When we think of the classic record labels of jazz, thoughts may first turn to American independents such as Contemporary, Prestige, Verve, Blue Note and others from the Golden Years of jazz. Some of these labels have now sunk without a trace, their original identity submerged in corporate take-overs and mergers, such as the signing of Norah Jones by the reconstituted Blue Note label. In contrast, ECM has enjoyed a longer life than many of its American predecessors and has established itself as a major force in contemporary music and jazz today. It is a true independent and if the bush telegraph is to be believed, it has resisted the blandishments of the major corporations, preferring to stand alone and enjoy the freedom from corporate thinking and the so-called ‘best practice’ bollocks they espouse. In stark contrast, ECM is the reflection of one man's musical vision that may have evolved and changed over time, but whose essential values have remained intact. No-one knows what will happen to the label post-Manfred Eicher, but it is impossible to imagine the label and all it has stood for will be swallowed up by some corporate take-over, surrendering its ethos to the machinations of corporate thinking and commercial imperative. Already it is clear the legacy of the label is aimed at an altogether higher plane, and Selected Signs III-VIII is but one step on this path, an anthology (whose playing time exceeds seven hours) created by Eicher and Steve Lake for the exhibition ECM – A Cultural Archaeology held at the prestigious Haus der Kunst in Munich – one of Europe's most important museums for contemporary art. Most of the many artists included are represented by a single track although there's a healthy chunk of Nils Petter Molvaer's excellent Khmer (which is well worth checking-out if you missed it first time around). The roster of artists comprises a who's who of contemporary music, from Arvo Pärt to Tomasz Stañko, from Heiner Goebbels to Wadada Leo Smith, from the music of Haydn to that of Patrice Moret, representing an important addition to any collection of contemporary music and a reminder to the world of what this remarkable label has achieved – and is continuing to achieve.