Soft Machine

Soft Machine are an English rock band from Canterbury, Kent. The band were formed in 1966 by Mike Ratledge, Robert Wyatt, Kevin Ayers, Daevid Allen and Larry Nowlin. Soft Machine were central in the Canterbury scene; they became one of the first British psychedelic acts, and later helped pioneer progressive and jazz rock. Soft Machine's lineup has undergone many changes, and has included Andy Summers, Hugh Hopper, Elton Dean, John Marshall, Karl Jenkins, Roy Babbington and Allan Holdsworth. As of 2025, the current lineup consists of John Etheridge, Theo Travis, Fred Thelonious Baker and Asaf Sirkis. The band's name originates from William S. Burroughs's novel The Soft Machine. Originating from the band The Wilde Flowers, Soft Machine began as a psychedelic rock band, releasing their self-titled debut album in 1968. Their second album, Volume Two (1969), marked their move towards progressive rock and jazz rock, which was fully realised with the subsequent two albums, Third (1970) and Fourth (1971). By 1971, Soft Machine became a purely instrumental jazz rock band, continuing this direction across their subsequent albums, Fifth (1972), Six, Seven (both 1973), Bundles (1975), Softs (1976), and Alive & Well (1978). The band split in 1978, though two brief reunions occurred during the 1980s, first for the recording of the album Land of Cockayne (1981), and then for a few live shows in 1984. The group Soft Machine Legacy was formed in 2004, and released three studio albums, including their self-titled debut (2006), Steam (2007), and Burden of Proof (2013). The "Legacy" suffix was dropped in 2015, and they have since released two studio albums, Hidden Details (2018) and Other Doors (2023). Though they have achieved little commercial success, critics consider Soft Machine to have been influential in rock music. Dave Lynch at AllMusic called them "one of the most influential underground bands of their era".

Drop (2025 Remastered version) - 2025-02-21T00:00:00.000000Z

Live at the Baked Potato - 2020-07-03T00:00:00.000000Z

60s Psychedelic Rock - 2019-09-13T00:00:00.000000Z

The Harvest Albums 1975-1978 - 2019-07-26T00:00:00.000000Z

Wonderland - 2015-04-18T00:00:00.000000Z

Live in the 70's, Vol. 1 - 2015-03-23T00:00:00.000000Z

Live in the 70's, Vol. 2 - 2015-03-23T00:00:00.000000Z

Live in the 70's, Vol. 3 - 2015-03-23T00:00:00.000000Z

Live in the 70's, Vol. 4 - 2015-03-23T00:00:00.000000Z

Tanglewood Tails - 2014-09-01T00:00:00.000000Z

Live in 1970, Vol. 1 - 2014-06-09T00:00:00.000000Z

Live in 1970, Vol. 2 - 2014-06-09T00:00:00.000000Z

Live in 1970, Vol. 3 - 2014-06-09T00:00:00.000000Z

Turns On - An Early Collection - 2014-04-21T00:00:00.000000Z

Canterburied Sounds - 2013-03-25T00:00:00.000000Z

Turns On - Volume 2 - 2011-12-12T00:00:00.000000Z

Turns On Volume 1 - 2011-12-12T00:00:00.000000Z

Tales of Taliesin: An Anthology 1975-1981 - 2011-08-29T00:00:00.000000Z

Softs - 2010-06-28T00:00:00.000000Z

Alive and Well - Recorded in Paris - 1970-01-01T00:00:00.000000Z

Bundles - 1970-01-01T00:00:00.000000Z

Breda Reactor - 1970-01-01T00:00:00.000000Z

British Tour '75 - 1970-01-01T00:00:00.000000Z

Somewhere in Soho - 1970-01-01T00:00:00.000000Z

Facelift - 1970-01-01T00:00:00.000000Z