Hear Wham!’s Last Christmas reimagined by Japanese experimental rockers Boris

Japan‘s premier experimental rock group, Boris, have surprised fans with a new two-track Christmas single, Noël, which features an unmissable shoegaze-y reworking of Wham!’s festive hit, Last Christmas.

“This is a Christmas present for everyone who lives with the various restrictions stemming from COVID-19,” say Boris. “Here in Japan, it is customary to give gifts at Christmas. We hope this Christmas will be the ‘Last Christmas’ of COVID-19.” 

Amen to that. The A-side of the Noël release is a new version of Pardon?, a track from the band’s 2011 record, New Album, which has been re-constructed by UK singer/songwriter Lauren Auder, alongside French producer Dviance.

“When Lauren Auder replied to our post and told us ‘I love this album very much,’ we were very excited,” say the band. “New Album is an album that has received various criticisms before, however, like Lauren, we also happen to love this album very much. Now, ten years later, we have asked Lauren to sing a new interpretation from it.”

For her part, Auder is equally excited. “I’ve been a long-time fan of Boris‘ work and New Album has been particularly influential on my musical style,” she says. “I'm extremely excited for this to have come together and hoping to continue this collaboration in the future.”

Boris have clearly been making the most of their studio time. It was only recently that the group announced the arrival of W, the spiritual counterpart to their 2020 album, No. W is scheduled for release in January, and is their first album with new label Sacred Bones.

Head to Boris’ Bandcamp page for more information and to hear Noël.