Soft Machine

Since arriving on the music scene in the first wave of 1960s psychedelia, the name Soft Machine has become synonymous with musical experimentation, instrumental virtuosity, and inspired creativity all animated by a truly adventurous, progressive spirit. Although the band’s personnel has changed over the years, their commitment has remained consistent. Some of the very brightest stars in the British jazz firmament have served in the ranks of this revered musical institution. Robert Wyatt, Mike Ratledge, Elton Dean, Hugh Hopper, Karl Jenkins, John Marshall, Roy Babbington, Allan Holdsworth, John Etheridge, Theo Travis, Kevin Ayers, Daevid Allen, Andy Summers, Jack Bruce, Gary Husband, and many others, have all focused their own unique musicality to help shape the band’s sound and personality.

The current lineup (John Etheridge, Theo Travis, Fred Baker and Asaf Sirkis) continues to defy categorization. Their latest album, Other Doors, sees them move seamlessly between hardcore improvisation, pop-tinged ebullience, muscular rock, and visceral jazz along with shimmering electronica and ambient overtones. Its release in 2023 is the end of an era as the last studio session with legend John Marshall, who joined the group in 1972 and sadly died in 2023 at the age of 82.This now leaves John Etheridge, who joined the group in 1975, as the last surviving member of the group with roots in Soft Machine’s 1970s heyday.