演出陣容強大更有經典復出，活動開始前在2月8號還先邀請藝術家林子桓、吳維佳、 XTRUX 在線上打造虛擬藝廊《構成你命運的每則故事，來自於你的創造》，率先開展做為前導活動。 19 號當晚還有兩場 After Party 在 Studio9 與 Final 舉辦。
這次活動也使用 Line 官方帳號，加入後可在專頁裡獲得活動即時訊息與兩天的節目表單。
兩個場館設置了紅、藍、灰3個舞台，其中藍灰兩舞台全程交錯演出，很特別的呼應了 DJ Back to Back 的演出形式。新能祭做到了音樂藝術跨界結合的最佳表現，演出藝人綜合了台灣近 20 年來的電音品牌新銳與資深老將，第二天活動壓軸羅百吉帶領他的MC與歌手寶貝高速轟炸大家直到散場，所有他的經典歌曲都有因應現在流行風格經過重製現在化，配合邱群與 PUTA 、 LUDO 三位 VJ 用即興Jam的方式影像大亂鬥，把兩天精彩的氣氛帶到最高潮，同時段隔壁紅舞台則交由台中洞穴 Crew 的 FTK 用 Hard Dance 收班，下午從 dINO 、 Legacy 、台中洞穴Crew 、 Virgo A 、 Scott Noise 一路低音快速狂送。
穿著短褲坐在 Sub 上面喝著冰涼啤酒感受低音陣風在小腿上的吹拂， Bass 系列音樂派對加上足以匹配的音響絕對是最佳享受，從 Drum & Bass 一直轟炸到 Harddance 的銳舞復興，配合 YU98 影像 VJ 與自帶雷射的李海 HD ，就像讓我們回到了後 2000 年倫敦的 Fabric Club 派對狂潮
活動場佈與聲光設備個人覺得非常用心，主舞台出動全屏大面 LED 牆，讓所有的 VJ 都能完美的呈現他們精彩準備的影像內容結合音樂演出，紅舞台附近還放入幾組藝術作品讓大家欣賞思考一下科技藝術帶給人類的影響與意義是什麼；現場還有Pioneer DJ 品牌攤位，讓有興趣接觸 DJ 的參與者能夠現場體驗試玩器材。
活動結束與幾位朋友聊了一下活動感想，也是 DJ 的 𝐙 ζ 說到他很久沒有這麼滿這麼 Hyper 的感覺，有數位藝術也有各種風格的電子音樂，派對氛圍整體非常好，尤其 VJ 視覺搭配超讚，各領域的藝術家結合創作激發出新能量，或許就是新能祭的概念，李亦凡的視覺個人特色太強，直接讓他進入到另一個空間釋放，最喜歡被音樂跟視覺引入另一個空間
同樣也是 DJ 與 Club 從業人員的孫加於在暖身完洞穴的演出後，就立刻去看羅百吉，她說第一次看羅百吉現場發現娛樂效果原來這麼十足，橫跨20年的電子音樂場景，衝突感原來可以完全沒有違和感。
壓軸羅百吉的表演風格跟前面所有的聲音藝術家完全不同，不敢說這是惡趣味還是諷刺，但羅百吉完全做自己、走自己的路，20年來始終如一的精神，很讓我佩服。台下年輕一代的歌迷、台上喊 Mic 的 MC 、配上新能祭的舞台，千禧年之後的電子音樂場景真的很精彩。
這是山崎先生和 drowsiness 表示想呈現給大家的氛圍。打個比方，我在想像《Shallow Water》和《海のエチュード》（山崎先生的第二張專輯）的聲音和風景時，腦中是丹後半島的景象和風情。而山崎先生則從 drowsiness 的音樂中感覺到東京的氣息與聲音，可能是因為我們在 RedBull Studio Tokyo 錄音的關係吧！
你們的音樂很大的部分著重在氛圍上，跟 Four Pens 的合作有沒有一些故事能夠告訴我們？你們工作起來順暢嗎？有沒有什麼溝通上的困難？我相信既便是說著同一種語言，居住在同一個國家，在協調上都可能會有困難，那不同國家的音樂人怎麼協調出一致認同的成果呢？
來自日本的自然器樂組合 AD 於今日（3/9）正式發行首張創作專輯《Shallow Water》，這也是 AD 繼2021年6月發布與四枝筆 Four Pens的跨國合作單曲〈潮隙 Spindrift 〉後，再次發表新作品，〈潮隙 Spindrift 〉在東南亞成為熱門歌曲。多次訪台的 AD 表示除了對美食和風景難以忘懷，也很喜歡台灣人的熱情，因為疫情許久不能來台，也讓他們直呼「想念北投溫泉，還有滷肉飯！」
專輯中的〈潮隙 Spindrift 〉是 AD 特別邀請台灣澄癒系樂團「四枝筆」一起創作的歌曲， AD 表示因為欣賞四枝筆主唱小四的歌聲，且有口風琴編制的樂團很特別，所以邀請四枝筆合作歌曲，果然在聽到成品後也非常滿意。而〈潮隙 Spindrift 〉是四枝筆主唱小四首次作詞，她分享作詞的過程，「在 AD 的 Demo 中聽見海鷗飛過以及海浪的聲音，也浮現了以前在海邊的回憶、面對大海時心裡想像的畫面，歌詞就這樣在吉他聲中寫出來了。」合作單曲於2021年6月發行，並引起熱烈迴響，不僅在東南亞成為熱門歌曲，更被加入數個 Spotify 歌單中。
《Shallow Water》甫發行便受到多組台灣音樂人分享推薦，好樂團也特別為 AD 寫下推薦文字，「 AD 的音樂非常奇幻多變，難以預測，能帶給人許多想像空間和畫面，聽的過程中會有一種『原來還可以這樣啊！』的感覺。如果你對於平常聽的音樂感到厭倦並想找一點新的刺激的話，非常建議你聽聽他們的作品。」
AD 過去曾多次訪台，除了在北投泡湯的體驗令他們印象深刻之外，一講到台灣美食，他們便直呼：「喜歡台灣小吃，尤其是滷肉飯，因為疫情不能去台灣真的太可惜了！」 AD 表示台灣人十分熱情，即使身在異鄉，還是能感受到滿滿的溫暖，他們也向台灣的樂迷們喊話：「會繼續創作音樂給台灣的大家聽，希望大家能多多支持《Shallow Water》！」更多 AD 最新消息請上AD官方粉絲專頁（https://www.facebook.com/ad.music.jp）、Instagram（@ad.music.jp）查詢。
而因為疫情這個活動延遲舉辦，上述主導的兩位策展人認為可以嘗試申請台灣藝文補助，讓這個計畫能有更多時間與資源在疫情趨緩後舉行。而酸屋在受到眾多前輩委託推薦的情勢下，參與發表作品的孝齊、敏如、冠穎，初始便與蔡青、貝嶺兩位策展人及臺師大環教所所長方偉達教授、葉子啓老師，開闢了一個計劃小組群，將原始計畫整理，並以酸屋作為申請及執行單位，申請國藝會視覺藝術展覽策展補助。而掛上協辦合作單位則有ART NOW STUDIO（蔡青教授）、獨立中文作家筆會（貝嶺教授）、阿川行為群（葉子啓老師）、臺師大環境教育所＆社團法人臺灣濕地學會（方偉達教授）等單位。
New Bloom members Peter Freestone and Brian Hioe pick some of their favorite indie EPs from 2021, focusing on bands from Taiwan. This is one of a series of Best Album lists compiled by New Bloom.
No-nonsense Collective 無妄合作社 / No Mercy (AIRHEAD RECORDS 空氣腦唱片)
No-nonsense Collective (無妄合作社) is a band who has experienced a spectacular surge in popularity in recent years, especially following their acclaimed 2019 album 21st Century Post Youth (二十一世紀的破青年). No Mercy sees the group experimenting with synths and latching onto an incredibly catchy post-punk sound. The synths are a welcome addition on tracks like “Quiet Farewell (平靜的告別)”, but they’re not overused. The title track, for example, is a punk thumper, sanded down to only its most essential elements, with a vocal performance that offers a peek into the band’s politically radical leanings. Listen to the album here.
Leo王 / 消化不良 Bad Digestion (顏社音樂 Kao!Inc.)
Leo Wang (Leo王) might be one of Taiwanese indie’s most recognizable names, consistently putting out unmistakably down-to-earth music with infectiously good vibes. Although he made his name as a hip hop artist, on Bad Digestion (消化不良), he’s really not rapping, just singing, and the music is mainly influenced by reggae, funk, and jazz. But of course, it’s just as kiang as you’d expect from the name. Listen to the album here.
遊樂 ULove 仙丹 / Journey to the Eternal (Self-released)
After over three quiet years since their last release, Journey to the Eternal (仙丹), finds ULove (遊樂) playing now with a new drummer, experimenting with the yueqin, and even incorporating elements of dubstep into their sound. It’s all great, but the reggae-adjacent “Immortal (神仙)”, with its compositional focus and lyrical restraint, probably steals the show. They also recently released an MV for their song “The Wayward Cloud (我是一朵雲)”, which dives headlong into a drunken KTV party scene starring Huang Dawang (黃大旺). Listen to the album here.
US:WE x PAKK 팎 x GLDN / 玖 Jiǔ (22RECORDS)
US:WE is a post-rock/post-hardcore band from Taipei who formed in 2008. Their 2021 split EP, Jiǔ (玖) — including new songs from the alternative blues/rock band GLDN, from Yokohama, and post-rock psychedelic/grunge band PAKK, from Seoul — was released by 22RECORDS in collaboration with Qiii Snacks (琪琪音像) in the PRC and Deaf Touch in the USA. Among the three tracks by US:WE, “21st Century Finale (二十一世紀終曲)” stands out for its surprising dubstep breakdown, arranged by D-19 at REUSED Productions. Listen to the album here.
烏流 Kuroshio / 天地尾 Thinn Tē Bué (Self-released)
Following a few loosies released since Kuroshio (烏流, “Oo-Lâu” in Taiwanese Hokkien) formed in 2019, the three tracks on Thinn Tē Bué (天地尾) are a tight presentation of the group’s free-ranging style. The band’s sound draws on elements of jazz fusion, funk, and afrobeat, topped off with crooning Taiwanese Hokkien vocals. While there’s a lot going on musically, it’s not overwhelming—likely thanks to master of the smooth groove Yuchain Wang (王昱辰), who recorded and produced the EP. Listen to the album here.
化石 Fossil / 波羅的海 (夕陽音樂 Sunset Music)
Fossil (化石) is a music project initiated in 2017 by Lo Tsun Lung (羅尊龍), the drummer of Sunset Rollercoaster (落日飛車). Here, he collaborates with bandmate Wang Shao Hsuan (王少軒), Shih Wei Huang (黃士瑋) of Come on! Bay Bay! (來吧!焙焙!), and Yen Chieh (顏世傑) playing synths. The title of their long-awaited debut EP (波羅的海), which would seem to literally translate to “Baltic Sea”, is actually a reference to one of Lo’s nicknames (波羅). Listen to the album here.
Easy Weeds 溫室雜草 / 春天有腳 Chun Tian You Jiao (恆星音樂 HX Music)
Having only released a handful of songs, it’s pretty impressive how quickly EASY WEEDS (溫室雜草 ) blew up in the Taiwanese indie scene. Tickets to the Taichung trio’s March show at Legacy Taipei, backed by Night Keepers (守夜人), sold out months in advance, and they were one of the top four acts to win the popular vote in the annual poll by The Next Big Thing (大團誕生 ). Although the band has tried to distance itself from comparisons to other groups like deca joins and Wendy Wander (溫蒂漫步), it’s hard to deny they’re nailing that sound, right in the sweet spot of the current zeitgeist. Listen to the album here.
COLD DEW / 欲欲 YUYU (Self-released)
Clocking in at just over 30 minutes, it’s not an EP, but I really wanted to slide this one in. The debut album of COLD DEW, YUYU (欲欲) opens with “Cloud (雲)”, a track that takes a wonderfully melancholic spin around the surf rock block, only to get drenched in shoegaze. The band’s penchant for dipping in and out of genres particularly shines on the 18-minute psychedelic epic “San-Di Love Song” (山地情歌) — although “Hot Spring” (溫泉) might be the more digestible lead-in. Here, they keep it a bit breezier, breaking through a wall of distorted sound as soon it’s built up, abruptly shifting to a bluesy dream pop palette, which just as soon descends into an adrenaline rush of psychedelia. Listen to the album here.
我是機車少女 i’mdifficult / 25 (Self-released)
The third EP from experimental pop project i’mdifficult (我是機車少女) is hands down the band’s most compelling work yet. While their first two releases hinted at the group’s potential, on 25, their dynamism is on full display. Recently they also did a live recording session for LUC UP!, produced in collaboration with Normal Pictures (普通影像). Listen to the album here.
聽天湯 Tin Ten Tan / 財富自由精神健康 Wealth and Values (大紅國際 Dahong International)
Tin Ten Tan (聽天湯) isn’t exactly new. The group formed following the break-up of Obviously (顯然樂隊), after the band’s lead singer and drummer moved from Kaohsiung to Taipei. So unsurprisingly, their debut EP, Wealth and Values (財富自由精神健康), continues in a similar vein as Obviously. But they’re clearly pushing their pop-informed rock sound into more whimsical territory. “The Duplex Apartment (樓中樓)” is a stand-out track, featuring the unmistakable voice of Murky Ghost (周穆) — a musician and spoken word performer whose dark tonality and mythopoetic lyrics have made her one of the most compelling figures among the recent wave of more experimental Taiwanese hip hop artists. Listen to the album here.
問題總部 It’s Your Fault x 厭世少年 Angry Youth / 靈肉合一 0+6=1 (Self-released)
And here’s a bonus! A split EP from two bands: Angry Youth (厭世少年) and It’s Your Fault (問題總部). Both are excellent here, but for me, the latter’s “Song About Soul”, featuring rapper Dudu King (金其禾), really feels next-level, heart-melting sublime.
