JJUUJJUU, led by Desert Daze co-founder Phil Pirrone, has released “No Way In.” It’s their latest in a series of recent singles including “Nowhere,” “Daisy Chain” and “Crappy New Year.” Says Pirrone, “This is what would happen if JJUUJJUU was the soundtrack of 90s video game ToeJam & Earl.” Listen to the track and watch the animated video from frequent collaborator Micah Buzan (Adult Swim, The Flaming Lips, The Claypool Lennon Delirium).

Recently, the collective performed in New York City, at London’s Wide Awake Festival, the San Diego Freakout Fest and more, and they launched their JJUUJJUU & Friends monthly residency at Los Angeles’ Gold Diggers which runs through September. Recreating the annual closing ceremonies tradition of Desert Daze featuring explorations in improvisational music with special guests and surprises, each show will feature friends of the band and Desert Daze mainstays including John Dwyer & Tomas Dolas (OSEES), L.A. Witch, Morgan Delt, Kelli Scott (Failure), Bonnie & Larry of Death Valley Girls, Art Feynman, and many more.

In 2011, after ten years of touring as a bass player, 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. Sessions included collaborations with Vinyl Williams, members of Lumerians, Dahga Bloom, and more. 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 at home during the first wave of the pandemic. 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.

JJUUJJUU 2023 Tour Dates

6.29 Santa Ana, CA – Constellation Room *w/ Protomartyr
6.30 Los Angeles, CA – JJUUJJUU & Friends @ Gold Diggers w /Art Feynman – RSVP
7.27 Los Angeles, CA – JJUUJJUU & Friends @ Gold Diggers w/ John Dwyer + Tomas Dolas of OSEES – RSVP
8.31 Los Angeles, CA – JUUJJUU & Friends @ Gold Diggers w/ Death Valley Girls – RSVP
9.28 Los Angeles, CA – JUUJJUU & Friends @ Gold Diggers w/ LA Witch – RSVP

Order tickets for JJUUJJUU HERE