The 10000 Things: Praise Songs For The Iriligious

Mazz Swift (they/them), the composer, conductor, bandleader, educator, singer, and Juilliard-trained violinist who weaves classic African-American musics, electronica, and mindfulness into their music, releases their debut solo album The 10000 Things: Praise Songs for the iRiligious via New Amsterdam Records. The 10000 Things: Praise Songs for the iRiligious is influenced by Swift’s relationship with the Ghanaian concept of Sankofa (to “go back and fetch it”). The Work Songs and Spirituals of the enslaved people that Swift uses as jumping-off points for improvisation and composition serve to connect with their musical ancestors, creating a work that lives in the present moment while acknowledging the past and pushing their sonic palette towards the future. The 10000 Things is densely produced with synths, electronic percussion, experimental electronics, powerfully wailing violin improvisations, and commanding vocals which all come together to create a work that is deeply moving and sonically explorative, yet rooted deeply in tradition.