ECM - the label

[danasgoodstuff]

ECM yes they do have a certain something that sets them apart, and in principle that's all good, and I certainly own some that I like v. much indeed, but in practise I don't love the label the way I do vintage Blue Note, Stax or Chess. Let's put it this way, I put some recent ECM releases on hold at the library where I work, based on discussion here and they left me kinda kold and I don't think it was just a fluke that I didn't like those particular releases, it was in part their ECM-ness...

Edited May 18, 2012 by danasgoodstuff

[JETman]

ECM yes they do have a certain something that sets them apart, and in principle that's all good, and I certainly own some that I like v. much indeed, but in practise I don't love the label the way I do vintage Blue Note, Stax or Chess. Let's put it this way, I put some recent ECM releases on hold at the library where I work, based on discussion here and they left me kinda kold and I don't think it was just a fluke that I didn't like those particular releases, it was in part their ECM-ness...

What was the other part?

[A Lark Ascending]

Are you referring to Nik Bartsch's zen funk melange? If so, I believe he's Swiss.

No. Though I didn't get Bartsch at first I've warmed to him; he's more flexible.

I found the last Rypdal album trying because of the beats. And what I've heard of Nils Petter Molvaer hasn't inspired me.

A personal foible - I'm not saying it's wrong.

[mjazzg]

Are you referring to Nik Bartsch's zen funk melange? If so, I believe he's Swiss.

No. Though I didn't get Bartsch at first I've warmed to him; he's more flexible.

I found the last Rypdal album trying because of the beats. And what I've heard of Nils Petter Molvaer hasn't inspired me.

A personal foible - I'm not saying it's wrong.

Agree about Rypdal. Also Arild Andersen's had some fairly clunky beats involved (on Vosabrygg, I think) and Weber's quite painful excursion on that live career retrospective release. I think the problem's not with the beats per se but with the seeming inability to choose collaborators that can use them effectively - I wonder whether that's a generational thing

did you try the Food album from a couple of years ago? Some lovely Iain Ballamy playing over gentle electronic and non-electronic beats by one Norwegian and an Austrian.

As for Bartsch. Even better live, I think

Edited May 18, 2012 by mjazzg

[A Lark Ascending]

did you try the Food album from a couple of years ago? Some lovely Iain Ballamy playing over gentle electronic and non-electronic beats by one Norwegian and an Austrian

Saw that at Cheltenham a couple of years back. I love Ballamy - a saxophonist with a very distinctive tone - but I can't say my attention was kept. I have the last Food album from acheap e-music download. Will try it again.

I just have a mental block with 1:1 beats. I'm more of a Stravinsky/Bartok sort of chap.

[king ubu]

I don't like Bärtsch that much... but the umlaut there would make proper spelling Baertsch and pronounciation for the "a" or "ae" is similar as in "where" or "there", so make that something like "bearch".

(no barch and no borscht)

[StarThrower]

Some of their releases are obviously dated, but I think history will prove ECM to be one of the great labels with an enduring catalog appreciated by future generations. I don't have any problem with the production and sound. The so called "ECM sound" is a stereotype that doesn't hold up when considering the full scope of the label's output.

I'm also thrilled about their current boxed set series, even though the packaging is rather uncharacteristically low budget/generic.