"Spotify Early Noise Night #9," a new artist hookup event hosted by Spotify, one of the world's largest music streaming services, was held at SPACE ODD in Daikanyama/Shibuya on November 14th.

"The event is in conjunction with Spotify's new artist support project/playlist "Early Noise," and aims to spotlight Japan's most promising newcomers as soon as possible. To date, the event has been held six times in Tokyo and twice in Osaka, featuring artists such as Mukai Taichi, Aimyon, Akko Gorilla, and SUSHIBOYS. Thanks to consistently low ticket prices, the event has steadily gained support, especially from early-bird music listeners. This year marks the 9th anniversary of the festival, and it will feature new generation acts such as SIRUP, Taeyoung Boy, CIRRRCLE, and eill, who are linked to current international R&B and hip-hop trends. SPACE ODD reports on a night filled with an urban atmosphere.

■eill

As is customary at Tokyo events, the mysterious 20-year-old singer-songwriter eill, the first performer of the evening, appeared on the center stage, surrounded by the audience on nearly a 360-degree angle. Her work combines a strong vocal style reminiscent of Hikaru Utada with cutting-edge musicality, impressing even music connoisseurs. This time, she performed with just a trio of guitarists, bassists, and synth players. She captured the audience's attention with a varied tempo, including the simple ballad "Special Girl" and her debut single "MAKUAKE," both from her debut mini-album "MAKUAKE," released in October.

Different from her previous performances, this time with a band-like arrangement, she developed a more emotional and lyrical sound. Eill's lustrous vocals also seemed even more alluring. She performed popular tracks like "HUSH," produced by Kai Takahashi of LUCKY TAPES, and "ONE," featuring Korean singer K.vsh, with fresh arrangements driven by sensual guitar. She closed the set with "FUTURE WAVE," a song that literally speaks of the future of her musical career, which began with "MAKUAKE."

■CIRRRCLE

The second act was by Spotify's "Watch," released in April of this year. CIRRRCLE, an international hip-hop crew, achieved a rare feat for a Japanese independent artist, reaching No. 1 on Japan's viral charts and even being featured on Spotify's official global playlist, "New Music Friday," with their track "Fast Car," released in August. The set kicked off with a swift opening, "Watch," featuring a light beat and refreshing horns. Rappers/singers Amiide and Jyodan's performance was surprisingly stable, even for newcomers. Their unique choreography, combined with their familiarity, filled the venue with their happy vibes. During "Talk Too Much," Amiide and Jyodan's comical exchanges were a highlight, and members of the Japanese dance crew GANMI, who also appear in the music video for the song, also appeared, bringing the crowd to a frenzy. As they travel between LA and Japan, the originality of their tracks, which are filled with the open atmosphere of the West Coast, and the flow of Amiide and Jyodan, who ride them with ease, were truly impressive. Their chemistry with DJ A.G.O was also excellent, and they left the stage exuding a strong centripetal force that made even an away game feel like home.

■Taeyoung Boy

The event entered the second half. The third act of the evening was Taeyoung Boy, a Tokyo-based artist who has rapidly risen to prominence in the new generation hip-hop scene. He kicked off the show with "Gooddess" from his new EP "GIRL," released this summer. With an energy several times more upbeat than his studio recordings, he delivered a forward-leaning flow that really drew the audience in. "This is my first time performing on a stage like this," he said, "I usually only perform in clubs, so I'm happy to be able to perform at such a big event," and it was impressive to see him enjoying the fresh atmosphere of the stage. After performing two mellow tracks, "Play" and "Crave," from the aforementioned "GIRL," KM welcomed DJ/producer KM onto the stage, introducing him as "one of Japan's leading producers." A cutting-edge producer who has worked with a wide range of artists, from BADHOP and KANDYTOWN to kiLLa, and even SKY-HI and ECD, KM released his first album, "FORTUNE GRAND," in September. From the album, KM performed a live arrangement of "Distance," featuring new-generation rappers Taeyoung Boy, Weny Dacillo, and Lui Hua, utilizing synths and pads. The addition of real-time instrumentation made the lyrical track even more emotional. He announced with the joyous news that he would be releasing an album in January, and closed the set with "Fault" from "SWEAR," the album that first catapulted him to prominence, his collaboration with the enigmatic producer Droittte. The remix version, which incorporated a bouncy beat and had a very different feel from the original, raised the temperature in the venue and closed the show.

■SIRUP

And finally, the fourth act. The final act of the night is SIRUP, who sold out his solo shows in Tokyo and Osaka. Tonight's show featured a minimalist trio consisting of up-and-coming producer/guitarist Shin Sakiura and Atsushi Inoue, also active as a member of showmore and Scarf & the Suspenders. Opening with their debut single "Synapse," produced by TOKYO RECORDINGS, led by Nariaki Obukuro, known for his collaboration with Hikaru Utada, they immediately transformed the atmosphere in the venue with a performance that exuded a sense of dignity. They then performed popular tracks from "SIRUP EP2," released in August this year, including "Maybe," which features a flow that's somewhere between rap and singing over a light beat, and "LOOP," whose music video has been viewed over 2 million times on YouTube, with a variety of tempos. "If we keep going like this, it'll end soon, so keep up with me," and "This song is about swimming through music," the familiar MCs began. The excitement reached a new peak with "SWIM," a track from their debut EP, and "Do Well," SIRUP's most upbeat disco tune to date. The entire audience raised their hands in the air, ushering in a grand finale. While the event was originally scheduled to end here, the applause continued even after the house lights came on, prompting a sudden promotion signature encore. "No Stress," performed without a synchronized track, featuring only Shin Sakiura's guitar and Atsushi Inoue's synth, impressed audiences with the pair's highly improvisational playability. Inoue's expressive keyboard playing was particularly outstanding, elevating the originally simple song to an even more emotional level. The audience responded loudly to SIRUP's call and response, bringing the day's "Early Noise Night" to a close.