· Lucy Lerner · Reviews
Premiere: Cali High Gospel Version By MTRSS Ft MaKenzie Thomas Is A Joyful Rebirth
The enigmatic audio-visual collaboration MTRSS unveils the stunning Gospel version of their single Cali High. There have been various manifestations of the song but this one featuring Gospel and Soul singer MaKenzie Thomas feels like a joyful rebirth.
MaKenzie’s voice slides smoothly along the shimmering melody. Beautiful harmonies have a dreamlike quality, and everything is held together by the silky vocals and warm instrumental interludes.
A top 8 Semi-Finalist of The Voice US, Kentucky-born MaKenzie Thomas has been singing since she was 3 and has performed with Jennifer Hudson amongst many other accolades. She says of her collaboration with MTRSS, “I had an amazing time working on this project. I loved how the song originally had a California Local vibe as I did live there myself for a bit. I really enjoyed putting my little gospel-inspired groove on it and I think the end result is a sweet vibe.”
MTRSS is a multimedia project which tells different narratives through audio and visually in a contemporary and exciting way. The creative outfit is pure art from a live ballet performed by the Bolshoi Theater in collaboration with European choreographers to an interactive series involving AR / MR / XR. Discussing their new single featuring MaKenzie Thomas, they say, “We’ve always wanted to do a gospel version of ‘Cali High’ but couldn’t find the right artist. After we heard MaKenzie singing, we thought she was perfect. Gospel music is at the heart of her musical heritage and her smooth, rich vocals full of nuance and complexity sounds amazing on the record.”