Soft Machine are one of the greatest UK avant/jazz-rock bands of all time. Their work, from their earliest performances as a psychedelic band with Syd Barrett’s Pink Floyd and the Jimi Hendrix Experience, all the way to being one of Europe’s best known ‘fusion’ bands has influenced several generations of bands, and continues to be name-checked by today’s hip experimentalists.
While the line-up of Soft Machine may have changed many times since the heady days of the late 1960s, the band’s spirit of musical adventure, and the ease with which they freely avoid being pigeon holed and can move from powerful progressive jazz fusion to atmospheric psychedelia to free improvised jazz-rock to ambient loop music continues to make them both unique and totally contemporary.
The current line-up features John Etheridge on guitar, Asaf Sirkis on drums, Theo Travis on saxophones and Fred Thelonius Baker on bass – Soft Machine will perform material from throughout the bands illustrious career.
‘Soft Machine were the grooviest, coolest psychedelic band of the era…’
Phil Manzanera
‘Soft Machine…certainly rank among the most influencial ‘out’ rock bands.’
Dusted
‘Burden of Proof is, to put it mildly, absolutely exquisite. These are four musicians who are masters of their craft, and truly at the top of their game, not only as soloists but as contributors in an actual band. They’ve put together here a collection of songs that basically has something for everyone; challenging jazz-fusion, adventurous prog-rock, bits of chaotic free-jazz, atmospheric instrumental pop-jazz, and even a little hard rock. Extraordinary!’
***** Pete Pardo, Sea Of Tranquility.org
