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WHEN PRODUCER Manfred Eicher established the German independent music label, ECM – the letters stand for Edition of Contemporary Music – in 1969, there was, he says, “no plan, nothing”. He simply wrote to the musicians he had met on the road and asked whether they would be interested in recording for the new label, writes RAY COMISKEY

Forty years on, ECM’s huge catalogue is extraordinarily diverse. Contemporary classical and improvised music, Gregorian chant, music inspired by Greek tragedy, settings of the writings of Sufi and Christian mystics, folk music from all over Europe, north Africa, the Middle East, genre-bending, cross-cultural music – all are part of ECM’s list. A movie buff, Eicher has also released albums inspired by the films of directors such as Pasolini, Tarkovsky, Angelopolous and Godard. He produces every album himself.