, Hayden (9 March 2018). "What So Not Is Finally Ready To Debut". Nylon. Retrieved 7 July 2018.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Wilson, Zanda (8 March 2018). "What So Not Talks Collaborating With 'Africa' Legends Toto, Trying To "Out-Weird" Daniel Johns On His Debut Album". musicfeeds.au. Archived from the original on 18 March 2018. Retrieved 7 July 2018.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Kocay, Lisa (9 March 2018). "What So Not Discusses New Album and Working with Toto and Skrillex". Forbes. Archived from the original on 23 June 2018. Retrieved 3 July 2018.
  5. ↑ Lambert, Tim (9 March 2018). "Q&A with What So Not". Stack. Archived from the original on 12 March 2018. Retrieved 7 July 2018.
  6. ↑ Price, Jai (27 February 2018). "What So Not on his new album 'Not All The Beautiful Things', staying grounded and coping with the hype". Music Insight. Archived from the original on 9 April 2018. Retrieved 8 July 2018.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 "Interview: What So Not Talks "Not All The Beautiful Things"". Soundazed. 12 April 2018. Archived from the original on 5 July 2018. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
  8. ↑ Lee, Valerie (31 January 2018). "What So Not Announces Debut Album 'not All the Beautiful Things'". Mixmag. Archived from the original on 15 June 2018. Retrieved 8 July 2018.
  9. ↑ Murphy, Sam (31 January 2018). "What So Not Announces Debut Album 'Not All The Beautiful Things', Drops New Single". musicfeeds.au. Archived from the original on 10 June 2018. Retrieved 8 July 2018.
  10. ↑ Lefevre, Jules (31 January 2018). "Behold, the star-studded tracklist for What So Not's debut album". inthemix. Archived from the original on 8 July 2018. Retrieved 8 July 2018.
  11. ↑ Lefevre, Jules (9 March 2018). "What So Not's massive debut album has finally landed". inthemix. Archived from the original on 4 July 2018. Retrieved 4 July 2018.
  12. 1 2 3 Cirisano, Tatiana (9 March 2018). "How Australian DJ What So Not Tapped Toto, Skrillex & More For His Debut Album". Billboard. Archived from the original on 16 May 2018. Retrieved 3 July 2018.
  13. 1 2 Newstead, Al (28 November 2017). "First Spin: What So Not and Daniel Johns team up for 'Be Ok Again'". Triple J. Archived from the original on 27 February 2018. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
  14. ↑ Klemow, David (28 November 2017). "What So Not delivers drifting new future bass product 'Be Ok Again'". Dancing Astronaut. Archived from the original on 27 February 2018. Retrieved 3 July 2018.
  15. ↑ Meadow, Matthew (28 November 2017). "What So Not Drops New Track "Be Ok Again" With Daniel Johns". Your EDM. Archived from the original on 1 January 2018. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
  16. ↑ Castillo, Ryan (25 January 2018). "What So Not releases official video for 'Be Ok Again'". Dancing Astronaut. Archived from the original on 5 July 2018. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
  17. ↑ Dexter, Robyn (30 January 2018). "What So Not announces stacked debut LP, releases new single". Dancing Astronaut. Archived from the original on 10 February 2018. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
  18. ↑ Meadow, Matthew (30 January 2018). "What So Not Drops the Curtain on His Debut Album Including Long-awaited Skrillex Collab". Your EDM. Archived from the original on 15 June 2018. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
  19. ↑ Middleton, Ryan (31 January 2018). "What So Not Announces Debut Artist Album 'not All the Beautiful Things' With Big Name Features". Magnetic Mag. Archived from the original on 5 July 2018. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
  20. 1 2 Bein, Kat (30 January 2018). "What So Not Teases Debut Album With Single 'Stuck in Orbit': Exclusive". Billboard. Archived from the original on 6 February 2018. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
  21. 1 2 Powell, Karlie (27 February 2018). "What So Not Drops Absolutely "Beautiful" Track as 3rd Single Off Debut Album". Your EDM. Archived from the original on 16 June 2018. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
  22. ↑ Manders, Hayden (27 February 2018). "What So Not Introduces Winona Oak With "Beautiful"". Nylon. Retrieved 3 July 2018.
  23. ↑ Klemow, David (1 March 2018). "What So Not delivers final single, 'Beautiful,' from hotly anticipated upcoming LP". Dancing Astronaut. Archived from the original on 5 July 2018. Retrieved 5 July 2018.
  24. 1 2 Klemow, David (16 January 2018). "What So Not announces 30+ date 'Beautiful Things' world tour". Dancing Astronaut. Archived from the original on 10 February 2018. Retrieved 10 July 2018.
  25. ↑ Gilmore, Grant (16 January 2018). "What So Not Announces Dates for Beautiful Things World Tour". EDM Identity. Archived from the original on 10 July 2018. Retrieved 10 July 2018.
  26. ↑ "What So Not Announces Aussie Leg Of 'Beautiful Things' World Tour". themusic. 27 February 2018. Retrieved 10 July 2018.
  27. 1 2 3 4 "Not All The Beautiful Things - What So Not". Allmusic. Retrieved 3 July 2018.
  28. 1 2 3 4 Hampson, Ashley (6 March 2018). "What So Not - Not All the Beautiful Things". Exclaim!. Archived from the original on 6 March 2018. Retrieved 3 July 2018.
  29. 1 2 Salisbury, Emma (6 March 2018). "What So Not - Not All The Beautiful Things". themusic.au. Archived from the original on 6 March 2018. Retrieved 3 July 2018.
  30. 1 2 Meadow, Matthew (9 March 2018). "What So Not Unleashes Debut Album Featuring Skrillex & Toto Collaborations". Your EDM. Archived from the original on 16 June 2018. Retrieved 4 July 2018.
  31. 1 2 "What So Not - Not All the Beautiful Things (Album)". Australian Recording Industry Association. 19 March 2018. Retrieved 4 July 2018.
  32. ↑ "Sheeran's ÷ Notches Up 24th Week at #1". ARIA Charts. 17 March 2018. Archived from the original on 2 April 2018. Retrieved 10 October 2018.
  33. 1 2 "What So Not - Not All The Beautiful Things". Billboard. Retrieved 4 July 2018.
  34. ↑ "Not All the Beautiful Things by What So Not on Apple Music". iTunes Store. Retrieved 3 July 2018.
  35. ↑ "Not All The Beautiful Things - What So Not Credits". Allmusic. Retrieved 4 July 2018.
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