Review
A masterclass in post-production as much as free improvisation, Makaya McCraven’s Universal Beings was built from dozens of hours of live sessions spanning New York, Chicago, London, and Los Angeles. Now resurfaced via International Anthem's IA11 reissue campaign, the double album stands as the definitive zenith of McCraven's "organic beat music," collaging a vast geography of contemporary musicians into a singular, cohesive rhythm.
The ensuing tracks find their momentum through expertly spliced loops rather than traditional compositional structures. Assessing the record's fluid aesthetic, Pitchfork noted that the music is "[i]nformed by ambient and hip-hop protocols as well as state-of-the-art jazz hyperfluency." The mood effortlessly pivots from spiritual meditations to rigorous post-bop, grounded by a reliance on a "good drone" over any structural need for "an elegant harmonic resolution." By treating raw improvisations from heavyweights like Nubya Garcia and Shabaka Hutchings as pliable clay, McCraven achieves a seamless hybridity. AllMusic captured this triumph directly, praising a work that "marries virtuoso musicianship, technological savvy, a keen editor's ear... and a plethora of almighty grooves."
