Life has a way of reshuffling priorities from time to time. Since my last “synchronicity update,” I have abandoned academia to pursue a career as a full-time editor for a digital marketing firm, welcomed a third and fourth child into my growing family, mourned the death of my father-in-law (and the near-death of my father), and, most recently, moved house. All told, I have found it especially difficult to review—let alone listen to—new music with any degree of consistency during the past few years. However, after getting all of my ducks in a row, I am glad to report that as of today, I am once more caught up with ECM in my writing endeavors. I continue to be humbled not only by the label’s staggering output but also by the attention and kindness you have all shown me. Whether you have been reading this blog from the beginning or are newly exploring the catalogue, I can only hope that my reactions and ruminations can bring you closer to the music and guide you toward enriching discoveries along the way. Keep your eyes peeled for further surprises and changes as I devote more time to updating and refining some of the mechanics of the website for a better user experience. It has been a long and tedious process, but the results will be worth it.
Between Sound and Space: ECM Records and Beyond 
Thank you, Tyran. It is always a pleasure and adventure to read, what you discover in ECM’s catalogue. A long time ago I used to spend time in a little record store of my hometown here in Germany, accompanied by a good friend of mine, who sadly passed away last year. The owner of the store took us up into the first floor, where a cardboard box with vinyl records was waiting for us – packed with ECM records from 1 to 100 plus some new releases. It was a “dreambox” for us in those days. My friend got “Deer Wan” by Kenny Wheeler, I decided to go with “Tales of Another” by Gary Peacock. It was the cover art that made us do it; the music, however, turned out to be rather disappointing for us (way back then). By that time I thought, the music had to be by far the most important part of an ECM album. The covers looked great, but I believed that one had to resist their appeal, because in the end they were just part of the packaging and said nothing about the value of the music. Today I know that all is one: music, cover, tactile feel … together they create an inspiring magic of art. And that is why I still can’t get enough of the most beautiful sound next to silence. Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts – wonderful impulses for me to listen again and again.
Thank you so much, Frank, for sharing your wonderful thoughts in kind on your path to discovery. I sometimes had a similar reaction to certain albums on ECM proper, having come to the label from a classical perspective via the New Series and knowing almost nothing about jazz. I was, at first, very hesitant to explore that realm, but something about the whole package of what every ECM release was about drew me in and, before long, I found myself being swept away by unimaginable impulses. They are indeed one: music, cover, and feel!