As some of you newer readers might not be aware, I dabble in photography whenever I have the chance. I’ve recently updated my photography website, In a landscape, with images taken during recent trips to Japan, Scandinavia, and New York City. Click the photo below to see more.
Although I’ve reached a major milestone here at between sound and space, there’s little time to rest on my laurels. ECM will be releasing five albums stateside on June 2, so look out for those reviews soon, along with reviews of a few European-only releases, including Cyminology’s latest, Phoenix. I’m also preparing a small batch of articles and live reviews (among them, a stellar performance by Sheila Jordan with the Steve Kuhn Trio at Birdland) for All About Jazz. I will link to those as they appear.
Thanks to a new friend, I will soon be introducing a new “Rarities” category, diving into the most obscure ECM items on the planet. On a related note, I will be turning my attention back to the JAPO catalogue as well and hope to finish reviewing it within the year. In addition, I will be catching up on my reviews of ECM-related books, DVDs, and other such materials along the way.
Some stats from WordPress regarding between sound and space for 2014. I had 240,000 views (nearly 800,000 to date). I wrote 120,000 words (700,000 to date). My busiest day was April 17, with 1251 views. My most popular reviews were diverse, including a 2011 piece on actor Bruno Ganz’s spoken word recordings for ECM. Other popular posts were my reviews of François Couturier’s Un jour si blanc and Ghazal’s The Rain.
I’m particularly grateful to Nate Chinen at The New York Times for including David Virelles’s Mbókò on his Top Albums of 2014 list, and for kindly linking to my review of said album. I’m also deeply honored to have had a blog post quoted in Ellen Johnson’s Jazz Child: A Portrait of Sheila Jordan. Seeing my words in print was an intense validation of what I do here.
In 2015, I plan to reach my goal of reviewing every ECM and ECM New Series album ever released. It’s been a five-year journey, and I am humbled by all who have followed me this far.
A few side notes:
Above all, I feel blessed to be surrounded by so much significant music and to be able to squeeze in the time between academic and family commitments to share my passion with others in kind. Thank you for reading, and never stop listening.
As of my last post (Sinikka Langeland’s Starflowers), I’ve reviewed ECM’s first 1000 releases. Add to this the scattered others from later on in the catalogue, and that leaves only 144 albums before I “catch up” with the label’s unflinching rate of release. On July 17, I’ll be leaving for a four-week trip to Japan, during which time I will abstain from reviewing, immersed as I’ll be in linguistic and academic research in Kyoto. I’m sure you’ll find enough to mull over in the interim 😉
I’m beyond grateful to all of my readers, transient and constant alike, who’ve given me the resolve to keep this project going. Synchronicity is within reach!
As of this week, between sound and space has surpassed 1000 followers: about one per ECM album I’ve reviewed thus far. That makes me as happy as Arvo Pärt riding his bicycle:
I began this humble blog four years ago to the day. It has since grown into an obsession, and I cannot thank you all enough for keeping up. With less than 200 albums to go, my goal is within reach. Who’s with me?
Dear readers: The posting of my latest review (The Third Man by Enrico Rava and Stefano Bollani) marks a milestone here at between sound and space: my 1000th post. Deepest and infinite thanks to those who’ve taken the time to read even one of those posts. Here’s to the next 1000!
As of this month, the content of between sound and space has surpassed half a million words.
Between Sound and Space: ECM Records and Beyond 