FUTURFESTIVAL ANNOUNCES ITS FINAL LINEUP FOR ITS DEBUT MEXICO EDITION

FEATURING ÂME DJ B2B MARCEL DETTMANN, ANNA B2B DEER JADE, CARL CRAIG B2B MOODYMANN, CHLOÉ CAILLET, CLOONEE, DAMIAN LAZARUS, DENNIS CRUZ B2B DJ TENNIS, DIPLO, DIXON, DJ HOLOGRAPHIC, FJAAK, FRANCIS MERCIER B2B MAHMUT ORHAN, KI/KI, LILLY PALMER, MACEO PLEX B2B TIGA, PACO OSUNA, SKREAM, STOOR LIVE [JAKOJAKO, MATHEW JONSON, SPEEDY J], TRIPOLISM, VINTAGE CULTURE + MORE
 

PARQUE FUNDIDORA IN MONTERREY 

56 artists, 14 B2Bs and four Mexican premieres will mark the festival’s first edition outside Europe. Born in Turin, FUTUR FESTIVAL will bring to Monterrey a vision built around music, club culture and creative freedom.

On November 13 and 14, Parque Fundidora will host FuturFestival’s first edition outside Europe. Born in Turin in 2009, the festival has for years been recognized by specialized media, industry experts and international rankings as one of the 10 most important electronic music festivals in the world. 

The festival’s arrival in Mexico represents much more than a new date on the international festival calendar. It marks the meeting of two cities — and two spaces — that share a unique history: Parco Dora in Turin and Parque Fundidora in Monterrey. Both former industrial sites that have found a second life as spaces for culture, connection and new generations, the shared history makes Fundidora a natural setting for FuturFestival to begin its next chapter.

The first Mexican edition will bring together 56 artists, 14 B2Bs and four Mexican premieres, creating a lineup that connects different generations and scenes within electronic music.

Artists who have helped shape the history of the genre — including Carl Craig, Moodymann, Dixon, Âme, Damian Lazarus, Maceo Plex, Tiga, Skream, FJAAK and Vintage Culture — will share the stage with artists currently taking club culture into new territories, including Diplo, Paco Osuna, DJ Holographic, Echonomist, Marie Montexier, Cloonee, KI/KI and Lilly Palmer.

More than a collection of names, the lineup offers a journey through the different eras, geographies and sounds that have shaped contemporary electronic music.

B2Bs are one of FUTUR FESTIVAL’s defining signatures, and Monterrey will feature pairings including Carl Craig b2b Moodymann, Âme DJ b2b Marcel Dettmann, Maceo Plex b2b Tiga, Dennis Cruz b2b DJ Tennis and Francis Mercier b2b Mahmut Orhan, alongside Adiel b2b Quest, Airrica b2b Yulia Niko, ANNA b2b Deer Jade, Iñigo Vontier b2b Paurro, Jackson b2b Lilya Mandre and Massano b2b Volkoder.

Four experiences will make their Mexican premiere: Carl Craig b2b Moodymann, Adiel b2b Quest, DJ Holographic and STOOR Live.

The program is further expanded by live projects from AAAA, Metrika and Opuntia, as well as STOOR Live featuring JakoJako, Mathew Jonson and Speedy J — bringing improvisation, hardware, technology and sonic experimentation into the festival experience.

The festival’s arrival in Mexico is further supported by the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Mexico, strengthening the relationship between the two countries through music, creative industries, innovation, investment and entertainment.

This story also includes a partnership with Nat5, bringing a regenerative environmental model into the festival experience. Through this initiative, a percentage of every ticket sold will be allocated to nature regeneration projects, supported by mechanisms designed to track and measure the resulting impact.

FUTURFESTIVAL MÉXICO arrives in Monterrey with a story built over years, a program that brings together different generations of artists, and a vision connecting music, culture, innovation and regeneration.

On November 13 and 14, Parque Fundidora will become the meeting point.

The story began in Turin.

The next chapter begins in Monterrey.

FUTUR IS IN MEXICO.

WHAT SO NOT DOCUMENTS UKRAINE'S CREATIVE COMMUNITY IN NEW SHORT FILM AND& ROOFTOP PERFORMANCE “SKYFALL” WITH ALINA PASH

FILMED IN KYIV DURING A PERIOD OF INTENSIFIED ATTACKS, THE PROJECT OFFERS AN INTIMATE LOOK AT THE ARTISTS PRESERVING CULTURE, CONNECTION, AND CREATIVITY THROUGH MUSIC.

THE TWO-PART PROJECT ARRIVES AFTER ‘I SAW A TRAP DJ AND IT CHANGED MY BIO CHEMISTRY’ 

AND EXPANDS THE DEEPLY HUMAN STORY BEHIND THE EP's UKRAINIAN COLLABORATIONS

Following the release of his new EP, I SAW A TRAP DJ AND IT CHANGED MY BIO CHEMISTRY, Australian electronic music pioneer What So Not unveils a new short documentary and full rooftop performance filmed during a recent creative trip to Kyiv alongside acclaimed Ukrainian artist Alina Pash.

More than a performance film, the two-part project documents Ukraine's creative community and the artists continuing to make music despite the realities of war. Filmed during a period of intensified aerial attacks on Kyiv, the documentary offers an intimate look inside the city's music scene through the eyes of those determined to keep creating, collaborating, and preserving their culture under extraordinary circumstances.

The journey begins as What So Not returns to Ukraine to continue his creative work with Alina Pash following their collaborations on "EVEREST," "Candy Flipping," and "Don't Wanna Leave Yet". During the trip, he recorded with Ukrainian musicians who remain unable to leave the country because of wartime restrictions, gaining a deeper appreciation for the importance of continuing to amplify Ukrainian stories, language, and artistic expression.

The documentary opens on the morning of July 2, 2026, as emergency sirens echo across Kyiv following an overnight wave of attacks on the capital. Against that backdrop, What So Not captures the contrast between uncertainty and everyday life - from studio sessions and preparations for a rooftop performance with Alina Pash to smoke rising in the distance, air raid sirens, and the search for shelter.

“I’m still getting over how normalized it is here. Coming straight to the studio after an attack and writing songs about throwing raves after curfew in underground shelters.”

Throughout the film, viewers are invited into Kyiv's creative spaces, witnessing studio sessions, conversations, and personal moments that reveal the resilience of the city's artistic community. Rather than centering solely on the circumstances surrounding them, the documentary focuses on the people behind the music and the role creative collaboration can play in preserving humanity during times of uncertainty.

The journey culminates in an intimate rooftop performance overlooking Kyiv, where What So Not and Alina Pash celebrate their shared work against one of the city's most recognizable skylines. More than a traditional live set, the performance becomes a symbol of hope and a reflection of music's ability to connect people across borders.

Shortly after the performance, the documentary captures another night of intensified attacks, offering a stark reminder of the environment in which the project was created.

“I knew this was a possibility coming here. But it’s hard to explain the feeling of seeing it out the window, hearing the sirens, feeling the vibrations of the explosions. The rush to get down to a shelter. The uncertainty. The sleeplessness. Trying to make the most of it with a great group of people who live this every single day. I think in that moment I saw the true beauty of Ukraine - the people, their passion, and their resilience.”

The film provides deeper context for the collaborations featured on I SAW A TRAP DJ AND IT CHANGED MY BIO CHEMISTRY, revealing the relationships and experiences that shaped some of the EP's most personal moments. While the project explores themes of transformation, connection, and human experience, the documentary brings audiences into the real-world environments and creative partnerships that inspired the music.

For Alina Pash, the project also serves as an opportunity to continue amplifying Ukrainian voices and sharing the country's creative identity with audiences around the world.

The documentary arrives as many Ukrainian artists continue to face significant barriers to international collaboration. By traveling to Kyiv rather than asking collaborators to leave their home country, What So Not chose to immerse himself in the creative community that inspired the music - documenting not only the songs themselves, but also the people, places, and stories behind them.

The release further expands the philosophy behind I SAW A TRAP DJ AND IT CHANGED MY BIO CHEMISTRY, a project rooted in curiosity, connection, and the creative spirit that has long defined electronic music culture. Throughout the EP rollout, What So Not has prioritized authentic collaboration, intimate experiences, and artistic exploration over scale alone.

Long recognized as one of electronic music's most influential innovators, What So Not has spent more than a decade building a career defined by global collaboration and boundary-pushing production. His ongoing creative relationship with Alina Pash stands among his most meaningful - not only because of the music they have created together, but because of the story behind it.

More than a documentary or live performance, the project tells a story rooted in Ukraine while speaking to artists and creative communities everywhere - a testament to music's ability to preserve identity, foster connection, and provide hope when it is needed most.

Artist Quotes

What So Not (Chris Emerson)

“A truly life changing experience for me seeing how these incredible people are forced to live their daily lives & the strength & causal nature they handle issues most people will never see in their lifetime.

Out here to work with Ukrainian artists (unable to leave the country, during a time of involuntary service & war), we threw a spontaneous rooftop concert. Little did we know we’d be caught in two of the heaviest bombings, Kyiv has seen in this four & a half year war”

Alina Pash

“There's nothing that replaces seeing a place with your own eyes. Kyiv is still trying to live like a normal city — it's not the frontline, but we're in the fourth year of war, and honestly, it's harder now than it was at the beginning. The bombing has only gotten worse. The war keeps evolving, and no matter how much new technology we have, it's still incredibly hard to stand against a machine as big as Russia's.

Chris and I lived through a few massive bombings together — sleeping in shelters, texting friends in the middle of the night just to make sure they're okay because we heard something bad happening in another district. It's dramatic, and it's strange to realize this is just reality now. This is what we live. But I think Ukraine's reality needs to be shown to the world exactly as it is — because it can wake something important in all of us.

What Chris did by coming and playing for people who can't leave the country — that's not just a show, that's a real act of bravery and love. I hope it inspires other artists to go where music is needed most, not just where it's easy.

So my message is simple — don't be afraid to have a friend in Ukraine. Come see us. We're still here, still dancing, still worth knowing.” 

What So Not is an Australian electronic music producer and live performer recognized as one of the defining architects behind the rise of cinematic trap and forward-thinking bass music in the early 2010s. Emerging during a transformative moment in global electronic culture, his emotionally charged production style and genre-blurring approach helped reshape the sound of festival music, internet-era electronic culture, and modern bass music worldwide.

Across acclaimed releases including Not All The Beautiful Things, Anomaly, Motions, and 2025 collaborative EP The Quiet That Hurts with Dutch producer Buunshin, What So Not has consistently evolved beyond genre expectations - blending trap, drum & bass, cinematic songwriting, analog experimentation, and melodic electronic production into a singular artistic identity. The Quiet That Hurts in particular marked a bold evolution in his sound, pairing emotionally immersive songwriting with an innovative take on modern drum & bass and experimental electronic music.

Known for collaborations with artists including Skrillex, RL Grime, Oliver Tree, Killer Mike, Toto, and Daniel Johns, What So Not has built a catalog that balances large-scale festival energy with emotional depth and boundary-pushing production. Tracks such as “High You Are,” “Jaguar,” “Gemini,” and “Be Ok Again” have collectively contributed to more than 1.3 billion global streams.

Beyond music releases, What So Not has become known for immersive live performances that fuse cinematic visuals, live instrumentation, and emotionally driven storytelling. A staple across major global festivals including Coachella, Ultra Music Festival, and Lollapalooza, he continues to push electronic music into new territory while maintaining the forward-thinking creative identity that has defined his career for over a decade.

With his forthcoming project I SAW A TRAP DJ AND IT CHANGED MY BIO CHEMISTRY, What So Not enters a new era - reconnecting with the emotional and cultural foundations that first shaped his music while reframing them through years of artistic evolution and experimentation.

FOLLOW WHAT SO NOT:

SPOTIFY | APPLE MUSIC | YOUTUBE | SOUNDCLOUD | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | X | TIK TOK

Upcoming Tour Dates

AUG 9 - Das Energi 2026 - Salt Lake City, UT

AUG 14 - The Midway - San Francisco, CA

SEP 5 - Sunny Side Up @ Aussie World - Sunshine Coast, QLD

SEP 18 - Substation - Seattle, WA

SEP 19 - The Loft at Skyway Theatre - Minneapolis, MN

SEP 24 - Myth Nightclub - Jacksonville, FL

SEP 25 - Breakaway Music Festival - Concord, NC

OCT 2 - Art Club - Houston, TX

OCT 3 - Wish Lounge at Believe Music Hall - Atlanta, GA

OCT 9 - Otherworld - Philadelphia, PA

OCT 10 - Otherworld - Columbus, OH

WHAT SO NOT RELEASES LONG AWAITED EP ‘I SAW A TRAP DJ AND IT CHANGED MY BIO CHEMISTRY’

FEATURING COLLABORATIONS WITH ALINA PASH, MR. CARMACK, 

JACK BLOM, NERVE & MORE

FOLLOWING MONTHS OF ANTICIPATION AND TOURING, THE EP RECONNECTS WITH THE SPIRIT OF EARLY ELECTRONIC MUSIC CULTURE THROUGH A MODERN LENS

Globally acclaimed producer and electronic music pioneer What So Not officially releases his new EP, I SAW A TRAP DJ AND IT CHANGED MY BIO CHEMISTRY, available across all streaming platforms on August 14th.

Arriving after months of anticipation and a string of acclaimed singles including “EVEREST” featuring Alina Pash, “MONA LISA” with Mr. Carmack, and “Candy Flipping” featuring Alina Pash, Jack Blom, and NERVE, the project serves as one of What So Not's most personal and conceptually ambitious bodies of work to date.

Across the EP, What So Not both revisits and reimagines the sense of discovery, experimentation, and community that defined the formative years of internet-era trap music while filtering those influences through more than a decade of artistic growth. 

This is more than a simple nostalgia play - it's a multifaceted era designed to bring the music community together through intimate, real-life experiences and an authentic creative vision.

The result is a project that feels both deeply nostalgic and entirely contemporary - balancing cinematic songwriting, forward-thinking production, heavy bass experimentation, and personal collaboration moments into a cohesive yet unpredictable project.

Each release has revealed a different side of that journey. “EVEREST” explored themes of healing, unity, and transcendence through Alina Pash's powerful vocal performance. “MONA LISA” reunited What So Not with longtime bass music innovator Mr. Carmack for a bass-powered reflection on excess and self-destruction. Meanwhile, “Candy Flipping” pushed deeper into introspection, examining ego, duality, and self-perception through a layered dialogue between NERVE and Alina Pash.

Taken together, the songs form a broader story - one that mirrors What So Not's own artistic trajectory. Rather than attempting to recreate the past, the EP seeks to recapture the feeling of possibility and connection that made the 2010s era of electronic music culture so transformative.

The project also arrives amid What So Not's intimate I SAW A TRAP DJ AND IT CHANGED MY BIO CHEMISTRY North American tour, a limited-capacity run designed to bring the music back into smaller rooms and more direct connection with fans. The tour reflects the same philosophy driving the EP itself: prioritizing community, experimentation, and shared experience over spectacle alone.

Long regarded as one of the defining producers behind the rise of cinematic trap and future bass, What So Not has spent the past decade continually evolving beyond genre boundaries. From collaborations with Skrillex, RL Grime, Oliver Tree, Killer Mike, Toto, and Daniel Johns to acclaimed projects including Divide & Conquer (2016), Not All The Beautiful Things (2018), Anomaly (2022), and The Quiet That Hurts (2025), his catalog has consistently pushed electronic music toward new creative territory.

With I SAW A TRAP DJ AND IT CHANGED MY BIO CHEMISTRY, What So Not delivers a project that feels less like a return and more like a recalibration - a reminder of the transformative power of music, community, and creative curiosity, viewed through the lens of an artist who helped shape the culture.

Tracklist

1. “Candy Flipping” (w/ Jack Blom, Nerve, Alina Pash)

2. “Mona Lisa” (w/ Mr. Carmack, Benni Ola)

3. “Everest” (w/ Alina Pash)

4. “Wires and Webs” (w/ Jack Blom, Elohim, Christian Patey)

5. “Trash” (w/ Losco, Michael Christmas, Caliph)

6. “Don't Wanna Leave Yet” (w/ Alina Pash)

Artist Quote

“For a long time I found myself running away from a sound I helped create...Doubt, evolution, inspiration or lack thereof, it's a journey a lot of us go through as artists. There's a layer of sadness to that, but also so much beauty & growth :)

In my journey to always do the 'next' thing, I think I neglected 'my' thing... but this brings me to a pivotal moment in my life and music career (right now) where I see a path that looks back to build forward...

Do you remember the first time you heard Rustie, Flying Lotus, "Original Don (Flosstradamus Remix)," Mr. Carmack? From the Harlem Shake to DJ Snake, this scene changed what a nightclub sounded like, global radio & even how the Billboard charts registered success.

Trading the rap verses for synth hooks, chipmunk vocal licks & wonky melodic progressions, we simultaneously crafted our own form here in Australia—changing the sound of nightlife, radio, the internet & soon the world took notice, sending us to every corner of the globe.

'Trap', 'beats music', 'future bass', whatever the label, I remember how it changed me, rattled my core. It was no longer pop radio vocals & 'songs', it was a vibration in-between scales, a revolt against the normal. While my path grew away from the niche, to mainstages, having to compete with the multimillion dollar pop acts certainly did some good—forcing me to sing, perform drums, synths, & implement amazing friends like Trevin into my band on guitar & legends like Daniel Johns performing iconic rock anthems like 'Freak'.

But here I am... 2026, amplified, hungry, inspired. With all the tools of DnB, analog exploration & rhythm from around the globe, re-captivated, like the rest of the world, by this 2016 energy. I feel like I'm finally writing the music everybody wants from me, but on my own terms, on my own time, with the tools of a lifetime chasing 'what's next'.”  – What So Not

What So Not is an Australian electronic music producer and live performer recognized as one of the defining architects behind the rise of cinematic trap and forward-thinking bass music in the early 2010s. Emerging during a transformative moment in global electronic culture, his emotionally charged production style and genre-blurring approach helped reshape the sound of festival music, internet-era electronic culture, and modern bass music worldwide.

Across acclaimed releases including Not All The Beautiful Things, Anomaly, Motions, and 2025 collaborative EP The Quiet That Hurts with Dutch producer Buunshin, What So Not has consistently evolved beyond genre expectations - blending trap, drum & bass, cinematic songwriting, analog experimentation, and melodic electronic production into a singular artistic identity. The Quiet That Hurts in particular marked a bold evolution in his sound, pairing emotionally immersive songwriting with an innovative take on modern drum & bass and experimental electronic music.

Known for collaborations with artists including Skrillex, RL Grime, Oliver Tree, Killer Mike, Toto, and Daniel Johns, What So Not has built a catalog that balances large-scale festival energy with emotional depth and boundary-pushing production. Tracks such as “High You Are,” “Jaguar,” “Gemini,” and “Be Ok Again” have collectively contributed to more than 1.3 billion global streams.

Beyond music releases, What So Not has become known for immersive live performances that fuse cinematic visuals, live instrumentation, and emotionally driven storytelling. A staple across major global festivals including Coachella, Ultra Music Festival, and Lollapalooza, he continues to push electronic music into new territory while maintaining the forward-thinking creative identity that has defined his career for over a decade.

With his forthcoming project I SAW A TRAP DJ AND IT CHANGED MY BIO CHEMISTRY, What So Not enters a new era - reconnecting with the emotional and cultural foundations that first shaped his music while reframing them through years of artistic evolution and experimentation.

FOLLOW WHAT SO NOT:

SPOTIFY | APPLE MUSIC | YOUTUBE | SOUNDCLOUD | INSTAGRAM | FACEBOOK | X | TIK TO