Part of the magic of drummer/bandleader Makaya McCraven’s jazz-funk-hop fusion is that it sounds both dense and casual at the same time—think the rhythmic imperative of mid-’70s Miles Davis meets the mellow utility of a good beat tape, or whatever else you space out to while doing dishes. One of four live EPs released in 2025 (alongside Hidden Out!, The People’s Mixtape, and PopUp Shop), Techno Logic features tubist Theon Cross and cornetist/vocalist Ben LaMar Gay for five taut, looplike pieces that push the electronic/experimental side of McCraven’s music (“Technology”) while still retaining the comfort of old-school hip-hop (“Boom Bapped”). Taken in aggregate, the EPs capture not only the excitement and collectivity of the modern alt-jazz scene, but its essential accessibility. Like Charles Mingus’ Blues & Roots, this is jazz as folk music with progressive intent, born of thought but easily felt.