Polydor series POJL

In the mid-1990s, inspired by the success of King Records' Super Analogue series, Polydor K.K.—the Japanese subsidiary of the PolyGram group and holder of Decca distribution rights in Japan—launched a similar high-end audiophile initiative. Tailored exclusively for the Japanese market, each title in this premium series was strictly limited to 2,000 copies. The ultimate goal of the series was to achieve the highest possible reproduction quality. To accomplish this for the analog releases, titles were selected based on the pristine preservation of their original Decca master tapes. The lacquer cutting was conducted at the Decca studios under strict Japanese supervision. Finally, the records were pressed onto 180-gram vinyl at the renowned Pallas plant in Germany, with Japanese oversight maintained throughout the entire manufacturing process.

In essence, while the production spanned international facilities, the project was entirely Japanese in its inception, target market, and quality standards.

The series consists of just 22 titles, cataloged from POJL 9001 to POJL 9022:

• POJL 9001 to 9010: The first 10 entries are sourced from 1950s/1960s Decca analog master tapes. (Note: This group actually spans 12 LPs due to the inclusion of the 3-LP box set of Verdi's Otello, conducted by Karajan and starring Del Monaco and Tebaldi).

• POJL 9011 to 9022: The remaining 12 titles are of digital origin and had never previously been pressed on vinyl.