Lovelesses

January 31, 2025

Comparing loveless covers from Korea and Japan.

If you’re reading this, you should be familiar with my bloody valentine’s loveless. Being the pioneering act in its genre, loveless has not only inspired countless albums since, but also effected tribute albums from various artists everywhere—a manifestation of the love and respect they have for the Irish band.

Among those covers are two standout projects that caught my attention: yellow loveless by various Japanese artists, and loveless -tribute- from Korea, also called Blue Loveless. If you’re a Japanpilled Korean like I am, that’s practically an invitation letter laced with cocaine for me to pit them against each other, track by track.

japanpilled korean

So that is what we shall do! Before we listen to the tracks however, let’s get some context out of the way. Don’t worry, it’s not much:

yellow loveless: released 23 January 2013

loveless -tribute-: released 7 March 2012

That’s about it. There’s barely any information regarding the Japanese release, and even less for the Korean counterpart.

only shallow

東京酒吐座 (Tokyo Shoegazer)

In their debut album Crystallized, Tokyo Shoegazer had already proven they are worthy of their title, showcasing anything from the energetic 299 Addiction to a more delicate Bright. Or perhaps Waltz Matilda’s full spectrum of sound best demonstrates that they are masters of their eponymous craft. And these are only from their first album!

No wonder their rendition of only shallow is scarily accurate to the original. While their insistence on recording in purely analogue format might be pedantry, the band’s determination to get the sounds on point is evident in the very technically impressive opening track.

しかし、Tokyo Shoegazerって、恥ずかしいバンド名といい、完コピっぷりといい、ネタバンドかと思ったら、実際に活動してるっぽいですね。カバーするなら新しい解釈で演奏するべきです。オリジナルと異なるアイディアがないのなら、発表する価値はないと思います。

However, Tokyo Shoegazer, with its embarrassing band name and its perfect copy, made me think they were a joke band […]. If you’re going to cover a song, you should do it with a fresh interpretation. If you don't have any different ideas from the original, I don't think it is worth publishing.

But it really falls apart when you consider that this is a tribute album, not a practice session. Instrumentally, I can appreciate the muddier guitars and the richer sounds, even at the expense of less dreamy vocals. From 3:42 onwards, I was ready for some extra flair but was instead met with meaningless ambience and a disappointing end to the song.

All that being said, Tokyo Shoegazer’s technical prowess with characteristic Japanese perfectionism makes this opening track a promising one, reminding us of the mbv sound while simultaneously setting the stage for more adventurous tracks to come.

Vidulgi OoyoO

Almost as a response to Tokyo Shoegazer (despite being released earlier), the opening track is left in the hands of Vidulgi OoyoO (Pigeon Milk), another band with a wide soundscape working in the realms of shoegaze and slowcore.

It catches you off guard with double-time drums, immediately throws the iconic unison bends away for high pitched chords that sound mysteriously familiar, then yields itself to delicate vocals, emulating the mix of the original before the grit hits and the tinny guitar makes a return for verse two. At 2:40, you’re left in a daze wondering what’s to come next, and for the next minute you are left with an instrumental treat until it hits you that this song is pieced together from multiple sections from loveless.

You understand. Its role is to represent the original album’s total sound. It ambitiously tries to be the definitive opener. Perhaps even more greedily, it tries to do so under the guise of Vidulgi OoyoO’s own sound. Despite the overzealous approach, I don’t think they failed too hard with this. It’s a solid introduction to the album that teases how much of a creative spin one could expect in blue loveless.

loomer

GOATBED

Ethereal vocals, fuzzy guitars, vague lyrics. How will electronica and synth pop specialist GOATBED approach such an airy song? Surprisingly well. The original’s aura is emulated with distant vocals and bubbly bass, as well as a soft and quiet melody. Tasteful addition of glitches and effects completes the track, before a hint of techno new wave is included near the song’s end. It was a bold choice to bring the song’s tempo down, but I can’t rate this as anything beyond an interesting take.

電子羊

전자양, or Electron Sheep, is a legend in the Korean indie scene, most famous for the 2001 bedroom album Day is Far Too Long. Particularly strong at imaginative and poetic lyrics, will the slacker rock/neo-psychedelia poet have what it takes to make a cover where writing your own words is not an option?

His loomer starts with a deranged scream that made me flinch. Hammering kicks. Then more squeals and a fading guitar until.. I laughed out loud. Leave it to 전자양 to come up with something as hilarious as this.

If the original had coarse instruments being played as gently as possible, the guitar that starts around 7:00 can only be described as dainty. But he goes at it with it, intensely. Paired with the energetic percussion, its a miracle that the next minute sounds as playful and beautiful as it does, without the chaos being intimidating in any way. The sequence from 8:40, kickstarted by a solo, manages to remember its roots despite sounding much more powerful.

I will however say that the unprompted bass lick at 8:11 took away more than it adds. Perhaps too playful for me. It’s an otherwise fantastic and freaky interpretation that provides plenty of shock value and the skills to back its swagger up.

touched

The Sodom Project

Oh boy. If you haven’t been doing so already, please listen to the full track before reading any of my thoughts.

With the track length extended to exactly five times the original, I fully believed that this would be an ambient track, and the piano was there to back me up. So where are the drums coming from and what are they building up to—the fuck? Listening to the whole thing again, the pent-up energy is perceivable but I’ll admit it caught me entirely off guard the first time.

There isn’t much known about this group, other than a few videos and some audio snippets on their mostly defunct Twitter account. They are more than enough to indicate that the band was heavily invested in bass-heavy electronic darkwave, which is good enough context to explain what just happened.

Some regard touched as a palate cleanser to thrust you into to here knows when. I’d like to praise The Sodom Project for rejecting that idea and making the most out of the track they chose to go for. That being said, the starting few minutes does not serve much purpose beyond leading to the climax. While it was absolutely necessary, I can’t help but feel disappointed by the wasted potential in extending the song five fold and reserving most of it for a buildup sequence.

선결 (Sunkyeol)

While Sunkyeol does not have a particularly large discography, the three-man band’s debut album 급진은 상대적 개념 (Radical Is a Relative Concept) has a decently high profile. I recommend giving 우리의 연애는 과대평가되어있어 and the titular 급진은 상대적 개념 a go.

Like The Sodom Project, Sunkyeol’s approach takes minimally from the original touched and adds their own flair to it, opting to abstract the famously weird lick into an ensemble of voices. The effect, when paired with spontaneous guitar notes and perky percussion (unlike the original), is beautiful. Droning synths fill in any gaps between the three, blending in perfectly.

In my opinion, Sunkyeol’s well-made cover can hold its own even out of its context; the extended duration pays them dividends, providing a lot of value in immersing the listener into their world.

to here knows when

Lemon’s Chair

What a stunner. This is the kind of shit I was looking forward to coming into this album. Clocking in at eleven minutes and five seconds, Lemon’s Chair delivers throughout the entire duration of the song.

This song famously has no bass and drums—just a tambourine, which is absolutely perfect for Lemon’s Chair. Originating as an instrumental-only guitar duo, the way Lemon’s Chair utilise guitar layers vouches for their expertise. Stripping away nearly everything from the original and distorting what little remains, the post-rock band is given a blank slate to work with, and did they ever—executing their vision flawlessly. It’s crazy what just two six-stringed instruments can do: the hazy shoegaze clears to a refreshing drizzle, soon evolving to a shower and building itself up to a powerful torrent of sound that is somehow not destructive at all. Instead, you feel as if you are submerged underwater. It’s quiet. It’s soothing. It’s a transcendental experience.

Granted, the slow, atmospheric tunes closely resemble tracks from their debut album I Hate? I Hope?. Personally, I don’t mind this, but it might be a downside to you. (Is this closer to Swallowtail or Vividness? To me, it leans towards the latter.)

Another point of contention could be its pace. To be fair, eleven minutes make this the longest track in the album. Its crescendos are truly magnificent (peak, even), but the journey to reach them can feel tedious. Indeed, I too found it dull on repeated listens, asking myself if a bassline or vocals could improve upon it. If you allow yourself to be swept away by its dynamics, however, you will find yourself floating serenely on its tranquil waves.

[[[This power to disconnect you from your surroundings is what gives Lemon’s Chair a definitive victory over Sei and Swann.]]]

Sei & Swann

Very little is known about Swann. He has one release that does not show up anywhere other than this video with 383 views. Fortunately, Swann (최수환) is also the lead of Yellow Kitchen, one of the forerunners of Korean post-rock and ambient music. They are important figures in the indie scene and have represented Korean experimental music for a long time.

Cultural impact doesn’t guarantee good music however. While his reimagined downtempo cover of to here knows when is decent, it’s not very inspiring or impactful, which is a trend in many of the tracks in Dispersion Temporelle. The very subtle harmony around 16:42 brings some interesting ideas to the table but does not stay nor come back. To reiterate, it’s a fine song in a vacuum, but fails to meet expectations outside the safety of pure musical evaluation.

When you sleep

少年ナイフ (Shonen Knife)

I cannot imagine a single person who wouldn’t be bewildered at this the first time they hear it.

Throughout their 42(!) years of pop punk, Shonen Knife has had plenty of member changes. While the Naoko/Ritsuko/Emi trio isn’t what Kurt Cobain would have liked to hear, their other cover album Osaka Ramones is a great listen. I also like Overdrive, inspired by 1970’s rock n’ roll. (I like green tea, green tea latte latte latte latte…)

So when I saw their name, I thought when you sleep would be the perfect track for Shonen Knife. It’s one of the faster songs in the album, with relatively clearer vocals — in line with Naoko’s favoured style. Never in a million years would I have been able to guess that when you sleep would be made into cutesy twee pop.

After the initial confusion of the first verse, you are met with a pause, as if the song is choosing whether to take it a step further or go back to its origins. A refreshing keyboard melody takes over before the second verse does with a ramped up tempo. Everything from the crude accent to the backing scat singing screams kawaii, for the lack of a better word, even if writing that made me physically cringe.

OK BUT IT SUCKS

Espero que la versión de “When You Sleep” sea un chiste, nada más que una broma (De mal gusto por cierto. ¿POR QUÉ MEZCLAN LOS VERSOS CON EL ESTRIBILLO?) ya que la encuentro muy insultante.

lmao

I mean, one would not be wrong to call this moeshit, but they shouldn’t dismiss this cover because it’s “too kawaii for my depression album” or whatever. The album has nine artists on it, cohesion is not to be expected anyway. I personally find this approach incredibly refreshing and memorable. It even has some substance beyond just being a neat novelty. Shonen Knife expressing their love for loveless the Shonen Knife way is not subject to your scrutiny nor approval. What is not to love about people having fun? z

조월 (Jowall)

Jowall does everything, being an OG member of byul.org and Underwears Band. In his own world however, he’s the master of manipulating lyrical noise, with the compilation album To Celebrate Nothing being a great demonstration of his craft. ‘Rustic yet grand’ is a phrase I’ve seen used to describe Jowall’s works, and it has stuck with me. It’s true. That is exactly how it sounds and it is wonderful every single time, this one no exception.

City Burns is my favourite track from Jowall’s solo releases, so imagine my delight when I first noticed the same acoustic and brass sound from this track. The acoustic guitar is so sensual, its intimacy headlined by scratching of nail against wound string. Instead of sounding like a tuba through a Boss MT-2, the winds are gentler this time, producing a relaxing hum. As the riff retreats, you are introduced to delicate vocals.

Usually, Jowall’s singing involves raw, grounded voices that tie you down in an otherwise cosmic experience. This time, they appear to have slight reverb, which is rather unprecedented. After multiple listens, what I think is happening is an homage to the original recording of when you sleep. The iconic androgynous vocals were the brainchild of frustrated Kevin Shields giving up on trying to get them right in one take.

On “When You Sleep” it sounds like me and Bilinda singing together, but it’s just me – me slowed down and me speeded up at the same time. Some songs we sang over and over until we got bored – usually between 12 and 18 times. I started sorting through the tapes and it did my head in, so I just played them all together and it was really good – like one, vaguely distinct voice.

– Kevin Shields

With this in mind, listening to Jowall again makes it quite apparent that something similar is going on. I will even postulate that the effect is done with tape speed manipulation, as neither of the layered vocals sound like traditional pitch shifting.

Another trademark of Jowall’s sound is the unique modulation. His chords like to be suddenly dented or ‘cave in’, accompanied by a complete change in soundscape. A lot of his tracks play two different games in their own territories—warm and rustic to harsh and distorted—but they clash together at the song’s climax. At 21:46, you’re fucking hit with it.

지금도 기억나는 게, 그 터지는 부분에서 약간 일그러지는 소리가 나죠. 오버로드 되는 것처럼. 그런데 실제로 오버로드 되는 소리는 아니고, 그런 이어폰이 찢어지는 듯한 효과를 내고 싶어서, 이거저거 많이 해봤던 기억이 나네요.

I still remember, the part where it explodes makes a slightly distorted sound, like it’s overloaded. I remember trying a lot of different things to create an effect as if your earphones were being torn apart, while not actually overloading the sound.

Thank god he put in the effort, because it paid off. The resulting sequence is sublime, transmitting so much energy and emotion in such a short burst. Before you know it, it is washed away.

Yapping

We have been listening on YouTube so far with 160kbps VBR audio, but I was able to reach out via email and get a better version. This got me excited to the point where I made my way to The Hangout so I could listen to it for the first time on something better than my earphones. It was wonderful. I opted for the Audeze LCD-X, a personal favourite from the lineup. It was a good choice.

Jowall’s latest release, Snowdrift, has a mono mix. In his message board, he mentioned Phil Spector’s stubborn pursuit of mono and claimed that it’s not out of rebellion against technology like Dolby Atmos. Instead, he finds ‘building sound on top of a small dot’ an enjoyable and gratifying experience. Why am I talking about this? I’d like you to weigh this idea against the stereo sound in when you sleep. More than a decade ago, he was able to achieve such a delightful mix, putting you right in the middle of the session: acoustic on your left and drums to the right. You are in the room where the layered voices bounce off the walls and reverberate into your ears. I’m not sure if this effect could have been pulled off if 2023 Jowall was in charge of production.

i only said

東京酒吐座 (Tokyo Shoegazer)

Tokyo Shoegazer again. Will they produce more than a carbon copy this time?

Immediately, everything is muddier. You then notice the absence of the piercing melody, instead being introduced to the guitars straight away. This is fine. It places the spotlight on what’s frankly a wonderfully rich guitar—one that almost sounds like an ensemble. This is on top of spot-on vocal imitation.

The riff is even more shrill, but somewhat.. distant. It’s an interesting effect that plays well with the absolute wall of sound we are presented with. Whatever goes on around the 29-minute mark is quite entrancing, though it is impossible to describe. Near the end of the song, they introduce even more noise (!) and the whole song almost caves in into a distorted mess. I can definitely appreciate the more eccentric approach compared to only shallow, but what may not be too little, still came too late, especially for take two.

GhostMutts

I have no idea who GhostMutts is or are. That gives me the opportunity to focus on the song more, where the vocals and drums demand attention in this rendition of i only said. Having listened to silky voices that try to emulate Shields’ and Butcher’s so far, the sticky vocals of the mysterious figure behind the microphone is nothing short of enticing.

The slow build-up leads to a mellow crescendo, all the instruments softened, be it the thumps of the bass drum or the signature riff itself. The impact is somewhat there, but the ‘explosion’ feels hesitant, or at the very least, modest. The following interlude includes a nice bass hum and spacey synths.

The second verse is not very different from the first, so I don’t have much to say. This is a track with a good atmosphere but lacking impact.

come in alone

AGE of PUNK

ninanian

sometimes

Boris

기합 (KiHap)

blown a wish

成田忍 (Shinobu Narita)

Soil Sugar Poco Largo

what you want

Lemon’s Chair

ギターを掻き鳴らす、やるせなさや、無為感、孤独、悲しみ。

Big Baby Driver

soon

Sadesper Record

LoOm