んoon is another act performing this year at Fuji Rock that came up through the Rookie a Go-Go pipeline. They are a soulful indie group whose laid back energy and jazz tinge suited itself perfectly to some Field of Heaven lunchtime lounging.

Off the bat, one has to love any band that opens their set with a cover of Also Sprach Zarathustra. A real statement of intent. Set opener Right on Time was also illustrative – a chilled out melodic jam with bilingual lyrics. It packed enough of a beat to get your body moving, but didn’t necessitate jumping out of your seat.

The sound of んoon’s set throughout was typified by the unusual presence of a harp. It is not the instrument you would expect to find in a band like this, but its inclusion really sets their sound apart. It gave the songs a gentle dreamlike quality and served to accentuate the beat better than one might expect.

The drums were sparse but effective, not crowding out the gentler synths and harp. The whole band worked together and complimented one another quite nicely.

Lead singer JC comfortably switched between English and Japanese, when she sang she sang with passion and soul, occasionally veering into a soft half spoken hip hop delivery. Her sensibility and timing were great.

All in all んoon’s set took advantage in a break in the rain to give their welcoming audience an opportunity to chill out and enjoy some jams.