Remixes, glowsticks energize What So Not at Republic

Sam Ergina, Online Arcade Editor

Blinding lights, uncontrolled dancing and eardrum-bursting beats comprised the incredible What So Not concert on Sept. 6 at The Republic.

What So Not is an Australian music project once consisting of music producers Flume and Emoh Instead. The concert Sunday night was exclusively Emoh Instead who, since February of 2015, has been the sole face of the group.

What So Not songs and remixes are known for their intense drops and consistent bass hits. While many producers make songs with more melodic interludes between heavy drops that lighten up on the beat to build towards the next drop, What So Not keeps a more constant rhythm throughout the song that drops from strong to extreme bass. While the lack of stark contrast may stray from the usual form, it also maintains consistent energy throughout the song. This energy could be seen in a crowd with no lull in dancing and moving for two-and a half hours straight. 

The openers C-LAB and SFAM did an impressive job at raising the energy of the audience to introduce What So Not, while LoMeyn’s music was a little too mellow and obstructed the consistent rise to the main set. The audience was still hyped up when What So Not finally took the stage at around 12:30 a.m. An energetic and excited crowd danced, fist pumped and did glowstick glove tricks until three in the morning — due to a double encore. Remixes at the concert included Kanye West’s “All Day,” Rae Sremmurd’s “No Type” and What So Not’s claim-to-fame remix of “Get Free” by Major Lazer.  What So Not played another track by Major Lazer, “Lean On,”  but there was no apparent change from the original song, which was an odd addition to What So Not’s set.

The show, overall, was a great one. While there were some low points like LoMeyn’s placement in the opening order and the strange aspects in What So Not’s setlist, the show was nevertheless a wild time with an enthusiastic crowd and an amped up producer.

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