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JapancakesSoon/Touched(Sonic Cathedral) US release date: 23 June 2008 by Zach SchonfeldHow do you go about covering My Bloody Valentine when so many guitarists have spent the past fifteen years trying to imitate Kevin Shields to no avail? To Georgia-based post-rockers Japancakes, the answer is simple: think beyond guitars. The result was a shockingly warm track-by-track tribute to Loveless. These two remixes, however, fail by veering so far to the opposite extreme, replacing the gorgeous pedal steels and cellos (of the cover album) with glitchy synths and electro soundscapes. At the very least, James Rutledge’s take on “Soon” is interesting in its imitation of that song’s high-pitched loop. “Touched”, originally a harrowing minute-long sound exploration, was fabulously reinterpreted by Japancakes for whining strings and minor chords. By contrast, the Ricardo Tobar mix, with its cheap, pulsing club beat, has nothing in common with either, rendering the 6:31 track as pointless as it is cheesy. Whether you’re a Japancakes or a MBV fan, stick with the 2007 Loveless tribute.
— 2 September 2008Related articles
Review: Japancakes: If I Could See Dallas / Down the Elements / The Sleepy StrangeKevin Pearson14.Mar.08 Worthy re-release of three improvised and instrumental albums that mix symphonic drone pop with a dash of pedal steel. 
The Best Indie-Pop of 2007Dave Heaton12.Dec.07 2007 was a year of independent thinking, where fresh and experienced bands alike stubbornly set off on their own course. 
Review: Japancakes: Giving Machines / LovelessNate Dorr10.Oct.07 The two albums are occasionally lovely, always effortlessly competent, and while a body of work can perhaps survive by those traits alone, it isn't likely to distinguish itself.
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