Leave it to Toto to conclude 2018’s Old Is New with a total head-scratcher.
“We’ll Keep On Running,” the final song on what is possibly the last album of studio material from the band, is a collaborative effort with the musical entity What So Not. Essentially, What So Not is Christopher John Emerson, an Australian producer who has previously collaborated with big names in the dub and dance arena.
“We got together and it was like two worlds collided,” Lukather said in a news release at the time. “We were curious how [What So Not’s team] make music and they were completely baffled by the way we did it old school — and we found it a very positive experience.”
The connection is Lukather’s son Trev, who was working with Emerson as a touring guitarist. Their set even included a re-worked version of Toto’s “Africa.”
Emerson told Forbes that sessions for “We’ll Keep On Running” began by pairing the elder Lukather’s guitar with the DJ’s laptop piano, creating “this hybrid of the old Toto ‘rock ‘n’ roll’ sound and the new-age sound with the synthesis of bass music.”
Dub artist Skrillex also provided instrumental and production assistance for “We’ll Keep On Running,” which Lukather deemed a success. “It went better than we could’ve hoped,” the guitarist added. “Everyone just rolled in and we rolled up our sleeves and just did it. By the end of the night, we had a track.”
Unfortunately, if not for vocal contributions from Lukather and Joseph Williams, one would not associate this collaboration with their long-time band. “We’ll Keep On Running” is far more What So Not than it is Toto.
What a strange way to end a great band’s recording legacy.
