Spotify, the world's largest music streaming service, held an event called "Spotify presents Early Noise Special" at EX THEATER ROPPONGI in Tokyo on March 28th.
Spotify's "Early Noise" playlist introduces new talent to discerning music fans. This performance was a special edition of "Early Noise Night," an event originally launched as a way to experience firsthand the performances of artists selected for the playlist. 
The venue displayed photos from "Early Noise Night," which has been held regularly in Tokyo and Osaka, as well as key visuals featuring photos of the artists performing this time. There was a constant line of people waiting to take commemorative photos before and after the show. In addition, several of each artist's top Spotify listeners were invited from across Japan, and a Meet & Greet event was also held, creating a special day for fans and artists.
Harry Sugiyama served as host for the day, and the event, featuring a total of eight artists, proceeded smoothly, interspersed with light-hearted conversation. 
The first act to take the stage was female rapper Akko Gorilla, who made her major label re-debut last year with Sony Music. She opened with "100%AKKOGORILLA," then moved on to "Guerrilla x Mukai Taichi," featured in a Spotify commercial. During the event, familiar band members BNNZ also appeared. The backing DJ was PARKGOLF, who has also remixed Gesu no Kiwami Otome and Indigo La End. Furthermore, the band invited cutting-edge video artist Mani Kato to act as VJ, creating visual effects that linked with the song's message and worldview. "We're crazy, but we're full of energy! Let's have a great time together!" they said in a lively MC. After introducing the band members, they delivered a powerful performance of songs like "Yoyo," which conveys a positive message, and "GRRRLISM," which takes a stand against the hollowed-out view of gender, before leaving the stage. ■Akko Gorilla Setlist
M1. 100%AKKOGORILLA
M2. Guerrilla x Taichi Mukai
M3. Grandma
M4. Yoyo
M5. GRRRLISM
Next up was Vickeblanka, whose music was also featured in the exclusive Spotify commercial for Google Home. He appeared onstage in a dazzling setting and immediately began the set with his major debut single, "Urara." His sophisticated sound, which seemed to update elements of classic pop music for the modern era, filled the venue. Wicke, whose songs have been featured on numerous programs, including Nippon Television's "Sukkiri" and the TV anime "Fruits Basket," is a familiar face to viewers. On this day, he performed popular songs, including "Masshiro," a theme song for last year's drama "We Can't Be Beasts" (NTV). During the show, he drew laughter from the audience by revealing that Aragaki Yui, star of "We Can't Be Beasts," had appeared in his dream that morning. He closed the show with the Valentine's Day song "Winter Beat." The show, complete with spectacular special effects like flames, provided a highly entertaining performance.
■Vickeblanka Setlist
M1. Urara
M2. Masshiro
M3. Winter Beat
The third act was SIRUP, an singer-songwriter who has rapidly gained attention, including appearing on a Gospellers tribute album. He took to the stage coolly with "Do Well," which has also attracted a lot of attention after being used in a Honda commercial. This time, he performed a minimalist set with his friend Shin Sakiura, but his danceable and groovy sound immediately captured the atmosphere in the venue. Towards the end, he included some call-and-response, swaying the audience from side to side.
The second song was a complete change of pace, with the slow ballad "LOOP." The song's simple structure allowed for the full enjoyment of SIRUP's incredibly stable vocals. It was impressive to see the audience listening intently. In the talk after the show, they spoke about their new album "Feel Good," due for release in May, and, as it's the end of the fiscal year, they also offered advice to those jumping into new environments before passing the baton to the next generation.
■SIRUP Setlist
M1. Do Well
M2. LOOP
The event was finally reaching the middle stage. The fourth act to appear was Domico, a two-piece band consisting of vocalist/guitarist Sakashita Hikaru and drummer Hasegawa Keita. As always, they looked great standing on the large stage with just the two of them - guitar and drums. The first song was "Bedroom Shake Summer." With its slow tempo and psychedelic sound, the venue was transformed into the atmosphere of a midsummer afternoon. Sakashita made full use of the looper to layer sounds, supported by Hasegawa's solid beats.
Then, for the second song, they shifted gears in an instant and played "Paper Roll Star," which has the fastest BPM in the band's history. The punkish performance raised the temperature in the venue and the show ended there. With only two songs and almost no MCing, their performance was truly unique and impressive.
■Domico Setlist
M1. Bedroom Shake Summer
M2. Paper Roll Star
Following the rock star-like Domico is 19-year-old alternative R&B singer RIRI. The set opens with "That's my baby," captivating with her bewitching voice that belies her youth. Midway through, four dancers appear, unfolding a glamorous worldview.
The aforementioned rapper KEIJU from KANDYTOWN made a surprise appearance for their new song "Summertime," a collaboration with Obukuro Nariaki and RIRI, who are used as the commercial theme for Shiseido's "Anessa." KEIJU, with his cool flow, and RIRI, with his expressive singing, thrilled the audience with this surprise collaboration.
The dancers reappeared for the final song, "Honey," which was also used as the ending theme for "Gout Temps Nouveau 2." Soap bubbles were scattered throughout the venue, and the group left the stage in a dreamlike performance.
■RIRI Setlist
M1. That's my baby
M2. Summertime feat. KEIJU
M3. Honey
Next up, Nulbarich's stage began with a thrilling jam session amidst a thick cloud of smoke. Having successfully performed at the Nippon Budokan last year and garnering a lot of attention for their Spotify playlist cover jack project, their performance now exuded a sense of dignity.
They performed a series of popular songs, including "It's Who We Are," featuring a superb six-person band ensemble with double guitars, bass, drums, and synths; "VOICE," the memorable melody used in the TV commercial for "Citizen xC" starring Kitagawa Keiko; and "Zero Gravity," with its comfortable, sideways groove. "I bought a one-way ticket in 2016, and there's no going back now, so I'm going as far as I can," they said in their MC, finishing with "Almost There." At the end, gold streamers rained down on the venue, adding a touch of glamour.
■Nulbarich Setlist
M1. It's Who We Are
M2. VOICE
M3. Zero Gravity
M4. Almost There
"Spotify presents Early Noise Special" is finally coming to an end. After introducing "Early Noise 2019," 10 up-and-coming Japanese artists that Spotify expects to make a big leap this year, singer-songwriter ReN, born in 1994, appeared on stage alone.
ReN moved to the UK alone as a teenager and began his musical career at the age of 20. Though he was alone on stage, his performance, utilizing a looper to layer acoustic guitar sounds in real time, was both visually and aurally captivating.
"I'm feeling a bit good, so can I play a new song?" he asked, before performing his fifth single, "HARRICANE," due for release on April 17th. While the song is a melancholic minor key, many listeners were captivated by ReN's bluesy yet powerful vocals. His solitary performance came to a close on a solemn note.
■ReN Setlist
M1. Life Saver
M2. What I'm feeling
M3. HARRICANE
And then, the final act of the day was Official Hige Dandism, a piano pop band from Sanin. They came on stage with a flashy production that was like a musical, and started off with "No Doubt," the theme song for Fuji TV's Monday 9pm drama "The Confidence Man JP." Next came "FIRE GROUND," the opening theme for the TV anime "Hinomaru Sumo," with Daisuke Ozasa's (Gt.) fast-paced guitar solo eliciting a huge response from the audience, and then Satoshi Fujiwara's (Vo.) lyric, popular number "1.15 Million Kilometers of Film" had the entire venue listening intently. Official Hige Dandism completely captured the atmosphere as they performed "Stand By You," announcing that "before we knew it, it would be the last song," bringing the entire venue together with handclaps and choruses. The finale was truly a grand finale.
■Official HIGE DANDISM
M1. No Doubt
M2. FIRE GROUND
M3. 1.15 Million Kilometers of Film
M4. Stand By You
Regular episode "Early Noise Spotify is committed to helping promote communication between artists and fans, with the Tokyo performance of "Ealry Noise Night" featuring a stage that allows the audience to surround the artist in 360 degrees, and the Osaka performance featuring a ping-pong table in the bar space. This attitude was also fully conveyed at this "Spotify presents Ealry Noise Special." It will be interesting to keep an eye on future developments in the annual program "Ealry Noise" and the event "Ealry Noise Night."
The setlist for the day has been released on Spotify's "Early Noise Special" playlist, so please check it out.
