Record Launch & Talk: Outer Spaceways Incorporated - Kronos Quartet & Friends meet Sun Ra

Hauser & Wirth Publishers and Red Hot invite you to the Ursula bookshop at 18th Street for a record launch and talk celebrating the recent release of ‘Outer Spaceways Incorporated: Kronos Quartet & Friends Meet Sun Ra.’ 

The album, produced by Kronos Quartet leader David Harrington, is the fourth in a series of albums being released by Red Hot inspired by the music and vision of Sun Ra. Featuring a diverse cast of collaborating musicians, composers, producers, emcees, and artists, 'Outer Spaceways Incorporated' seeks to pay homage to an artist who existed beyond easy definitions. Ra’s cosmic spirituality, sophisticated harmonic sense, and insistence that the beauty of the world is beyond what the eye can see, are etched into every note. The album’s incredible artwork is by Lorna Simpson.

Commemorating the launch, Red Hot will host a conversation with Kronos Quartet’s David Harrington, New-Age icon Laraaji and record co-producer Elia Einhorn.

This event is free; however, reservations are recommended.
Click here to register. 

About the Album
“I wanted  'Outer Spaceways Incorporated: Kronos Quartet & Friends meet Sun Ra' to honor Sun Ra’s creative genius. I believe the music of Sun Ra belongs in the same sentence as a few other composers who have totally enlarged American music such as Charles Ives, Duke Ellington, Terry Riley and Laurie Anderson. If I could have called Ives and Ellington, I would have. As it was, the first composers I spoke to regarding Red Hot’s offer to honor Sun Ra and use his original recordings and compositions as source material, were Terry and Laurie.

“Sun Ra lived his life always centered on possible next steps he could take in music and technology. It seemed very natural to bring in some of the most thrilling forces Kronos has worked with, such as Jlin, Nicole Lizée, Zachary Watkins, Trey Spruance, Victoria Shen and Jacob Garchik.

“From the start John [Carlin] and I knew that Marshall Allen had to be a part of the record, if possible, and I’m thrilled by what he contributed to the album. John Carlin and Elia Einhorn put me in touch with Laraaji, and Steve Bernstein was a Laurie Anderson suggestion. Elia reached out to Georgia Anne Muldrow, RP Boo and Armand Hammer, as well as 700 Bliss. Pretty soon there began to emerge a sonic picture of Sun Ra’s world that felt similar to the breadth of scope I aim for in the other Kronos albums we’ve made over the years. 

“I’m totally excited to have audiences hear what all of us put together, and I think not only is space the place in our world, but the future is going to be propelled cosmically, just as Sun Ra envisioned.” 

'Outer Spaceways Incorporated: Kronos Quartet & Friends meet Sun Ra' features a diverse cast of collaborating musicians, composers, producers, emcees, including (in order of appearance): Kronos Quartet, Georgia Anne Muldrow, Jacob Garchik, Jlin, Laraaji, Marshall Allen, Laurie Anderson, Steven Bernstein, Sexmob, Doug Wieselman, Nicole Lizée, Zachary James Watkins, Corey Fogel, Raffi Garabedian, RP Boo, Armand Hammer, 700 Bliss, Trey Spruance, Secret Chiefs 3, Victoria Shen (Evicshen), Terry Riley, and Sara Miyamoto.