After hearing "Asobi" and "Weekend" prior to release, I was under the impression that the entire affair might be electronic - maybe Shutoku had ditched his entire band in an ego-filled craze. Through loud speakers, the album's drum work sounds slithery and synthetic, peppered with fake snare and hand claps. Perhaps because of a lineup change or frontman Mukai Shutoku's evolving musical fascinations, Zazen Boys 4 could be considered an outright dance-rock album in some circles and a definite sidestep from expectations in all circles. Two years later, it's time for something completely different. 2006's Zazen Boys III alienated some fans with a more dissonant, fragmented approach, but the album was still funkier and more forward-thinking than anything the band had done before. Still without distribution or a record label in America, Zazen Boys seem content expanding their sound within Japan's somewhat stilted rock scene.
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