Zazou musically born in the mid '70s as one half of the ZNR duo. He always experimented with jazz, world music, electronic creating each time something unique. The latest Zazou release, L'ABSENCE, is really various and intriguing. It gathers a lot of influences: world music, pure electronic ambient music made of drones (like on the opening "Etranges Attracteurs"), a touch of hip hop, pop, etc. Just to make some comparisons try to figure David Sylvian, Japan, Jah Wobble, Brian Eno mixed together just to make a sensual tracklist of eleven songs. Another relevant point of this album is that many people accepted to collaborate on vocals: Nicola Hitchcock, Caroline Lavelle, Lucrezia Von Berger, Asia Argento (yes! You read it right and it is who you are thinking she is) and Katrina Beckford. The atmosphere of the instrumental tracks is different respect to the ones with guests: the first ones tend to be more tense and experimental, while the others are like sensual and luscious pop songs: it's like a sort of experimental version of latest Everything But The Girl (see "Lies Will Flow"). This is an intelligent way of making refined songs without being too poppy or a rip off and if you want something unique, this is for you.