hINT is a new project by INTERSECT BY LEXUS – TOKYO sound producer Towa Tei, and musician and DJ Shinichi Osawa, creating a series of music events that bring interesting people together to share and interact.

After recording Tei’s radio show SoundLines from INTERSECT, some 40 guests arrived at INTERSECT on December 6th for the evening party hosted by the two DJs, along with fashion model and actress Ayaka Nakata.

To help the conversation flow better, Tei and Osawa set a rule for the party: all cellphones have to be handed in at the entrance. Guests could then mingle without their mobile devices to distract them, making people relax and talk more easily.

There was another unusual rule: the companion you invite has to be more interesting than you. This challenge guaranteed the Aoyama venue featured a vibrant mix of people.

The party kicked off with a set by DJ Licaxxx. Towa Tei then took the microphone to welcome the guests. “Tonight we are the DJs but you are the performers. We have all your phones but if you see someone who takes your fancy, make sure you ask for their number,” he joked.

Osawa explained how the guest list was drawn up. “We invited our Facebook friends to this first party but next time I might call people up instead. We want to experiment with different ways to create parties.”

Having to surrender your phone at the door of an event might put some people off, but there was a reason for the rule. “Things are so convenient today that you have to set these kinds of rules to make people communicate,” said Tei. “It’s not the case where everything that’s convenient is a good thing. We want you all just to focus on your main job tonight: eating, drinking, singing, dancing, and talking!”

Guests were then free to enjoy the rest of the evening’s food and drink, and DJ mixes by Tei and Osawa. They also got to take home a special Japanese sweet created by Daichi Tajima, who is in charge of food menu direction for INTERSECT.

Tei and Osawa plan to hold hINT once every three months. Neither a club event nor a regular party, it’s an intimate gathering for music and interaction that promises to keep on evolving.