Voice
The Magical Forest
Song cycle on the myth of the world tree by Sinikka Langeland (kantele, voice) with Arve Henriksen, Trygve Seim, Anders Jormin, Markku Ounaskari and Trio Mediæval. Recorded February 2015 at Rainbow Studio, Oslo; produced by Manfred Eicher.
Warp
Second ECM solo album by Norwegian pianist Jon Balke: sixteen short piano pieces set in "sound images" (field recordings, electronics, voices) made with Audun Kleive. Recorded September 2014 at Rainbow Studio, Oslo, mixed 2015 in Lugano; produced by Balke and Manfred Eicher.
A Suite Of Poems
Song cycle by Ketil Bjørnstad (piano) on thirteen "hotel poems" by Lars Saabye Christensen, sung by Anneli Drecker. Recorded June 2016 at Rainbow Studio, Oslo, engineer Jan Erik Kongshaug; produced by Bjørnstad.
A Clear Midnight - Kurt Weill and America
Julia Hülsmann Quartet (Hülsmann, piano; Tom Arthurs, trumpet, flugelhorn; Marc Muellbauer, bass; Heinrich Köbberling, drums) with singer Theo Bleckmann: songs by Kurt Weill and three Whitman settings by Hülsmann, recorded June 2014 at Rainbow Studio, Oslo.
Outland
Fifth album by the Norwegian trio Jøkleba (Per Jørgensen, trumpet, voice; Jon Balke, piano, electronics; Audun Kleive, drums, electronics) and its first for ECM: free collective pieces recorded in May 2014 at Madstun and Rainbow Studio, Oslo.
Nomad Songs
Eleven pieces composed and performed alone by Stephan Micus on nine instruments, including the Moroccan genbri and the San ndingo, both new to his work, plus voice. Recorded 2012-2014 at MCM Studios; his 21st album for ECM.
Trees Of Light
Swedish-Japanese trio of Anders Jormin (double bass), Lena Willemark (voice, fiddle, viola) and Karin Nakagawa (25-string koto), with poems sung in Älvdalen dialect. Recorded May 2013 at Konstepidemin, Göteborg; executive producer Manfred Eicher.
Dallëndyshe
Second ECM album by singer Elina Duni with Colin Vallon (piano), Patrice Moret (double bass) and Norbert Pfammatter (drums): Albanian traditional songs of love and exile. Recorded July 2014 at Studios La Buissonne, Pernes-les-Fontaines; produced by Manfred Eicher.
Songs of Thessaloniki
Fourth ECM album by Greek singer Savina Yannatou with Primavera en Salonico: songs and hymns of the communities of Thessaloniki, arranged by Kostas Vomvolos. Recorded February 2014 at Sierra Studios, Athens; produced by Manfred Eicher.
Trusting In The Rising Light
Fourth ECM album by Robin Williamson (vocals, Celtic harp, guitar, Hardanger fiddle, whistles), his first of all-original songs, with Mat Maneri (viola) and Ches Smith (vibraphone, drums, percussion). Recorded January 2014 at Rockfield Studios, Monmouth; produced by Steve Lake.
Mbókó
ECM leader debut of Cuban pianist David Virelles: ten pieces drawing on Abakuá ritual music, with Román Díaz (biankoméko, voice), Marcus Gilmore (drums) and bassists Thomas Morgan and Robert Hurst. Recorded December 2013, Avatar Studios, New York; produced by Manfred Eicher.
The half-finished heaven
Fourth ECM album by Norwegian kantele player and singer Sinikka Langeland, with Lars Anders Tomter (viola), Trygve Seim (tenor saxophone) and Markku Ounaskari (percussion); three songs set Tomas Tranströmer. Recorded January 2013, Rainbow Studio, Oslo.
Babylon-Suite
Eleven-part suite by the Swiss duo Vera Kappeler (piano, harmonium, toy piano, voice) and Peter Conradin Zumthor (drums, toy piano, voice), commissioned for the Origen Festival Cultural after the Book of Daniel. Recorded June 2013 at the RSI Auditorio, Lugano; produced by Manfred Eicher.
Il Pergolese
Songs and improvisations on Pergolesi's Stabat Mater and opera arias, sung in Neapolitan by Maria Pia De Vito with François Couturier (piano), Anja Lechner (cello) and Michele Rabbia (percussion, electronics). Recorded December 2012 in Lugano, produced by Manfred Eicher.
Lua ya
Korean children's songs, lullabies and improvised pieces by singer Yeahwon Shin with pianist Aaron Parks and accordionist Rob Curto, recorded May 2012 at Mechanics Hall, Worcester, Massachusetts, produced by Sun Chung. Shin's ECM debut.
Sunrise - A cantata on texts by Edvard Munch
Ketil Bjørnstad's cantata on prose by Edvard Munch, sung in Norwegian by Kari Bremnes and the Oslo Chamber Choir under Egil Fossum, with Bjørnstad on piano, Aage Kvalbein on cello, saxophone, bass and percussion. Recorded April 2012 at Rainbow Studio, Oslo.
Dance Without Answer
Third ECM album by Norma Winstone (voice), Glauco Venier (piano) and Klaus Gesing (bass clarinet, soprano saxophone): originals plus songs by Nick Drake, Fred Neil, Tom Waits and others. Recorded December 2012 at the RSI Auditorio, Lugano.
The Gift
Third ECM album by Susanne Abbuehl: settings of Emily Dickinson, Emily Brontë, Sara Teasdale, Wallace Stevens and her own lyrics, with Wolfert Brederode, Matthieu Michel and Olavi Louhivuori. Recorded in summer 2012 at Studios La Buissonne, Pernes-les-Fontaines.
Over Tones
Duo album by Benedicte Maurseth (Hardanger fiddle, voice) and Åsne Valland Nordli (voice) from Hardanger, Norway: traditional tunes and songs, their own compositions and free improvisations. Recorded May 2011 at Strype Audio, Oslo.
Matanë Malit
ECM debut of the Elina Duni Quartet: Albanian traditional songs and new pieces, with Elina Duni (voice), Colin Vallon (piano), Patrice Moret (double bass) and Norbert Pfammatter (drums). Recorded February 2012 at Studios La Buissonne, Pernes-les-Fontaines.