Compiling “some of the minimalist composer’s finest works, including the definitive recording of his undisputed masterpiece ‘Music for 18 Musicians’” (Pitchfork), Recordings on ECM comprises the three Steve Reich albums that were released on the label between 1978-1982, presented as facsimile editions housed in a high-quality cardboard box with a booklet containing photos from the archives and liner notes by Paul Griffiths. Sourced from the original analogue master tapes, these vinyl editions authentically re-introduced the listener to recordings that have since become staples in contemporary music. The works included on these three albums are Music for 18 Musicians, Octet, Music for a Large Ensemble, Violin Phase and Tehilim, tracing the influential early creative period of the composer and his development over the course of fifteen years. The box-set arrives on the occasion of Reich’s 90th birthday in October 2026.
“About the famed ECM Recordings, much has already been written. Suffice to say that they confirm that Reich could convey the pulse and spirit of American urban life as brilliantly as Gershwin did 30 years earlier. Even the unity that arises from out of phase quasi-chaos is revelatory. Recorded 1976–1981, the works’ emphasis on percussive sounds makes for anything but soothing background listening. It’s all fabulous stuff. Although listening to multiple works in one sitting could possibly induce numbness – taken one at a time, they are as exhilarating as they are essential.”
– Jason Victor Serinus, Stereophile Magazine
