Hidden Details

US pressing of Soft Machine's 2018 album 'Hidden Details' on MoonJune Records.

The studio album 'Hidden Details' is the first Soft Machine album (as opposed to Soft Machine Legacy) in 37 years. This is three quarters of the celebrated 1970's version of the legendary jazz-rock group, which recorded the acclaimed 'Softs' album in 1975 - John Etheridge, Roy Babbington and John Marshall - completed by outstanding saxophone star Theo Travis (Robert Fripp/David Gilmour/Gong).

The music is broad ranging from psychedelia to jazz rock to free form improv to simple pop-ish tunes to hypnotic mood pieces. The band plays material from the era (compositions by Hugh Hopper, Mike Ratledge and Karl Jenkins) as well as many contemporary works.

'Hidden Details', released in 2018, exactly 50 years since the release of the band's 1968 debut album 'The Soft Machine' was recorded in the late Jon Hiseman's studio in Surrey in Dec 2017. The recording features new compositions by the band, group improvisations and interpretations of two Soft Machine classics - from 'Third' and 'Bundles'.

Whilst the line-up of Soft Machine may have changed many times since the heady days of the late 1960's, the band's spirit of musical adventure, and the ease with which it freely avoids 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 it both unique and totally contemporary.

Personnel: John Etheridge (electric guitar), Theo Travis (tenor and soprano saxophones, flute, Fender Rhodes piano), Roy Babbington (bass guitar), John Marshall (drums and percussion)

Press:

"It's a robust and engaging set.Compact and to the point, nothing overstays its welcome. There are faithful versions of two old favourites that sits well amid the new material." - **** The Times

"The legendary psychedelic/jazz-rock band Soft Machine celebrate 50 years with three early members plus fine saxist Theo Travis - a fitting fusion of guitar wailing, dreamy flute work, spacey electronics, edgy sax improv and dancing, Zappa-like melodies." - The Guardian

"It's Travis's compositions, Life on Bridges, Fourteen Hour Dream, and the title track that provide the strongest links to early Soft Machine and also some of the album's highlights. Breathe, a flute-looped inhale/exhale drone that features only Travis's flute and Marshall's delicate cymbalwork, is a fittingly tranquil conclusion to a very fine album." - LondonJazz News

Number of Discs: 1

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