Sean Gaskell and Chet Corpt have both studied the kora in the traditional manner with the late great Malamini Jobarteh in his compound in Gambia, West Africa. A former minister of culture for that country, in addition to being a renowned international performer of kora music, he once said “Kora is an ocean.” Very deep, wide, and touching many shores. Seeking to avoid the pitfalls of cultural appropriation and mere mimicry, Chet and Sean experiment with the means that Mande sound art provides, tight and highly abstract rhythms and melodies, to express their own personal narratives.