"IF I DON'T lose my hearing and my voice, then I'm not doing my job properly," said Lyrics Born, aka Tom Shimura. A little-known Japanese-born, California-raised MC, Shimura looks like a pent-up body-builder who raps like Genghis Khan. His attack might bestow all the subtlety of an AK-47 machine-gun, yet every syllable is pronounced with perfect clarity. The message is clear: "If you didn't come to party…" well, you can guess the rest.

Supported by a laptop-engineering buddy and an irrepressible female backing vocalist, the emphasis was firmly on funk with a fun beat; fans – obedient and eager to please – responded like trained seals at feeding time. In short, it felt a bit like the relaxed, innocent hip-hop days of old, before gangsta rap and when high production values still ruled the roost.

Like all good parties, though, it was the welcoming first hour that was the best, Shimura ripping into tracks from his Everywhere at Once album with gusto. From old-school bluster to Shakira-like tunes, from in-the-pocket drum patterns to James Brown-era guitar-riffs, the laid-back drawl and gritty timbre of Shimura's voice was always front and centre.

By the time the party was over people still wanted more, Shimura having left the stage, job done. On this evidence, he might well have awakened the following morning to a sore throat and a concerning ringing in his ears.