Dokkebi Q

Photo by Sandy Carson

Dokkebi Q

Even ravers feel oppressed when the lights stay up, and whoever was manning the switch at Buffalo Billiards didn't do this London-based electronic dub-step outfit any favors by forcing them to face off with a bright cavern. Adding insult to injury, various detritus was cleared from the stage during the early part of the duo's set. Nonetheless, DJ Gorgonn managed to show off a sharp ear for Jamaican-flavored electro beats. Vocal artist Kiki Hitomi tried to raise the energy further by skanking back and forth, but when she shouted "Make some noise," she was met with stoney silence. So much for international peace agreements. That left Hitomi to prance about in her stockinged feet while rapping indecipherable lyrics about revolution and embracing a so-called "black rebel" stance, which sounded a bit strange coming from a Japanese ragamuffin associated with the ancient Ainu tribe. After five mixes had been stretched to their logical conclusion, Hitomi alerted the growing crowd that she and Gorgonn were going to get "more experimental," the DJ layering some human beat-boxing while she wailed painfully on a harmonica. With that, the time police stepped up to cut them off. Fortunately for Dokkebi Q, they get another crack when they cut loose at the dub-friendly Flamingo Cantina on Saturday night at 11pm.