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7MNTN doesn’t make CD’s. 7MNTN creates ego documents.

7MNTN is an independent Dutch record label for classical music focussing primarily on the ego of the musicians. Though the word ‘ego’ has strong negative connotations, with selfishness, with arrogance, with self-love: all these things, 7MNTN is not. But we do concentrate on the egos of our recording artists. “We are interested in who they are, where they come from, where they’re going, why they do what they do. We want to create a product representing all these things. It may take the form of a CD, but it is more than that.”

Ego documents are autobiographical. They tell the story of the author. This is exactly what 7MNTN aims to do: telling the musician’s story. Dutch historian Jacques Presser coined the term ‘ego document in 1955. It denotes a group of sources, such as diaries, letters and travelogues. CD’s are not traditionally grouped under this term. And they shouldn’t, generally. But, 7MNTN’s CD’s, they are ego documents. Our CD’s tell the story of the artist, and his/her personal relationship to the music s/he plays.