Japanese label EM Records are reissuing Kiyoaki Iwamoto’s rearranged version of Joy Division’s Love Will Tear Us Apart. Originally recorded in 1983 and released on the now very rare Sougi single the label is reissuing the track as part of the SOUGI+ release. The reissue includes other tracks from the original 7″ as well as an unreleased track from Iwamoto’s band Birei recorded in 1980. Also included is a remix of Love Will Tear Us Apart by Chisako and Junta which is the track what piqued my interest. The remix blends old and new elements taking the lo-fi guitar of the original cover and mixing in some electronica whilst the original vocals are joined by new female voice insertions.
I don’t know anything about Iwamoto but he seems to be an interesting character. Aside from Birei, he was also a founding member of Guys & Dolls. According to the label, he cut contact with his friends in the mid-1980s and disavowed his name.
SOUGI+ will be released on 18th September 2020 on 10″ vinyl, CD and digital formats. It can be pre-ordered from here.
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