Aurora enlisted producers Askjell Solstrand, Jakwob, Couros and MyRiot, along with previous collaborators Magnus Skylstad and Electric.

[3] In October 2016, during a Facebook live stream, Aurora stated that she had fifteen demos and had written around a thousand songs to that date.

[6][7] Aurora travelled to La Fabrique, a farmhouse studio located in southern France, to record Infections of a Different Kind (Step 1) in January 2018.

The production included new producers Askjell Solstrand and Roy Kerr and Tim Bran from MyRiot, with Aurora herself also involved in this aspect.

[9][12] Aurora initially stated to Idolator in April 2018 that Infections of a Different Kind (Step 1) was originally a full-length album with 11 tracks.

[14][15] Aurora chose to divide the record to give listeners more time to every track, since she felt the original project would be "heavy and time-consuming.

"[28] The album's sound incorporates folktronica soundscapes, vocal harmonizations, expansive reverb, layered synthesizers and tribal percussion.

[15] Aurora initially wanted to release new music in November 2016, however, she noted that it was not possible due to her touring schedule in promotion of her debut album.

[40][41] The same day of Infections of a Different Kind (Step 1)'s digital release, several magazines like Clash, The Line of Best Fit and NME interviewed Aurora about various topics, including her fame, her home, climate change, the concept behind the album and its upcoming follow-up.

[53] Jack Bray of The Line of Best Fit praised the dynamism and flexibility of Aurora's vocals and her involvement in the production of the album, remarking that she "never loses any instrument or voice in spite of the minutiae of her producing choices, as a result, a tangible sense of her personality comes through.

"[30] A writer of the blog A Bit of Pop Music shared similar thoughts in regards to its songwriting and production, commending the track "All Is Soft Inside" as her "most accomplished work to date.

"[24] Writing for Mystic Sons, Chris Bound agreed that "this new half-album still manages to pack one hell of a punch throughout as the frontwoman seems to take on the guise of an unstoppable juggernaut.

"[27] In a less favourable review, Kieron Tyler writing for Mojo commented that the record lacked musical focus, lamenting that "Aurora herself is mostly buried in the album.

Infections of a Different Kind (Step 1) debuted at number seven on the Norwegian VG-lista Topp 40 Album, marking Aurora's biggest opening week in sales ever in the country, with 5,800 units.