Mark Judge on his Pop Culture Detox with ECM:

Most ECM records are still produced by label founder Manfred Eicher. They have become known and respected for their meditative, contemplative quality. In the era of digital compression, this is music that is given space to breathe. ECM is also known for its album covers, which often feature impressionistic photographs of nature, or a city at night or in the rain. Taken together, the ECM experience is like a prayerful retreat, one that can be enjoyed by the religious and non-religious alike. It’s a way of eliminating the distractions in your life for a few hours, or a few days, or even a lifetime if you’re a monk. It’s not about being alone or having “me time,” but opening yourself to the presence of something bigger—God, or silence, or the simple wonder of the universe.