Makaya McCraven – Boom Bapped
Makaya McCraven returns with “Boom Bapped,” one of four singles from his upcoming quadruple EP release “Off the Record.” The track comes from “Techno Logic,” featuring Ben LaMar Gay and Theon Cross, built from a 2017 session at Worldwide FM’s North London studio.
McCraven’s approach stays true to his “organic beat music” formula — live improvisation later reshaped through extensive editing and overdubs at his Chicago home studio. “Boom Bapped” started as a loop from that first London session, then got filled out with keyboard, bass, and vibraphone layers recorded seven years later in 2024.
Ben LaMar Gay’s cornet takes the lead over McCraven’s aptly titled boom-bap rhythm. The track showcases eight years of developing chemistry between the three musicians, drawing from performances in London, Berlin, and New York. McCraven’s production keeps the live energy while adding studio polish.
The four EPs — “Techno Logic,” “The People’s Mixtape,” “Hidden Out!,” and “PopUp Shop” — drop digitally October 31st via International Anthem/Nonesuch/XL. Physical copies arrive October 10th as a double LP/CD compilation. Each EP draws from different live sessions spanning 2015-2025, marking McCraven’s first releases since 2022’s “In These Times.”
Tracklist:
Techno Logic (featuring Theon Cross and Ben LaMar Gay):
- Gnu Blue
- Technology
- Boom Bapped
- Prime
- Strikes Again
The People’s Mixtape:
- Choo Choo
- The Beat Up
- What a Life
- Lake Shore Drive Five
Hidden Out!:
- Battleships
- Away
- Dark Parks
- Awaze
- News Feed
- Braddas
PopUp Shop:
- YoYoYo Intro
- Venice
- Imafan
- Los Gatos
- Sweet Stuff
