Returning to our roots in the Pacific Northwest in 2009 inspired a surge of songwriting creativity that would lay the foundation for the 'Zen & The Art Of Bicycle Riding' recordings. After a few months of writing, we invited good friend and Portland music maestro Tim Proctor(The Punctuals) along to play a few shows including a big Oregon State Fair gig that summer. He ended up sticking around, eventually co-writing two of the new album's tracks while contributing invaluable musicianship in the form of organs, piano, vocals, guitars and whatever else we could throw at him.

In September 2011 we met San Diego native and drummer Tyler Pinto(Rodeo Clowns) who brought along bassist Nick Haas(The Real) effectively completing the lineup that would play and work together over the coming year in preparation for the recording of the ZATAOBR album. ZenT played a slew of live shows around town in first half of 2012(Tiger Bar, Mt Tabor Theater, Kelly's Olympian and Ash Street Saloon among others)before once again returning to our ZenDen in SE Portland to begin recording.

Trent Berry returned to the mix in March 2013, traveling north to meet us for a festive weekend in Portland to kick off the 'Zen & The Art Of Bicycle Riding' studio sessions. Recorded and mixing continued through the summer with various members swapping songs in a communal style. In October 2013, the completed tracks where sent back to Trakworx Studios for final mastering by Justin Weis.

'Zen & The Art Of Bicycle Riding' is divided into two acts entitled 'Yin' and 'Yang' with an Interlude featuring an excerpt from Robert F. Kennedy's speech on the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr from April 4th, 1963. The Yin act includes the tracks 'Lost In The Woods', 'Autumn Song' and 'Ascend' which are characterized as softer, yielding and more feminine in nature; with over riding themes of human connection, love and loss. The Yang act includes the tracks 'New Tricks', 'Chisel Away' and 'Crooked' which are considered to represent a harder, focused and more masculine exploration on subjects ranging from capitalist corruption to mental illness. We consider 'Zen & The Art Of Bicycle Riding' as a musical performance piece. It is not meant to spawn radio singles, permeate pop culture or be consumed in commercially digestible bites. This work should be experienced as one would take in a night at the symphony, ballet, theater or opera. We invite you, our fellow tribesmen and women, to listen wholeheartedly and with attention to detail. Be embraced by each note and enveloped in every moment; becoming one with the music, one with the mood and one with the message contained within. ~Namaste~