Kronos Explorer Series comprises five classic albums from five different parts of the world PIECES OF AFRICA, NIGHT PRAYERS, CARAVAN, NUEVO, and FLOODPLAIN—with new liner notes that include an in-depth interview of Harrington by renowned author Jonathan Cott.
PIECES OF AFRICA (1992), Kronos' first record of African music, developed over eight years, during which Kronos commissioned/performed with some of the continent's greatest musicians.
NIGHT PRAYERS (1994) contains seven works by vastly different artists, geographically all from within the former Soviet Union, including Huun-Huur-Tu from Tuva, Azerbaijani duduk master Djivan Gasparian, and Sofia Gubaidulina from the former Tatar.
The compositions on CARAVAN (2000) come from many compass points-Iraq, California, South America-but all have roots in other places, starting with the territory that links northeastern Europe with the Mediterranean and the Orient; composer Osvaldo Golijov arranged the pieces.
For NUEVO (2002), the Quartet embraced Mexican genres from rock to mariachi, with music from the heart of regional Mexico, including street performers, religious festival celebrants, and a duet with a leaf player.
And on FLOODPLAIN (2009), ancient songs from the wellspring of the Fertile Crescent mingle with new music from low-lying areas in Central Asia, North Africa, and Eastern Europe, performed on centuries-old harps, electric sitar, and instruments built for Kronos.