Percussionist, composer, and producer Makaya McCraven has released a Hi-Res live EP, International Anthem @ Public Records (Volume 3), available now exclusively on Qobuz. The set was recorded live at Brooklyn's Public Records on September 19, 2022, for which McCraven assembled a unique ensemble with a string quartet to perform special arrangements of songs from his new album, In These Times, out now via International Anthem, Nonesuch, XL Recordings. You can hear it here. The live recording was supported by Qobuz as part of its ongoing partnership and series of co-presented shows with Chicago-based label International Anthem.

“It was really fun doing pared down versions of these songs in such an intimate space,” McCraven says, “especially with so many close friends and family in the house.”

The live EP includes four pieces of music from the performance featuring McCraven (drums) and musicians who were part of his In These Times album sessions: Junius Paul (bass), Brandee Younger (harp), De’Sean Jones (tenor saxophone, flute, EWI), Marta Sofia Honer (viola), Macie Stewart (violin), Zara Zaharieva (violin), and Lia Kohl (cello). The artwork for the event and the album was created by Mark Rice of Goatmother Industrial. On the EP are live takes on “Dream Another,” “The Knew Untitled,” “Lullabye,” and “This Place That Place.” You can watch a live video of “Dream Another” from the set, directed by Matthew Edginton, here:

All of the songs featured on International Anthem @ Public Records (Volume 3) were written by McCraven except for "Lullaby," which he composed based on a song originally written by his mother, Hungarian folk singer Agnes Zsigmondi. The EP was recorded by International Anthem’s Dave Vettraino alongside Public Records sound engineer James Hartnett, and edited/mixed by McCraven and Vettraino.