Soft Machine are an English rock band from Canterbury, Kent, formed in 1966 by Mike Ratledge, Robert Wyatt, Kevin Ayers, Daevid Allen and Larry Nowlin. Central to the Canterbury scene, they emerged as one of the earliest British psychedelic groups and later became pioneers of progressive rock and jazz‑rock. They are widely regarded as one of the first true progressive‑rock bands. The band’s lineup has changed frequently over the decades, featuring musicians such as Andy Summers, Hugh Hopper, Elton Dean, John Marshall, Karl Jenkins, Roy Babbington and Allan Holdsworth. As of 2025, the lineup consists of John Etheridge, Theo Travis, Fred Thelonious Baker and Asaf Sirkis. The group’s name is taken from William S. Burroughs’ novel The Soft Machine. Soft Machine originated from the band The Wilde Flowers and initially operated as a psychedelic rock group. Their self‑titled debut album was released in 1968. The follow‑up, Volume Two (1969), marked a shift toward progressive and jazz‑rock, a direction fully realized on the albums Third (1970) and Fourth (1971). By 1971, Soft Machine had transitioned into a fully instrumental jazz‑rock band. The band disbanded in 1978.
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Hazard Profile
Switzerland 1974
Over ‘N’ Above
The Soft Weed Factor
The Floating World
Moon In June (Peel Sessions)
Slightly All the Time
Hope For Happiness
Soft Space
Why Are We Sleeping?
Tale of Taliesin
Save Yourself ( live 1968 )
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