Juma

Selected Works is a 2xLP compilation highlighting the definitive material of the cassette releases of Juma, a project led by hyper-prolific Hiroshima artist K. Yoshimatsu that existed from 1981-1982. Yoshimatsu released six cassettes with his Juma project (as well as 20+ under his own name) on the legendary cult industrial/experimental label DD. Records run by prophetic artist T. Kamada. While attending Yamaguchi University in 1978, Yoshimatsu was introduced by classmate and future Juma vocalist F. Yasumura to a now long-lost Japanese communication magazine entitled PUMP, which ultimately led to the creation of a tape trading group of like-minded individuals called "The Recycle Circle". This group included not only future Juma saxophonist T. Isotani, but medical student T. Kamada, as well. Kamada's peerless curatorial passion and aesthetic vision led to the creation of his singular DD. Records, a primarily (though, not exclusively) cassette release label home to a few dozen progressive musicians in Japan's burgeoning underground.

 Most of Yoshimatsu's earliest work for DD. was released as Juma, a group born during his tenure at Yamaguchi University that featured frequent collaborators the aforementioned F. Yasumura and T. Isotani, as well as a slew of other guests. Citing Mike Oldfield and Yes as his main influences, Yoshimatsu's material with Juma perfectly encapsulates the audacious experimentation of both the cassette format and his newfound love of the synthesizer. He produced music at a furious pace ranging from jarring industrial to minimal synth to sax-heavy rock 'n' roll rave-ups to tubular ambient soundscapes to playful new wave...and much more. Juma released these six cassettes in 1981 and 1982, which marked the end of Yoshimatsu's time in Yamaguchi, as he graduated and moved to Hiroshima to pursue filmmaking.

He would continue to record solo music for DD. Records over the next few years. Selected Works marks the first appearance of K. Yoshimatsu's recorded output on the vinyl format. It is an honor for us here at Bitter Lake Recordings to help bring light to his extensive discography, as well as to the memory of DD. Records, as a whole.