Hot off the heels of his Coachella performance this past weekend, Australian DJ and producer What So Not continues to master the art of timeless creativity and innovation. After independently releasing his remarkable Motions EP in August last year, which features the likes of IMANU, Lucy Lucy and MNDR, he’s now in the midst of his groundbreaking MOTIONS North America tour. Having already made stops in Chicago, San Francisco and Washington DC, What So Not is set to perform in Idaho, Colorado, Texas and Tennessee next, before heading to Belgium for Rampage music festival.
This year marks 15 years of What So Not, and over the course of his impactful career, he’s mastered the practice of creating with intent, by consciously taking time off to reflect and evolve. This was seen after the release of his debut album All the Beautiful Things in 2018, where he took a hiatus, and returned with his profound album Anomaly in 2022, which channeled his newfound growth and inspiration. The album catapulted his career to unforeseen heights, and included collaborations with MØ and Killer Mike, along with a spectacular live show featuring 3D visuals.
What So Not also understands the importance of pouring back into his community. Last year, he embarked on a national Australian tour titled Dance Revival Tour, to help out the struggling Australian music industry. The tour highlighted emerging talent, while creating a deep sense of community. More recently, What So Not‘s Anomaly remix album, Anomaly (Remixes), dropped on 18 April, and features official remixes from the likes of Jon Casey, Buunshin and Stace Cadet. 
In our exclusive interview with What So Not, he discusses notable moments from of his MOTIONS tour, getting out of his comfort zone and creating music that resonates both emotionally and sonically with his fans.
Stream the Anomaly (Remixes) album, while reading the interview below:
So, 2025 marks 15 years of What So Not, congratulations on this huge milestone! Looking back at the early days of your career, what’s the one piece of advice you would give a burgeoning What So Not?
Hang on tight. You won’t believe it if I told you. Stay yourself and everything will be fine. Buy bitcoin.
On Instagram you explained that during the first 8 years of your career you were afraid of stepping outside your comfort zone on stage, and preferred to stick to DJing. Since then, you’ve sung live on stage and performed drums live. What eventually motivated you to take this risk, and put your fear aside?
There’s a lot of music I create that you can’t really ‘dj’. It’s softer, or cinematic & not about ‘drops’. It needs to be performed to have the right impact at shows, so I pushed myself to take on that role. If you don’t face fears you’ll never be more than something you were.
You’re currently in the midst of your MOTIONS tour. What has been the highlight of your tour so far, and what would you like your fans to take away from experiencing MOTIONS?
A highlight has been the surprising impact of softer records like ‘Tower in the words’. There’s a warmth it brings that is often sacrificed for ‘being loud’ & using the tricks we all know to get a crowd reaction – but successfully bringing gentle moments to the set is one of the biggest rewards. Maiah’s live performances of our unreleased records were huge impact moments too & of course finding so many talented locals, placing them around my downtempo set then B2Bing with them at the end made every show feel like a home town set. A very special tour so far!
Aside from your tour, you returned to Coachella for the fourth time last weekend, and you’re also set to perform at Bonnaroo and Rampage in a few months. Do you have a ritual or routine to prepare for large-scale performances like these, or do you treat them the same way you would with more intimate shows?
The ritual is making new music, new edits, custom ideas & production that I think will have a special impact for these particular events.
Let’s talk about your creative process. How do you approach producing music that resonates both emotionally and sonically with your audience?
Go out & experience life to its fullest, extreme sports, friends, nature, museums, nights out – then just write how it felt. It’s that simple 🙂
What So Not fans are incredibly loyal and passionate. How has your relationship with your audience shaped your career so far?
The thing I am most grateful for is the ride everyone has jumped on for. ‘What So Not’ has no genre, no tempo, it’s just a ‘feeling’ & through all these years y’all keep showing up for it.
How do you feel about the current state of electronic music? Are there any trends you’re particularly excited about ?
There is so much great music right now, so many tools at our disposal, everything is faster, it might be the best period ever creatively? I think shedding light on those core people doing things differently is the problem right now, I’m always trying, but it’s hard to push that to the surface with all the nonsense. We’re in a transitional phase and I have faith the cream will rise again.
Can you tell us how your sound has evolved recently?
I feel like as of this EP we’re in WSN2.0. I’m channeling sounds & feelings from when I first started, but with the skills and wisdom to execute it in ways I couldn’t have imagined back then. Everything is flowing magically, I have a child like joy in my days. I’m excited by the world & what is possible & inspired by so many people around me.
What does the future hold for What So Not? Any exciting plans, projects in the works?
Everything. Too much to tell. Just keep listening and showing up for that feeling 😊
Follow What So Not:
Website – Spotify – Instagram – X – Facebook
