A number of rock musicians have sought to make bedfellows of Ren-faire harmony and electrified boogie: Jimmy Page, Tony Iommi, Nigel Tufnel. But few have approached the idea as earnestly as Japanese guitarist Tetuzi Akiyama. On Proletarian Drift, Akiyama doesn’t simply settle for plucking out a few mid-shredfest Vivaldi riffs—he brings in Dutch lutist Jozef van Wissen to really lace up the doublet. However, the resulting duets will hardly send listeners skipping through the gilliflowers. Akiyama’s sparse and textural style combines with van Wissen’s traditional plucking to create a series of hushed melodic improvisations that fluctuate between tranquil meditation and unsettling emptiness. Akiyama performs with van Wissem and Max Ochs at 9 p.m. at the Velvet Lounge, 915 U St. NW. $8. (202) 462-3213.