DELS @ Bull & Gate, London

DELS (or Delboy, as he calls himself, haw haw) takes to the stage with a calm nerve. His synth player – who looks suspiciously like Raisa Khan of Micachu’s Shapes – improvises a lengthy wig-out or warbling drones with lively drums. It’s off the cuff and difficult to determine whether this was intended or just a sound check run ragged.

With so many acts to jot through tonight the promoter, Camden Crawl, is more an industrial star shooter than an event organiser. Offering a cute window of half a dozen songs to ‘showcase’ their hot ‘Tips’ for next year’s event.

For all the beautifully layered textures, Grime calling cards and snappy percussion DELS proves to be less formulaic. He turns to the microphone to roll out his verse with laconic ease. From the start it’s clear that he can turn a phrase at much greater pace, but at this pedestrian tempo he shifts his focus to communication. As the instrumentals slow down so does he. Rather than using the free sound to lambaste with his insightful, nay boyish, phrasing he lets the silence take effect.

The point is that the synth player (who resembles the hip experimental musician) is in truth Ms. Khan. That this is no ordinary showcase of new talent. These aren’t some chancers who have been offered quick cash and exposure off the back of a bigger event. This is DELS who has found his grounding not in Rinse FM nor dub plates but in a young art crowd – the nearest he’d get to Hackney is London Fields.

The opening track, ‘Tumpalump’ has a pounding bassline, it’s an in-your-face announcement that Delboy has taken to the stage. There’s voxpop lyrics to impact, from our intimate moments with a computer “Control alt delete, combine…”, to the more abstract, “Is this life I am living or am I living a lie?”. Either way it’s a punchy opener.

Just as the set is taking shape, as the music finds legs it’s all over. The whole thing passed in a flash. It’s unfortunate but it’s not going to be the last we hear of DELS.