St Germain's new, self-titled album was featured on today's episode of NPR's All Things Considered. "His blend of jazz vocal samples and house rhythms was unique when he released [Tourist, in 2000]," says host Kelly McEvers. "Now, St Germain is reemerging with a new, self-titled album, and reviewer Tom Moon says it's a surprisingly creative return."

The self-titled record marries percussive grooves, which have always been central to St Germain’s sound, with a new element: traditional Malian music. The album features various musicians and singers from the African diaspora, including revered Malian guitarist and n’goni player Guimba Kouyata.

"This isn't your typical globe-trotting cut-and-paste," says Moon. "Where most DJs organize their work around static loops, St Germain seeks a less scripted, more improvisational atmosphere." He later concludes: "There's a lot of musical conversation going on here. St Germain went deep into West African music and discovered that to capture its nuances, he had to ditch some of his DJ tricks and open things way up. The result: a timeless African sound reconfigured ever so slightly for the electronic age."

Hear the complete All Things Considered review here via npr.org:

To pick up a copy of St Germain in the United States, head to iTunes or the Nonesuch Store, where the album is available on CD, vinyl, FLAC, and MP3, and the vinyl reissue of Tourist is also available.