Musicians included Ryuichi Sakamoto, Dennis Rea, Bill Rieflin and Archaea Strings. Strong Currents was released in 2003 and featured an all-female vocal cast which included Laurie Anderson, Melanie Gabriel, Lori Carson, Lisa Germano, Irene Grandi, Nina Hynes, Jane Birkin, and Caroline Lavelle. He describes it as a work of black humour and regards his instrumental composition "Sombre" on the album as one of his best songs ever. In the book "Sonora Portraits 2", which accompanies the CD Strong Currents, Zazou says that 12 (Las Vegas Is Cursed) was his most elaborate album. Zazou's collaborative 2000 album 12 (Las Vegas Is Cursed) with Sandy Dillon was regarded as a financial and critical failure. His 1998 album, Lights in the Dark, showcased ancient Celtic music sung by Irish singers. The single featured remixes by Mad Professor as well as Zazou himself. Performed by Suzanne Vega and John Cale, it was released as a single in 1995. He wrote it in gratitude to his record company Sony who gave him complete artistic liberty. The single "The Long Voyage" was the only song to be an original composition from Zazou. A cameraman accompanied Zazou on the project and they shot and recorded in Alaska, Canada, Greenland, Japan, Scandinavia, and Siberia. Musicians included Mark Isham, Brendan Perry, Budgie and the Balanescu Quartet.
It featured vocals by pop and rock artists such as Björk, Suzanne Vega, John Cale, Värttina, Jane Siberry, and Siouxsie Sioux in addition to recordings of shamanic incantations and lullabies from Ainu, Nanai, Inuit, and Yakut singers. The album was based on ocean-themed traditional folk songs from northern countries, such as Canada, Finland, Iceland, and Japan. In 1994, he released the album Chansons des mers froides (called Songs from the Cold Seas for the anglophone market). He even adapted a traditional Ethiopian song. Contributions included spoken word from Gérard Depardieu, Dominique Dalcan and music by Brendan Perry and Lisa Gerrard of Dead Can Dance, Tim Simenon, and David Sylvian. Pasquier suggested Zazou commemorate the 100th anniversary of the death of author Arthur Rimbaud by setting music to Rimbaud's poetry. Zazou's 1992 offering, Sahara Blue, was based on an idea by Jacques Pasquier. The collection of songs on each album assemble contributions from a diverse and global range of pop, folk, world music, avant-garde, and classical recording acts. The albums that he has released under his own name from the 1990s onwards are usually concept albums that draw from literary or folk sources and revolve around a specific theme.
On his 1989 album, Géologies, he combined electronic music with a string quartet. On his 1986 album, Reivax au Bongo, he experimented with fusing classical vocals with an electronic backdrop.
Zazou regarded his work during the 1980s as his time of apprenticeship in the studio. His groundbreaking 1983 album Noir et blanc (recorded with Congolese singer Bony Bikaye) garnered a lot of international attention, and is widely recognized as one of the earliest and most impressive experiments in fusing African and electronic music. He was influenced by Peter Gabriel's album Passion: Music for The Last Temptation of Christ in his fusion of musical polarities (traditional and modern, electronic and acoustic) on his own album Les Nouvelles Polyphonies Corses. His discography demonstrates his affinity for cross-cultural collaborations, and incorporated modern techniques and sounds in re-recordings of traditional material. Long-time collaborators include trumpeter Mark Isham guitarist Lone Kent cellist and singer Caroline Lavelle trumpeter Christian Lechevretel, who has appeared on all of Zazou's albums after Sahara Blue clarinetist and flutist Renaud Pion, who has appeared on all of Zazou's albums since Les Nouvelles Polyphonies Corses drummer Bill Rieflin and Japanese recording artist Ryuichi Sakamoto. Their 1976 debut album Barricade 3 was notable for its "strong Satie influence, stripped to minimal essentials, everything counts". Zazou first came to international attention as part of the ZNR duo with Joseph Racaille, where both played electric keyboards.
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