Overdubbing was kept to a minimum, with at most one pass. Often the sound borders on minimalist, with just two instruments and Hirayasu's earthy voice. He believes that what makes steel guitar so compatible with so many disparate types of music is that it closely resembles the human voice. Brozman and Hirayasu found a common ground in Hawaiian and Okinawan traditional music. The music is very text-driven.
Western music is often a very strict four beats to the measure.
Hawaiian and Okinawan music is more flexible. Both also share a longtime love of playing the blues. Though much of the music on Jin Jin could be characterized as children's music, Brozman cautions against using that label. The album includes lullabies, dances, teaching songs, and even scolding songs. Most of them are songs that Hirayasu learned as a child, and have never been recorded before.