Issa Bagayogo Tassoumakan (Six Degrees)

Mastery of the kora — an African lutelike instrument with 18 strings — was not enough for the man nicknamed “Techno Issa.” So the Malian native entered the studio and blended folk into funky electronics, tastefully arranging looped rhythms to accompany acoustic virtuosity. Tassoumakan is his quietest, though most well-produced, U.S. release. He uses technology as an aid, not a crutch to carry songs. He does turn it up, as on the danceable “Diama Don” and swinging “Kalan Nege,” but when he goes minimalist — as on “Kanou” — Bagayogo's depth is fully expressed.
— Derek Beres