{"id":2201095,"date":"2025-12-16T11:00:10","date_gmt":"2025-12-16T11:00:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2201095"},"modified":"2025-12-16T11:00:10","modified_gmt":"2025-12-16T11:00:10","slug":"what-so-not-breaks-down-new-ep-the-quiet-that-hurts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/what-so-not-breaks-down-new-ep-the-quiet-that-hurts\/","title":{"rendered":"What So Not Breaks Down New EP &#8216;The Quiet That Hurts&#8217;"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>What So Not went to some intense creative places while shaping the five tracks that make up his latest EP <em>The Quiet That Hurts<\/em>, a collaborative work with Dutch artist Buunshin.<\/p>\n<p>Describing it as \u201ca three year journey of friendship and sonic exploration,\u201d What So Not took the time to give <em>Rolling Stone AU\/NZ<\/em> an exclusive, track-by-track breakdown.<\/p>\n<p>After finding the root of the work, with ideas and demos sorted, What So Not, real name Christopher Emerson, hit a wall \u2014 but had a radical idea to break it. \u201cI went to China to stay in a temple with Shaolin monks and practise Kung Fu and Chinese medicine. It was brutal \u2014 [I was ] beat up every day, with sticks, by my peers, by myself and my shifu\u2026 a strict and stark contrast to western society and certainly the usual life as a musician,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>That radical shift in perspective was just what he needed to fill the gaps in the album, pushing him to zero in on creation as a concept, going as far as to have theological conversations with jailbroken AI chatbots and meditating on creation.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"op-interactive\"><iframe title=\"Spotify Embed: The Quiet That Hurts\" style=\"border-radius: 12px\" width=\"400\" height=\"352\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"\" allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/embed\/album\/7t9HdYryY0IyVDhzv1eIB2?si=VPU0_l6EQHm818MyIK9UaQ&amp;utm_source=oembed\"><\/iframe><\/figure>\n<p>He went so deep that he\u2019s found the meaning of life itself. \u201cSeemingly, the \u2018meaning of life\u2019 is to download ideas from the universe &amp; bring them into this reality!\u201d Emerson said, adding, \u201cTake it for what you will, I think that\u2019s a great way to think about life, so I\u2019m rolling with it.\u201d<\/p>\n<div class=\"observer-sub-form justify-content-center my-3 p-0 d-flex align-items-stretch bg-dark text-white\">\n<div class=\"observer-sub-form-info p-3\" style=\"justify-content: start;\">\n<h2 class=\"h5 mb-0 observer-title\">Love Music?<\/h2>\n<p class=\"observer-desc mb-2\">\n            Get your daily dose of everything happening in Australian\/New Zealand music and globally.        <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"spinner d-none\">\n        \n    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<figure><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft wp-image-88805 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/images-r2-1.thebrag.com\/rs\/uploads\/2025\/12\/New-Project-2025-12-16T191159.032.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1000\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https:\/\/images-r2-1.thebrag.com\/rs\/uploads\/2025\/12\/New-Project-2025-12-16T191159.032.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/images-r2-1.thebrag.com\/rs\/uploads\/2025\/12\/New-Project-2025-12-16T191159.032-300x180.jpg 300w, https:\/\/images-r2-1.thebrag.com\/rs\/uploads\/2025\/12\/New-Project-2025-12-16T191159.032-768x461.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\"\/><\/figure>\n<p>And so we come to the core idea of <em>The Quiet That Hurts<\/em>. It\u2019s the quiet void we fear to face when we get rid of modern distractions, the source of all ideas \u2014 but terrifying as it may be, Emerson believes it\u2019s where the answers lie.<\/p>\n<p>Read the musician\u2019s track-by-track breakdown of <em>The Quiet That Hurts<\/em> below.<\/p>\n<h3>\u201cThreads\u201d<\/h3>\n<p>Beginning with a manic twilight mind, circling thoughts &amp; delusion, \u201cThreads\u201d is the process of entering \u2018The Void\u2019 \u2014 a separation of self from the concerns of your reality, accessing the vacant birthplace of all creation and downloading it back to Earth in a story of sound. A high pitch ring results from the explosion, the arpeggiation stabilises and we head towards our first release with the harmonic bassline &amp; drums. \u201cSay that I\u2019m fine, loosen the threads of my mind,\u201d a mantra repeated by Maiah as her awareness settles into this otherworldly experience.\u201d<\/p>\n<figure class=\"op-interactive\">\n<div class=\"jeg_video_container jeg_video_content\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"What So Not &amp; Buunshin - Threads (feat. Maiah Manser) (Official Visualizer)\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/magiFeakFxU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<h3>\u201cDancing in the Leaves\u201d<\/h3>\n<p>With \u201cThreads\u201d behind us, everything else becomes more \u2018fun\u2019. Our process is understood and Buunshin and I find ourselves effortlessly locking into our flow state and symbiotic execution of the other records. There is no better example to this than \u2018Dancing in the Leaves\u2019. A joyous, easy listening jam about the love given to you by your childhood pet. Horribly jet lagged on a cloudy Netherlands morning, wandering past a pond, I was suddenly swarmed by a flock of chirping ducks.<\/p>\n<p>Smiling uncontrollably, it instantly turned my whole mood around, reminding me of the unconditional love animals bring. Returning to the house, I dragged the video of these ducks into Ableton and started trying to score that feeling\u2026 lo-fi loops, manic guitar riffs and <em>Animal Crossing<\/em>-type synths, it all came full circle sharing this story to my childhood neighbour \u2018Lucy Lucy\u2019 as we wrote the topline to \u2018Dancing in the Leaves\u2019 \u2014 an effortless little jam about some ducks.<\/p>\n<p><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/au.rollingstone.com\/music\/music-features\/what-so-not-breaks-down-the-meanings-behind-the-quiet-that-hurts-88787\/attachment\/new-project-2025-12-16t191425-975\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-88809\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/images-r2-1.thebrag.com\/rs\/uploads\/2025\/12\/New-Project-2025-12-16T191425.975.jpg\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-88809\" alt=\"\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<figure class=\"op-interactive\">\n<div class=\"jeg_video_container jeg_video_content\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"What So Not &amp; Buunshin - Dancing In The Leaves (feat. Lucy Lucy) (Official Visualizer)\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/XJjD5AhPpFo?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<h3>\u201cTragic\u201d<\/h3>\n<p>Debatably my favourite song of the EP? The idea begins as a monotonal Buunshin demo with a single note vocal stab and rumble bass. Quite an unassuming demo to be drawn to, Buunshin laughed when I exclaimed \u201cOoo! I have so many melodic ideas for this!\u201d (With his whole intention for it to be a dark powerful DnB warehouse tune that plays one note the entire time.) But after some friendly debate, we flip the cold monotonal \u2018god rumble\u2019 into a euphoric, hyperpop, TRAAAAGIC anthem.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"op-interactive\">\n<div class=\"jeg_video_container jeg_video_content\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"What So Not &amp; Buunshin - Tragic (ft. Alina Pash) (Official Visualizer)\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/nUgp47NnLmk?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<h3>\u201cThe One\u201d<\/h3>\n<p>The song that almost never happened! One Berlin night, I bumped into Skrillex and Boysnoise and we end up at Tresor til about 8am. I hear proper hard techno for the first time (kinda blows my mind), but here lays the problem \u2014 I forgot I have a session this same day! Generally quite sober, I wake up all kinds of ways about 2pm, with missed calls from publishers and this lovely artist I was yet to meet (Aiko!).<\/p>\n<p><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/au.rollingstone.com\/music\/music-features\/what-so-not-breaks-down-the-meanings-behind-the-quiet-that-hurts-88787\/attachment\/new-project-2025-12-16t191253-601\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-88807\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/images-r2-1.thebrag.com\/rs\/uploads\/2025\/12\/New-Project-2025-12-16T191253.601.jpg\" class=\"size-full wp-image-88807 aligncenter\" alt=\"\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<p>I grab my laptop, sprint to the other side of the city, grab an espresso and jump in the studio. Nowhere near coherent, we somehow manage to pull off a pretty inspiring chord progression &amp; Aiko delivers a beautiful soaring topline &amp; siren vocal. Yet to even meet Buunshin, I know this is going to end up great DnB record &amp; when we link later that trip he feels the same.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"op-interactive\">\n<div class=\"jeg_video_container jeg_video_content\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"What So Not &amp; Buunshin - The One (feat. Aiko) (Official Visualizer)\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/CHspKOIkTLA?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<h3>\u201cFalling in\u201d<\/h3>\n<p>An exercise in restraint and evolution, this song is almost an ode to the collective sonic ventures of mine &amp; Buunshin\u2019s projects over the years. M83, Jai Paul and others came to mind as we fleshed out the production. Hours spent recording &amp; resampling piano variations &amp; understated synthesis. We all wrote the song in the room together, Mara and I discussed the idea of a relationship shifting like a change in seasons.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"op-interactive\">\n<div class=\"jeg_video_container jeg_video_content\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"What So Not &amp; Buunshin - Falling In (feat. Mara Necia) (Official Visualizer)\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/u5XPrf2iwyk?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>From such gentle beginnings, ending this record (and the whole EP) in a cinematic \u2018breakcore\u2019 moment feels so fitting. A beautiful adventure with my friend Buunshin and my amazing vocalist collaborators Maiah Manser, Alina Pash, Aiko &amp; Mara Necia.<\/p>\n<p><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/au.rollingstone.com\/music\/music-features\/what-so-not-breaks-down-the-meanings-behind-the-quiet-that-hurts-88787\/attachment\/new-project-2025-12-16t191222-858\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-88806\" target=\"_blank\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"600\" src=\"https:\/\/images-r2-1.thebrag.com\/rs\/uploads\/2025\/12\/New-Project-2025-12-16T191222.858.jpg\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-88806\" alt=\"\"\/><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script>\n\t\t\t! function (f, b, e, v, n, t, s) {\n\t\t\t\tif (f.fbq) return;\n\t\t\t\tn = f.fbq = function () {\n\t\t\t\t\tn.callMethod ?\n\t\t\t\t\t\tn.callMethod.apply(n, arguments) : n.queue.push(arguments)\n\t\t\t\t};\n\t\t\t\tif (!f._fbq) f._fbq = n;\n\t\t\t\tn.push = n;\n\t\t\t\tn.loaded = !0;\n\t\t\t\tn.version = '2.0';\n\t\t\t\tn.queue = [];\n\t\t\t\tt = b.createElement(e);\n\t\t\t\tt.async = !0;\n\t\t\t\tt.src = v;\n\t\t\t\ts = b.getElementsByTagName(e)[0];\n\t\t\t\ts.parentNode.insertBefore(t, s)\n\t\t\t}(window, document, 'script',\n\t\t\t\t'https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/fbevents.js');\n\t\t\tfbq('init', '243859349395737');\n\t\t\tfbq('track', 'PageView');\n\t\t\tfbq.disablePushState = true;\n\t\t<\/script><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source au.rollingstone.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>What So Not went to some intense creative places while shaping the five tracks that make up his latest EP The Quiet That Hurts, a collaborative work with Dutch artist Buunshin. Describing it as \u201ca three year journey of friendship and sonic exploration,\u201d What So Not took the time to give Rolling Stone AU\/NZ an [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2201096,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25179],"tags":[424943,368144,424944,424945,424946,424947],"class_list":["post-2201095","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-music","tag-buunshin","tag-track-by-track","tag-what-so-not","tag-what-so-not-ep","tag-what-so-not-interview","tag-what-so-not-music"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/What-So-Not-Breaks-Down-New-EP-The-Quiet-That.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2201095","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2201095"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2201095\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2201097,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2201095\/revisions\/2201097"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2201096"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2201095"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2201095"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2201095"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}