The famed San-Francisco-based string quartet, The Kronos Quartet, has delivered more than 40 albums of extraordinary contemporary works. Their first, Music of Dane Rudhyar, was issued back in 1979. Since then, the band, started by David Harrington, has re-imagined the classic works of such artists as Steve Reich, Thelonius Monk, Claude Ballif, Henryk Górecki, Terry Riley, even working up a musical celebration of “Howl”, the classic ’60s poem by Allen Ginsburg. Terry Riley, who has influenced even Pete Townshend of The Who, has often collaborated with Krono Quartet resulting in five Riley sets with the band (some just playing the music of Riley). Needless to say, Terry Riley is an important composer that is widely recognized by some musicians.
In 2002, NASA commissioned a composition set to complement a visual piece. They contributed a collection of actual – and eerie – space sounds for the composer and Kronos Quartet to incorporate into the intended work, to become known as Sun Rings. The result was a ten-part construction that helped to set the works of Riley and Kronos Quartet into a greater arena of imaginings.
On August 30, Nonesuch Records will release Terry Riley: Sun Rings. Originally, a multi-media piece, this musical extraction will be a welcome addition to the library of Kronos Quartet. It is planned to be released on CD, and DD. A heralding single from the album, “Beebopterismo” is set for release on July 10.
Terry Riley: Sun Rings – Kronos Quartet
01 Sun Rings: Overture
02 Sun Rings: Hero Danger
03 Sun Rings: Beebopterismo
04 Sun Rings: Planet Elf Sindoori
05 Sun Rings: Earth Whistlers
06 Sun Rings: Earth/Jupiter Kiss
07 Sun Rings: The Electron Cyclotron Frequency Parlour
08 Sun Rings: Prayer Central
09 Sun Rings: Venus Upstream
10 Sun Rings: One Earth, One People, One Love