Dear readers,
I’ve been thinking about writing a new book about ECM. Before deciding what shape it might take, I’d like to hear from those of you who have made Between Sound and Space part of your listening lives.
My main concern is finding something new to say. There are already books that approach ECM from various perspectives, including my own, and I don’t want to repeat myself or revisit familiar ground without a compelling reason. I’d like a new project to fill a gap by exploring something you’ve wanted to read about but haven’t yet found, or to ask questions that deserve more sustained attention.
What kind of book about ECM would you like to see? Are there musicians, collaborations, or parts of the catalog you feel have received too little attention? Would you welcome more conversations with artists, stories behind particular recordings, or a closer look at how the music enters and shapes our lives? Perhaps you have something entirely different in mind.
I’d be interested in hearing what you feel is missing from the existing books. A question, a subject, or even a wish for a different approach would give me something to think about.
This is still an idea rather than a definite announcement. For now, I’m all ears, and I would be grateful for your thoughts in the comments below.
Thank you, as always, for reading and listening alongside me.
Tyran
hi Tyran, great idea, thank you!
I would like to read a book about the female artists and composers at ECM – and, as far as I know, they are in the absolute minority. But this fact makes it probably more realistic to create a holistic and complete overview because it is a narrow field. Thanks again and kind regards Bernhard
Hi Tyran,
Firstly, a big and personal thank you for the gigantic task you undertake in bringing the world of ECM to life. I have benefited enormously from your website. I also have your book, which has been really useful in helping me discover special recordings.
I am on this rather hopeless journey to listen to the entire ECM catalogue. It feels close to impossible, and I am not sure it is the best use of my time—but perhaps it is!
Your question made me think about what I still find difficult with exploring ECM which is giving this listening journey some order. Some days I focus on one artist; tonight it was Ayumi Tanaka, which was quite manageable with only a few recordings. Other times I explore a particular format—the piano trio is my favourite. To start from the beginning of the catalogue and go ups the list is pointless. Then there is Pat Metheny, my all-time musical hero, although exploring the label has given me many other favourites which I was not aware of. And I cannot wait for the next Dominic Miller release… Always several directions calling. And the comfort of returning to what I know best, Tord, Marcin, Bobo, Arild, and so on.
The book I would most welcome would be one which helps listeners find their own paths through this world. Perhaps it could follow connections between artists, collaborations, instruments and musical moods, drawing attention to overlooked recordings along the way. Your reviews are generous and thoughtful. However, I would also welcome a clearer sense of which recordings you find less successful, and why. Some indication of particular favourites might help guide the listening journey, although I appreciate how difficult—and subjective—a rating system would be.
Stories behind particular recordings and interviews with the musicians could give those paths a more personal dimension. I would also enjoy reading about how other listeners encounter this music and how it becomes part of their lives.
I have The Penguin Guide to Jazz as an eBook and use it. What appeals to me is having something I can browse, consult and follow in unexpected directions. Far from perfect it’s a useful book organised around listening journeys, with a catalogue index to help navigate them, would be a welcome companion.
As a separate thought, an online companion (an app) with space for listeners’ reflections and links to streaming services could be useful. My own database and Apple Music folders are becoming rather unwieldy. And even in this digital age, a beautifully illustrated coffee-table book with the album art would be a treat.
I would also welcome reflections and insights beyond ECM, something I see you already explore on occasion. There are wonderful recordings on other labels that share the same qualities. Not every ECM album is to my liking, but it remains an amazing place to begin.
All rather rambling, but I hope there is something useful here. I cannot overemphasise the contribution you make to my understanding and enjoyment of this music. Thank you.
Wishing you all the best.
Martin Ginster South Africa
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Hello!
Well i’ve been an ECM ‘fan’ since about 1978, buying tons of LPs and later CDs. I”ve got hundreds of albums from ECM. I’m pretty sure that not a week has passed since 1978 that I haven’t played something from ECM.
What I would LOVE to see are interview(s) with artists about either a specific album(s) of theirs, the recording of, stories of the composition, recording sessions and (if an ensemble piece) the relationship with the musicians used in the recordings. Considering the number of albums this could easily be a whole series of books. Sadly some i’d love to hear about the artists are no longer with us such as Barre Phillis (specifically ‘Three Day Moon’), or Ralph Towner (‘Blue Sun’) and especially my personal all-time favorite John Abercrombie’s ‘Characters’. Though still very much with us i’d love to hear Terje Rypdal tell us all about his solo album ‘After The Rain’ and Eberhard Weber talk about his creation of his classic albums like ‘Fluid Rustle’ and ‘The Following Morning’. I’ve been hoping for something like this now for many years.
Great work you’re doing by the way.
-Gary
Dear Tyran,
A new book please!
I appreciated your blog for quite a while now and will appreciate it!
I have your book and many others for that matter about the label ECM.
What I miss is not the outside view instead I would like to hear more about the inside View of ECM, like opinions and stories from the staff or from Manfred or from the musicians themself.
Stories about the recordings, how they came together, why they came together, why they choose this recording studio and not the others.
I would be very interested in that.
Anyhow, you wanted the ideas of your readers that is one.
Regards and best wishes
Gerhard
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Why write a book if you don’t have an idea?
On Thu, 8 Oct 2026 at 04:44, Between Sound and Space: ECM Records and
I suppose I should have been clearer. I have quite a few ideas, but I am in a unique position to ask my target audience what they’d like to see. My hope is that this will help me narrow down which possibility to pursue 🙂
I’ve been enjoying this website for a long time, and it continues to be a wonderful resource. Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to get the first book—do you know if there’s any place that ships to Brazil? I also wanted to echo some of the suggestions made here. It would be fantastic to see interviews with long‑time ECM artists who are still active but tend to keep a low profile: types like John Surman, Jan Garbarek, Enrico Rava, Dave Holland, Arild Andersen, Terje Rypdal, and—if he’d be willing—my fellow Brazilian, Egberto Gismonti. A look at ECM history and behind the scenes through the eyes of the older generation would be truly special. Thanks again for maintaining this incredible website.
Hello Tyran!
Thank you again for your immense work and dedication to ECM Records albums. There are several excellent ideas already in the above comments, I think a listener’s guide / general entry guide would be the best of them i.e. the best bets for newbies leading to the more “difficult” works.
Some offbeat angles to add perhaps are:
In any case, whatever you decide to do, I will definitely purchase it!
Best regards,
Alan
Tyran,
I have utilized the original Between Sound and Space primer to pursue inclusion of the recordings that favor my my personal music inclinations and I am grateful for your insight (I now have included approximately 60 ECM recordings from that source.
I would like to se an “addendum “ version of Between Sound and Space that would select your choice recordings the post date those in the original volume.
Sincerely, Diddy D skiman1952@gmail.com
Hello Tyran. Just wanted to commend you
Hello Tyran.
Just wanted to commend you on your work and craft. What you have put together is extraordinary. What a massive project you undertook and I suppose it will never quite be complete as long as ECM is still around. Well done!
I believe I heard an interview of you where you stated how you discovered ECM. Was it a composition by Jan Garabek that started you on this lifetime journey? You were in your car with your father, right?
That didn’t happen to me with ECM, but it often happens with various artists that I discovered.
I think I’m a little older than you, and many artists I discovered were browsing through large record stores, often purchasing works because of their covers. These days, some of my discovery is through Spotify and reviews like yours.
As far as an additional book? These are just my thoughts and what comes to mind.
1. Maybe some type of work showing the family tree of ECM. What I love about ECM is the overlap of artists. In fact, maybe that is the whole point. Manfred Eicher seems to have such a skill in coupling very different artists, mixing it together and seeing what happens. More often than not, the result is something special. I love the discovery.
2. Maybe a work on the eras of ECM. Clearly ECM has evolved, and continues to evolve. We can’t really pin down a certain point where the label has changed, but we would be in denial if we didn’t see that the label has changed multiple times over the decades. The artwork has changed too. (Maybe a work on the artwork, comes to mind! It really is very important to the whole presentation.)
3. I have a terrific book called “The 50 greatest composers and their 1000 greatest works”. It’s fantastic. I learned more about classical music from that book than my studies at the university; by far. ECM can be overwhelming. Even for myself, I’m still discovering. That is fun, without a doubt. But a work (almost like a roadmap) of where to start. For instance, where does one start with Keith Jarrett, Jan Garbarek, Eberhard Weber, Arvo Part? Not easy for a newcomer, but we have to admit, there are works that are mandatory, required listening. Why are those works so important?
Anyway, those are my thoughts. Keep up the fantastic work. Looking forward to seeing where you go with your craft.
All the best.
Frank Ruggiero
Thank you, Frank! I actually discovered ECM by hearing Arvo Pärt’s Te Deum on the radio in the car with my father. After exploring the New Series for a while, I came across Jan Garbarek’s Visible World (still one of my favorites), which led me into ECM proper, and it snowballed from there. I have been tinkering with the roadmap idea for a while and might actually do something like that for the website instead of a full book (maybe even making a separate tab for it at the top of the page next to HOME, BY CATALOGUE #, etc.), to make it more accessible to everyone.