jjuujjuu

In 2011, after ten years of touring as a bass player, Desert Daze co-founder Phil Pirrone borrowed an SG and a DL4, and began his exploration of recording looped-based music. JJUUJJUU’s debut release, 2013’s FRST EP, and subsequent stand alone single, “Bleck,” began to build excitement about the project. Throughout this period the lineup and instrumentation of JJUUJJUU moved in step with the project’s ethos of ephemera and flux, as JJUUJJUU continued to tour in several different configurations with Pirrone at their center, sharing stages with Claypool Lennon Delirium, Tortoise, Allah-Las, Temples, Tinariwen and others.

Over the next several years, Pirrone recorded in various spaces around California to document the songs that would eventually make up JJUUJJUU’s debut LP, Zionic Mud. The album’s release was accompanied by alternate versions of the tracks remixed or reimagined by many of the band’s notable supporters including J Mascis, jennylee of Warpaint, Liars, Metz, and Autolux. In support of Zionic Mud, JJUUJJUU toured opening for Primus, Mastodon, Kikagaku Moyo, Earthless, and festivals including Pickathon, Nelsonville, M3F, and more.

Pirrone and company recorded two follow ups to 2018's Zionic Mud in spring of 2020. With extra time on his hands, Pirrone taught himself how to record and then sent tracks to long time band members Ian Gibbs and Joseph Assef. The tracks were sent around to Boogarins, Alex Edkins (Metz), and additional friends to be revealed soon. The band eventually wound up at Rancho De La Luna and put finishing touches on the record with Dave Catching and Jon Russo.

2023 saw the collective play a string of shows around the globe including their Los Angeles residency at Gold Diggers. They also shared new music including “Nowhere,” “Daisy Chain,” “Crappy New Year” and “No Way In.”