Tuesday night in East London saw Req and Kid Acne promoting their new albums (both on Warp) as part of the Arts Council funded Logarhythm tour. Styled by the Ministry of Silly Hats (Shoreditch branch), they brought their dissonant, downbeat hip hop to the unusually empty Brick Lane venue. Req warmed things up with some slick turntablism before Kid Acne and various partners in crime performed tracks from his new album. While their approach seems wilfully difficult even by the moody standards of UK hip hop, it’s hard not to be charmed by such off the wall lyrical references and relentless self deprecation – Acne admits to a ‘one hot album every ten year average’. Pitman isn’t the only MC out there with a nice line in dry put downs and northern B-boy attitude. Refreshingly free from pretension, Acne and Req’s combination of rhyming, graffiti and turntablism is a testament to the do-it-yourself potential of hip hop culture – even if you’re not from the projects.

 Picture showing Req