Aesop Rock will be familiar to a fair few Brightonians by way of his barnstorming collaboration with local dancefloor titans Evil Nine, and the warped wordplay and bizarre lyrical imagery that characterised this, and his own releases, on NYC leftfield hip-hop imprint Def Jux.

Also in attendance were producer and fellow MC, the affable Rob Sonic and supremely gifted turntablist, DJ Big Wiz. The three of them battled extreme jet lag, collapsing stage blocks, "technical problems" and an apparent Nando's chicken fixation to deliver well over an hour's worth of innovative, cerebral hip-hop.

The energy of their performance was relentless and they happily drifted in and out of various styles to sustain interest. Recent single None Shall Pass was pinned to a gentle disco loop and Dark Heart News spewed a thick, grimy bassline, filling the venue like some filthy smokestack.