Editing Soft Machine

{{Short description|British rock band}}
{{About|the rock band|the band's debut album|The Soft Machine (Soft Machine album)|the William Burroughs novel|The Soft Machine|other uses|The Soft Machine (disambiguation)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2021}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2013}}
{{Infobox musical artist <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject Musicians -->
| name = Soft Machine
| image = Soft Machine Fourth lineup.jpg
| caption = Soft Machine in 1970:<br />l-r: [[Elton Dean]], [[Mike Ratledge]], [[Robert Wyatt]], [[Hugh Hopper]]
| landscape = Yes
| background = group_or_band
| origin = [[Canterbury]], England
| genre = {{flat list|
* [[Canterbury scene]]
* [[jazz rock]]
* [[psychedelic rock]]
* [[progressive rock]]
* [[instrumental rock]]
}}
| discography = [[Soft Machine discography]]
| years_active = '''Soft Machine:'''<br />1966–1978<br />1980–1981<br />1984<br />2015–present<br />'''Spin-off bands:'''<br />1978–1988<ref name="calyx-canterbury.fr Elton Dean chronology">{{cite web |url=http://www.calyx-canterbury.fr/bands/chrono/dean.html |title=Elton Dean chronology (Soft Head / Soft Heap concerts) |website=calyx-canterbury.fr |access-date=26 March 2020}}</ref> (as [[Soft Heap (band)|Soft Heap / Soft Head]]), <br /> 1999–2002 (as Soft Ware), <br /> 2002–2004 (as Soft Works), <br /> 2003 (as Soft Mountain), <br /> 2004 (as Soft Bounds), <br /> 2004–2015 (as Soft Machine Legacy)
| label = [[ABC Records|ABC]] [[Probe Records|Probe]], [[Columbia Records|Columbia]], [[Harvest Records|Harvest]], [[EMI]], [[Major League Productions (MLP)]]
| spinoffs = {{hlist|Planet Earth|[[Soft Heap (band)|Soft Heap / Soft Head]]|Soft Ware|Rubba|2nd Vision|Rollercoaster|Soft Works|Soft Mountain|Soft Bounds|Soft Machine Legacy}}
| website = {{URL|SoftMachine.org}}
| spinoff_of = {{hlist|[[The Wilde Flowers]]}}
| current_members = * [[John Etheridge]]
* [[Theo Travis]]
* [[Fred Thelonious Baker|Fred Baker]]
* [[Asaf Sirkis]]
| past_members = *[[Mike Ratledge]]
*[[Robert Wyatt]]
*[[Kevin Ayers]]
*[[Daevid Allen]]
*Larry Nowlin
*[[Andy Summers]]
*[[Hugh Hopper]]
*[[Brian Hopper]]
*[[Elton Dean]]
*[[Lyn Dobson]]
*[[Mark Charig]]
*[[Nick Evans (trombonist)|Nick Evans]]
*[[Phil Howard (musician)|Phil Howard]]
*[[John Marshall (drummer)|John Marshall]]
*[[Karl Jenkins]]
*[[Roy Babbington]]
*[[Allan Holdsworth]]
*[[Alan Wakeman]]
*[[Ray Warleigh]]
*[[Ric Sanders]]
*[[Percy Jones (musician)|Percy Jones]]
*Steve Cook
*[[Jack Bruce]]
*[[Stu Calver]]
*[[Dick Morrissey]]
*[[Alan Parker (musician)|Alan Parker]]
*John Perry
*[[Tony Rivers]]
*[[John Taylor (jazz)|John Taylor]]
*[[Paul Carmichael]]
*[[Dave MacRae]]
}}

'''Soft Machine''' are <!-- This article is written in British English, which commonly treats collective nouns as plural. Please do NOT change "ARE" to "IS". Thank you. --> an English [[Rock music|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 music|psychedelic]] acts, and later moved into [[progressive rock|progressive]] and [[jazz rock]]. In 1971, Soft Machine became a purely instrumental band.<ref name="Lynch2"/> Soft Machine's lineup has undergone many changes, and has included [[Andy Summers]], [[Hugh Hopper]], [[Elton Dean]],<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last=Sutcliffe|first=Phil|date=5 March 1991|title=Where are they Now? Soft Machine|journal=Q Magazine|volume=55|pages=33}}</ref> [[John Stanley Marshall|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]].

Though they achieved little commercial success, critics consider Soft Machine to have been influential in rock music.<ref name="Jones">{{cite web |last1=Jones |first1=Mikey IQ |title=A beginner's guide to Daevid Allen |url=http://www.factmag.com/2015/03/24/beginners-guide-daevid-allen/ |website=FACT |access-date=26 August 2018 |date=24 March 2015}}</ref><ref name="Keepnews">{{cite web | last1=Keepnews |first1=Peter |title=Daevid Allen, Guitarist and Singer in Progressive Rock, Dies at 77 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/17/arts/music/daevid-allen-guitarist-and-leader-of-gong-and-soft-machine-dies-at-77.html?_r=0 |website=The New York Times |access-date=26 August 2018 |date=16 March 2015}}</ref><ref name="Lynch">{{cite magazine |last1=Lynch |first1=Joe |title=Soft Machine & Gong Co-Founder Daevid Allen Dead at 77 |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/6502120/soft-machine-daevid-allen-dead |magazine=Billboard |access-date=26 August 2018 |date=13 March 2015 }}</ref> Dave Lynch at [[AllMusic]] called them "one of the most influential underground bands of their era".<ref name="Lynch2">{{cite web |last1=Lynch |first1=Dave |title=Soft Machine |url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/soft-machine-mn0000753685/biography |website=AllMusic |access-date=26 August 2018 }}</ref> The band's name originates from [[William S. Burroughs]]'s novel ''[[The Soft Machine]]''.
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==History==
===Original run (1966–78)===
In mid 1966, [[Mike Ratledge]] (keyboards), [[Robert Wyatt]] (drums, vocals), [[Kevin Ayers]] (bass, vocals), [[Daevid Allen]] (guitar) and Larry Nowlin (guitar) formed Soft Machine, who were billed as The Soft Machine up to 1969 or 1970.<ref>{{Cite journal|title = Prom 26, Thursday 13 August at 10|date = 1970|journal = BBC Proms Prospectus}}</ref> Allen and Wyatt first played together in 1963 as part of the Daevid Allen Trio, and were occasionally accompanied by Ratledge. In 1964, Wyatt and Ayers were founding members of [[The Wilde Flowers]]; by 1966, they had both left that band and rejoined Allen to form the short-lived band Mister Head, which also included Nowlin.<ref>{{cite book |last=Bennett |first=Graham |title=Soft Machine: Out-Bloody-Rageous|date=2014|publisher=Syzygy|isbn=9-7-8-90-822792-0-7|pages=62–63}}</ref> The four members soon joined with Ratledge to form The Soft Machine.<ref>{{cite book |last=Bennett |first=Graham |title=Soft Machine: Out-Bloody-Rageous|date=2014|publisher=Syzygy|isbn=9-7-8-90-822792-0-7|page=70}}</ref> Ayers suggested the band's name, which comes from [[William S. Burroughs]]'s novel ''[[The Soft Machine]]'' (1961).<ref>{{cite book |last=Bennett |first=Graham |title=Soft Machine: Out-Bloody-Rageous|date=2014|publisher=Syzygy|isbn=9-7-8-90-822792-0-7|pages=70}}</ref> The band became a quartet when Nowlin departed in September 1966.<ref>{{cite book |last=Bennett |first=Graham |title=Soft Machine: Out-Bloody-Rageous|date=2014|publisher=Syzygy|isbn=9-7-8-90-822792-0-7|pages=80}}</ref>

During late 1966 and early 1967, the Soft Machine became involved in the early [[UK underground]] scene. Along with [[Pink Floyd]], they became one of the major resident bands at the [[UFO Club]], and played other London clubs like the [[Speakeasy Club|Speakeasy]] and [[Middle Earth (club)|Middle Earth]]. According to Wyatt, The Soft Machine received negative reactions when playing at venues other than these underground clubs; this led to their penchant for long tracks and segued tunes because continuously playing deprived their audiences  chances to boo them.<ref name=StumpHistDuf>{{cite book |last=Stump |first=Paul |title=The Music's All that Matters: A History of Progressive Rock |date=1997 |publisher=Quartet Books Limited |isbn=0-7043-8036-6 |pages=27–28}}</ref> In February 1967, the band released their first single "[[Love Makes Sweet Music]]" on [[Polydor Records]].<ref name="StumpHistDuf" />

In April 1967, the Soft Machine recorded nine demo songs with producer [[Giorgio Gomelsky]] in [[De Lane Lea Studios]]; due to a dispute over studio costs, these tracks were unreleased for several years.<ref>''Jet Propelled Photographs'' liner notes</ref> Polydor later released these demos in 1972 as ''Jet Propelled Photographs''.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Hoffmann |first=Frank |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9GGTAgAAQBAJ&dq=jet+propelled+photographs&pg=PT1924 |title=Encyclopedia of Recorded Sound |date=2004-11-12 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-135-94949-5 |language=en |chapter=Soft Machine}}</ref> Later in 1967, the band began touring in mainland Europe, becoming especially popular in France.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.calyx-canterbury.fr/softmachine/chrono.html|title=Soft Machine-Chronology (1)|website=Calyx-canterbury.fr}}</ref> When returning from a tour of France in August, Allen, an Australian, was denied re-entry to the UK,<ref name="StumpHistDuf" /> so the group continued as a trio while Allen returned to Paris to form [[Gong (band)|Gong]].<ref>Allen, Daevid. ''Gong Dreaming 1''. SAF Publishing, 2007, p.76.</ref>

The Soft Machine, who shared the same management as [[the Jimi Hendrix Experience]], supported them on two North American tours during 1968.<ref name="calyx-chronology">{{cite web|url=http://www.calyx-canterbury.fr/softmachine/chrono.html |title=Soft Machine-Chronology |publisher=Canterbury Music website |access-date=2013-08-12}}</ref> The band signed to [[Probe Records]] and recorded their eponymous [[The Soft Machine (Soft Machine album)|first album]] in New York City in April at the end of the first tour, though it was not released until December. In London, guitarist [[Andy Summers]], later of [[the Police]], joined the Soft Machine. The band's new line-up began a US tour with some headlining shows before supporting Hendrix in August and September 1968. By the time the Hendrix tour began, Summers had been fired at Ayers' insistence.<ref>{{cite book|author=[[Andy Summers]]|title= One Train Later|publisher= Thomas Dunne Books|year= 2006|isbn=0-312-35914-4}}</ref> Ayers himself departed amicably after the final tour date at the Hollywood Bowl in September, and the Soft Machine disbanded. Wyatt stayed in the US to record solo demos while Ratledge returned to London and began composing.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hulloder.nl/rw-sms.html|title=The Soft Machine years with Robert Wyatt singing & drumming (1967–1969)|publisher=Hulloder, The Netherlands|access-date=20 March 2016|archive-date=24 September 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924031801/http://www.hulloder.nl/rw-sms.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In December 1968, to fulfil contractual obligations, Wyatt and Ratledge re-formed the Soft Machine with their former road manager [[Hugh Hopper]] replacing Ayers on bass. Hopper, like Ayers and Wyatt, was a founding member of The Wilde Flowers. In 1969, the Soft Machine recorded their second album ''[[Volume Two (The Soft Machine album)|Volume Two]]'' , which started a change to [[jazz fusion]]. The album fulfilled the band's contract with Probe and they signed with [[CBS Records International|CBS Records]] by the beginning of 1970. In May 1969, the Soft Machine played as the uncredited backing band on two tracks of ''[[The Madcap Laughs]]'', the debut solo album of Pink  Floyd's [[Syd Barrett]]. Shortly after the Barrett recording, Hopper's brother [[Brian Hopper]], another Wilde Flowers co-founder, joined the Soft Machine on saxophone. Around this time, the band recorded the soundtrack for a multimedia show called ''Spaced'', which ran in London for five days in mid 1969. The soundtrack was commercially released in 1996 by Cuneiform Records. In October 1969, following Brian Hopper's departure, the Soft Machine expanded to a septet; Wyatt, Ratledge and Hugh Hopper added a four-piece horn section composed of the saxophonists [[Elton Dean]] and [[Lyn Dobson]], cornet player [[Mark Charig]] and trombonist [[Nick Evans (trombonist)|Nick Evans]]. After two months, Charig and Evans departed the band.<ref>{{Cite web| title=NDR Jazz workshop – Hamburg, Germany 1973 CD + DVD | url=http://www.cuneiformrecords.com/press/Soft%20Machine_NDR_PR.pdf | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100919080828/http://cuneiformrecords.com/press/Soft%20Machine_NDR_PR.pdf | archive-date=2010-09-19}}</ref>

The quintet continued until March 1970, when Dobson departed. The remaining quartet recorded the double album ''[[Third (Soft Machine album)|Third]]'' (1970) and its single-album follow-up ''[[Fourth (album)|Fourth]]'' (1971). ''Third'' was mostly instrumental save for Wyatt's song "Moon in June", the last Soft Machine song to have lyrics. ''Third'' is unusual for its time in having each of the four sides feature one suite.<ref name=":0" /> ''Third'' has since become Soft Machine's biggest-selling album. From ''Fourth'' onwards, the band became completely instrumental on record, and then on stage following Wyatt's departure soon after the album's release. During this period, the band received unprecedented acclaim across Europe, and they became the first rock band to be invited to play in August 1970 at London's [[The Proms|Proms]] concert, and the show was broadcast live on UK national television.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cosmik.com/aa-may03/soft_works.html |title=Cosmik Debris Magazine Presents: The 21st Century Be-Bop Of Soft Works; an interview of Hugh Hopper – May 2003 |publisher=Cosmik.com |access-date=2013-08-12 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130504020043/http://www.cosmik.com/aa-may03/soft_works.html |archive-date=4 May 2013 }}</ref>

[[File:Konzert mit Soft Machine, Family, Yes, Man. Deutschlandhalle, März 1971.jpg|thumb|Ticket for a 1971 Soft Machine concert in the [[Deutschlandhalle]], West Berlin, supported by [[Family (band)|Family]], [[yes (band)|Yes]] and [[Man (band)|Man]].]]

After differences over the group's musical direction, Wyatt was fired<ref name="unterberger">[[Richie Unterberger|Unterberger, Richie]]: [http://www.furious.com/perfect/wyatt.html 1996 Robert Wyatt interview] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060429142312/http://www.furious.com/Perfect/wyatt.html |date=29 April 2006 }} at [http://www.furious.com/PERFECT/ Perfect Sound Forever] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080723025908/http://www.furious.com/PERFECT/ |date=23 July 2008 }} (online music magazine)</ref> in August 1971 and formed [[Matching Mole]] (a pun on "machine molle", French for "soft machine"; also said at the time to have been taken from stage lighting equipment "Matching Mole").<ref name=":0" /> He was briefly replaced by Australian drummer [[Phil Howard (musician)|Phil Howard]]. This line-up toured extensively in Europe during late 1971 and began the recording of their next album ''[[Fifth (Soft Machine album)|Fifth]]'', but further musical disagreements led to Howard's dismissal at the beginning of 1972, with the album being completed with his replacement, [[John Stanley Marshall|John Marshall]]. ''Fifth'' was released in 1972, with side one comprising tracks recorded with Howard and side two comprising tracks recorded with Marshall. Later that year, Dean left the band<ref name=":0" /> and was replaced by [[Karl Jenkins]], who also played keyboards in addition to saxophone. Both Marshall and Jenkins were former members of [[Ian Carr]]'s [[Nucleus (band)|Nucleus]]. The band's next album was a half-live half-studio double album ''[[Six (Soft Machine album)|Six]]'', released in early 1973.

After the release of ''Six'', Hopper left the band<ref name=":0" /> and was replaced by [[Roy Babbington]], another former Nucleus member. During this period, Jenkins began to take over as bandleader and main composer. After they released ''[[Seven (Soft Machine album)|Seven]]'' in late 1973, Soft Machine again switched record labels from CBS to [[Harvest Records]], a sub-label of [[EMI Records]]. At the end of 1973, another former Nucleus member [[Allan Holdsworth]] was added to the band, becoming their first guitarist since Andy Summers' brief tenure in 1968. Holdsworth played on the next album ''[[Bundles (album)|Bundles]]'' (1975) before leaving in early 1975. Holdsworth's replacement was [[John Etheridge]], and the saxophonist [[Alan Wakeman]], a cousin of [[Yes (band)|Yes]] keyboardist [[Rick Wakeman]], also joined at the beginning of 1976.<ref name=":0" /> The next album, ''[[Softs (album)|Softs]]'' (1976), was the first without Ratledge, the last-remaining original member of the band, who left in March 1976. Other members of Soft Machine during the late 1970s were the saxophonist [[Ray Warleigh]], the violinist [[Ric Sanders]], and the bassists [[Percy Jones (musician)|Percy Jones]] of [[Brand X]] and Steve Cook.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.calyx-canterbury.fr/mus/cook_steve.html |title=Steve Cook |publisher=The Canterbury Music website|date=1948-08-04 |access-date=2013-08-12}}</ref> During 1977, Soft Machine recorded the live album ''[[Alive & Well: Recorded in Paris]]'', which was released early the following year. In 1978, Soft Machine gave only one live performance, which was at the Sound & Musik Festival in [[Dortmund]], [[West Germany]], on 8 December, with a line-up of Marshall, Jenkins, Cook and Holdsworth.<ref name="calyx.perso.neuf.fr Soft Machine chronology 2"/><ref name=Bennett>{{cite book |last=Bennett |first=Graham |title=Soft Machine: Out-Bloody-Rageous|date=2014|publisher=Syzygy|isbn=9-7-8-90-822792-0-7|pages=344}}</ref> After this show, Soft Machine disbanded.

===Occasional reunions (1980–81; 1984)===
The name Soft Machine was resurrected for the 1981 album ''[[Land of Cockayne (album)|Land of Cockayne]]''. Soft Machine also briefly reformed for a series of concerts at London's [[Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club]] in mid 1984{{refn|group=nb|A week of gigs from 30 July to 4 August 1984.<ref name="calyx.perso.neuf.fr Soft Machine chronology 2"/>}} that featured John Marshall, Karl Jenkins, Ray Warleigh, John Etheridge, bassist [[Paul Carmichael]] and pianist [[Dave MacRae]].

===Alternative bands (1978–2015)===

====Soft Heap / Soft Head (1978–88)====
[[Soft Heap (band)|Soft Heap]] was formed in January 1978 by [[Hugh Hopper]] and [[Elton Dean]] from Soft Machine, and [[Alan Gowen]] and [[Pip Pyle]] from [[National Health]]. {{em|Heap}} is an acronym that is composed of the initials of the members' first names. The band toured in the early-to-mid 1978 as [[Soft Heap (band)|Soft Head]] because Dave Sheen replaced Pip Pyle due to Pyle's commitments to National Health.<ref name="calyx-canterbury.fr Elton Dean chronology"/> The live album ''Rogue Element'' was recorded on that tour and was released in 1978.

The original Soft Heap line-up reformed in October 1978 to record their eponymous studio album, which was released in 1979.{{cn|date=December 2024}}

After two line-up changes from 1979 to 1981, the new line-up intermittently toured throughout the 1980s; they performed four tours during the decade in 25 European concerts, culminating on 11 May 1988 at the festival "Jazz sous les pommiers" in [[Coutances]], France.<ref name="calyx-canterbury.fr Elton Dean chronology"/>

====Soft Ware (1999), Soft Works (2002–04), Soft Mountain (2003) and Soft Bounds (2004)====
Soft Ware (sometimes SoftWhere), which was formed in September 1999, was composed of Elton Dean, Hugh Hopper, [[John Marshall (drummer)|John Marshall]] on drums and Marshall's long-time friend [[Keith Tippett]]. This short-lived line-up played one performance at ([[Augustusburg Hunting Lodge]], Germany, on 4 September 1999. In 2002, with Tippett unavailable, another former Soft Machine member [[Allan Holdsworth]] (on guitar) joined the other three members of Soft Ware, who in June2002 renamed themselves Soft Works<ref name="calyx.perso.neuf.fr Soft Machine chronology 2">{{cite web |url=http://www.calyx-canterbury.fr/softmachine/chrono2.html |title=Chronology 1973–|website=Canterbury Music website |access-date= 20 March 2016}}</ref> to avoid confusion with [[Peter Mergener]]'s band [[Software (band)|Software]]. Soft Works made their live debut on 17 August 2002 at the [[Progman Cometh]] Festival at Moore Theater in [[Seattle, Washington]]; and a live album of the performance was released on 29 July 2003.<ref name="allmusic Soft Works Abracadabra">{{cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/abracadabra-mw0000320917 |title= Soft Works – Abracadabra (review by Glenn Astarita) |website=[[AllMusic]] |access-date= 15 August 2015}}</ref> Their only studio album ''Abracadabra'', consisting of new material and recorded at Eastcote Studios, London, on 5–7 June 2002. The album was toured in Japan in August 2003, Italy in January and February 2004, and Mexico in March 2004.<ref name="calyx.perso.neuf.fr Soft Machine chronology 2"/>

During a Japanese Soft Works tour in August 2003, Elton Dean on saxophone and Hugh Hopper on bass formed the band Soft Mountain along with Japanese musicians [[Hoppy Kamiyama]] on keyboards, whom Hopper had met two years earlier, and [[Yoshida Tatsuya]] from the band [[Ruins (Japanese band)|Ruins]] on drums. Soft Mountain named themselves after Hoppy Kamiyama, whose name translates as "God Mountain".<ref name="huxrecords.com Soft Mountain"/> Looking for a break from relatively fixed set lists and song forms, Hugh Hopper had contacted Kamiyama with the idea of using a studio for one day to see what might happen. Kamiyama brought in Tatsuya, and, with no discussion, the quartet played two 45-minute improvisations. In 2007, a year after Elton Dean died aged 60, Soft Mountain released the eponymous album they had recorded on 10 August 2003 in Tokyo, Japan.<ref name="huxrecords.com Soft Mountain">{{cite web |url=http://www.huxrecords.com/cdsales84.htm |title=cdsales84 |date= 26 March 2020 |website=Huxrecords.com |access-date= 26 March 2020}}</ref> The two-part "Soft Mountain Suite" extracts the best thirty minutes from each improvisation.<ref name="AllAboutJazz.com Soft Mountain">{{cite web |url=https://www.AllAboutJazz.com/soft-mountain-soft-mountain-hux-records-review-by-john-kelman.php?width=1280 |title=Soft Mountain: Soft Mountain (by John Kelman – February 6, 2007) |date= 26 March 2020 |website=Allaboutjazz.com |access-date= 26 March 2020}}</ref>

In June 2004, Elton Dean and Hugh Hopper formed the band Soft Bounds with [[Sophia Domancich]] on keyboards and Simon Goubert on drums); they played at the Festival "Les Tritonales" in [[Les Lilas]], Paris, France.<ref name="calyx-canterbury.fr Elton Dean chronology"/> This concert was partially released in 2005 as the Soft Bounds' album ''Live at Le Triton''.

====Soft Machine Legacy (2004–15)====
In October 2004, the members of Soft Works, with John Etheridge permanently replacing Holdsworth, took the name "Soft Machine Legacy" and performed two festival shows; one on 9 October in Turkey and the other on 15 October in the Czech Republic. [[Liam Genockey]] temporarily replaced John Marshall who had ligament problems. The new band's line-up was Elton Dean, John Etheridge, Hugh Hopper and Liam Genockey.<ref name="calyx.perso.neuf.fr Soft Machine chronology 2"/> Soft Machine Legacy released three albums: ''Live in Zaandam'' (2005),<ref name=zaan>{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/live-in-zaandam-mw0000352898 |title=Live in Zaandam – Soft Machine Legacy &#124; Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards |publisher=AllMusic |date=2005-05-10 |access-date=2013-08-12}}</ref> the studio album ''Soft Machine Legacy'' (2006),<ref name=zaan/> which was recorded in September 2005 and features fresh material, and ''Live at the New Morning'' (2006).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/live-at-the-new-morning-mw0000583322 |title=Live at the New Morning|publisher=AllMusic |date=2006-07-01 |access-date=2013-08-12}}</ref> After Elton Dean died in February 2006, the band continued with the British saxophonist and flautist [[Theo Travis]], formerly of Gong and [[The Tangent]].

In December 2006, the new Legacy line-up recorded the album ''Steam''<ref name="lynchsteamreview">{{cite web|first=Dave|last=Lynch |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/steam-mw0000779835 |title=Steam – Soft Machine Legacy &#124; Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards |publisher=AllMusic |access-date=2013-08-12}}</ref><ref name="astaritasteamreview">{{cite web |url=http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=26601 |title=Soft Machine Legacy: Steam |date=12 August 2007 |publisher=AllAboutJazz.com |access-date=2013-08-12}}</ref><ref name="jonessteamreview">{{cite web|url=http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/article.php?id=26685 |title=Soft Machine Legacy: Steam |date=19 August 2007 |publisher=AllAboutJazz.com|access-date=2013-08-12}}</ref> in [[Jon Hiseman]]'s studio. ''Steam'' was released in August 2007 by [[Moonjune Records]] before a European tour. Hopper left the band in 2008 because he was suffering from [[leukaemia]], so for live performances [[Fred Thelonious Baker]] deputising for Hopper. Following Hopper's death in 2009, the band announced they would continue with Roy Babbington again replacing Hopper on bass.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.johnetheridge.com/softmachinelegacy/index.htm |title=Soft Machine Legacy |publisher=John Etheridge |access-date=2013-08-12 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090415084954/http://www.johnetheridge.com/softmachinelegacy/index.htm |archive-date=15 April 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Soft Machine Legacy released their fifth album in October 2010; the 58-minute record ''Live Adventures'' was recorded live in October 2009 in Austria and Germany during a European tour.<ref name="allmusic.com Soft Machine Legacy Live Adventures">{{cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/live-adventures-mw0002045621 |title= Soft Machine Legacy – Live Adventures (AllMusic Review by Alex Henderson) |website=[[All Music]] |access-date= 30 October 2015}}</ref> Founding Soft Machine bassist Kevin Ayers died in February 2013 at aged 68,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.clashmusic.com/news/kevin-ayers-has-died |title=Kevin Ayers Has Died &#124; News &#124; Clash Magazine |date=20 February 2013 |publisher=Clashmusic.com |access-date=2013-08-12}}</ref><ref name=consequenceofsound/> and 77-year-old Daevid Allen died in March 2015 following a short battle with cancer.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/mar/13/gong-founder-daevid-allen-has-died-aged-77 "Gong founder Daevid Allen has died, aged 77"], ''[[The Guardian]]'', 13 March 2015</ref><ref>[http://www.noise11.com/news/r-i-p-daevid-allen-of-soft-machine-and-gong-1938-2015-20150313 "R.I.P. Daevid Allen Of Soft Machine and Gong 1938–2015"] by [[Paul Cashmere]], ''Noise 11'', 13 March 2015</ref> On 18 March 2013, the Legacy band released a new studio album titled ''[[Burden of Proof (Soft Machine Legacy album)|Burden of Proof]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.weirdomusic.com/2013/02/27/new-soft-machine-legacy-album-out-now/ |title=New Soft Machine Legacy album out now|publisher=Weirdomusic.com|date=27 February 2013 |access-date=20 March 2016}}</ref> Travis stated: "legally we could actually be called Soft Machine but for various reasons it was decided to be one step removed".<ref>"Soft Machine Legacy" in [[Cherry Red Records]] ''My Favourite Flavour'' magazine; issue #28; June 2013; p. 11</ref>

=== A return to the name "Soft Machine" (2015–present) ===
In September and October 2015, it was announced Soft Machine Legacy, which was composed of drummer John Marshall, guitarist John Etheridge, bassist Roy Babbington, and sax, flute and keyboard player Theo Travis, would be performing under the name Soft Machine in late 2015 and early 2016: they would perform two shows in the Netherlands and Belgium in early December 2015,<ref name="songkick.com Soft Machine 6 October 2015">{{cite web |url=http://www.songkick.com/artists/68873-soft-machine |title=Soft Machine – 2015–2016 tour dates: 4 concerts |date= 2015 |website=[[songkick]] |access-date= 6 October 2015}}</ref>{{refn|group=nb|On 2 December 2015 at Cultuurpodium Boerderij in Zoetermeer, Netherlands<ref name="bandsintown.com Soft Machine 6 October 2015">{{cite web |url=http://www.bandsintown.com/SoftMachine?came_from=203 |title=Soft Machine – Tour Dates 2015–2016 |date=2015 |website=bandsintown.com |access-date= 6 October 2015}}</ref> and on 4 December 2015 at N9 Villa in Eeklo, Belgium.<ref name="songkick.com Soft Machine 6 October 2015"/>}} and seven UK shows in March and April 2016.<ref name="songkick.com Soft Machine 6 October 2015"/><ref name="teamrock.com Soft Machine 1 December 2015">{{cite web |url=http://teamrock.com/news/2015-12-01/soft-machine-line-up-8-uk-dates-for-2016 |title=Soft Machine line up 8 UK dates for 2016 – Tour takes in HRH Prog 4 plus 7 shows in England (by Stef Lach) |date= 1 December 2015 |website=teamrock.com |access-date= 28 March 2016}}</ref>{{refn|group=nb|On 18 March 2016<ref name="HRH Prog 4 Festival 2016 Soft Machine">{{cite web |url=http://www.hrhprog.com/line-up/friday-line-up.html |title=HRH Prog 4 Festival 2016 2016 (Line-up: Friday Line-Up |date=2015 |website=hrhprog.com |access-date=7 September 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150906225343/http://www.hrhprog.com/line-up/friday-line-up.html |archive-date=6 September 2015 |url-status=dead }}</ref> as part of the HRH Prog 4 Festival (scheduled from 17 to 20 March) at Camp HRH (Hafan y Môr Holiday Park), [[Pwllheli]], [[North Wales]], UK,<ref name="songkick.com Soft Machine HRH Prog 4 Festival 2016">{{cite web |url=http://www.songkick.com/festivals/1374249-hrh-prog-4-2016/id/24534849-hrh-prog-4-festival-2016-2016 |title=HRH Prog 4 Festival 2016 2016 (Line-up: Soft Machine, Caravan, The Crazy World of Arthur Brown, Curved Air...) |date= 2015 |website=songkick.com |access-date= 5 September 2015}}</ref> on 19 March at the Brewery Arts Centre, [[Kendal]], UK, on 20 March at the Bristol Jazz Festival, [[Bristol]], UK (once scheduled then cancelled and rescheduled for 16 November 2016 at The Robin 2, [[Wolverhampton]], UK), on 24 March 2016 at the Talking Heads in Southampton, UK, on 26 March 2016 at Trading Boundaries, Sheffield Green, [[East Sussex]], UK, on 30 March at the Assembly Rooms, [[Leamington Spa]], UK, on 31 March 2016 at the Band on the Wall in Manchester, UK, on 1 April 2016 at Nell's Jazz & Blues Club in London, UK.<ref name="songkick.com Soft Machine 6 October 2015"/>}} In December 2015, it was confirmed the band were dropping the word "Legacy" from their name, becoming known as Soft Machine for the first time since 1984.<ref name="teamrock.com Soft Machine 1 December 2015"/>

The former Soft Machine member Allan Holdsworth, aged 70, died from heart failure on 15 April 2017 at his home in [[Vista, California]].<ref name=sandiegouniontribune>Varga, George (16 April 2017). [http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/entertainment/music/sd-et-music-holdsworth-obit-20170416-story.html "Allan Holdsworth, internationally celebrated guitar innovator, dead at 70"]. ''[[The San Diego Union-Tribune]]''. [[Tronc]]. Retrieved 13 May 2017.</ref><ref name=GPmag20170629>Molenda, Michael (29 June 2017). [http://www.guitarplayer.com/artists/1013/the-magnificent-architect-of-improvisation-a-tribute-to-allan-holdworth/63140 "The Magnificent Architect of Improvisation: A Tribute to Allan Holdworth"]. ''[[Guitar Player]]''. Retrieved 11 July 2017.</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://aminoapps.com/c/rocknation/page/item/virtuosos-allan-holdsworth/jqQk_MpcoI8dX1rxl2JEpPgnYN3r5Jn1Ya|title=Virtuosos: Allan Holdsworth|website=Aminoapps.com}}</ref> On 7 September 2018, Soft Machine released ''[[Hidden Details]]'' on Dyad Records in the UK and Tonefloat Records in the US, their first new studio album since ''Land of Cockayne'' (1981). In late 2018 and until February 2019, they toured the world to mark their 50th anniversary and to support the new album.{{refn|group=nb|Soft Machine embarked on 6 September 2018 in [[Oslo]], Norway on a world tour starting with a 10-date Europe leg (ended on 19 September 2018 in [[Jena]], Germany); followed on 6 October in [[Baltimore]] by a 12-date North American leg – their first North American tour since 1974 (ended on 23 October in Saint Paul, Minnesota); followed on 3 November in [[Canterbury]] by an 11-date second European leg (ended on 16 December 2018 in [[Bonn]], Germany); and embarked on 21 January 2019 on a 14-date second North American leg (ended by a 5-date residency from 4 to 8 February 2019 at [[Key West]], Florida through [[Cozumel]], Mexico at the Cruise to the Edge festival).<ref name="theotravis.com Upcoming Soft Machine Gigs">{{cite web |url=https://www.theotravis.com/index.php/dates-list/smg |title=Theo Travis / Soft Machine Gigs / Upcoming Events |date=October 2018 |website=theotravis.com |access-date=14 January 2019 |archive-date=10 January 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190110073658/https://theotravis.com/index.php/dates-list/smg |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="john-etheridge.com Events">{{cite web |url=https://www.john-etheridge.com/events |title=John Etheridge / Events |date= October 2018 |website=john-etheridge.com |access-date= 14 January 2019}}</ref>}}

On 20 March 2020, Soft Machine released ''Live at The Baked Potato'', their first original live album since ''Alive & Well'' (1978). It was recorded live on 1 February 2019 at [[The Baked Potato]], Los Angeles, and was initially only available as a twelve-track limited-edition double vinyl LP of 200 copies but it has since been released on Compact Disc (CD). The album documents their extensive 2018–2019 world tour.<ref name="tonefloat.com Soft Machine Live at The Baked Potato">{{cite web |url=https://tonefloat.com/2020/02/03/soft-machine-live-at-the-baked-potato-2lp/ |title=Soft Machine Live at The Baked Potato 2LP |date= 3 February 2020 |website=tonefloat.com |access-date= 7 April 2020}}</ref><ref name="theotravis.com Soft Machine Live at The Baked Potato">{{cite web |url=https://www.theotravis.com/index.php/news/theo-s-news/soft-machine-release-live-at-the-baked-potato |title=Soft Machine release "Live at The Baked Potato" |date=13 February 2020 |website=Theotravis.com |access-date=7 April 2020 |archive-date=7 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200407053958/https://www.theotravis.com/index.php/news/theo-s-news/soft-machine-release-live-at-the-baked-potato |url-status=dead }}</ref> On 7 December 2021, Soft Machine announced Babbington was retiring from the band and would be replaced by Fred Thelonious Baker.<ref>{{cite web |title=Roy Babbington retires from Soft Machine |url=https://londonjazznews.com/2021/12/07/roy-babbington-retires-from-soft-machine/ |website=London Jazz News |date=7 December 2021 |access-date=8 December 2021}}</ref>

In June 2023, Soft Machine released the new studio album ''Other Doors'', which was recorded with John Marshall before he retired from music. Marshall died on 16 September 2023.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Travis |first1=Theo |title=John Marshall (1941–2023). A tribute by Theo Travis |url=https://londonjazznews.com/2023/09/17/john-marshall-1941-2023-a-tribute-by-theo-travis/ |website=London Jazz News |access-date=17 September 2023 |date=17 September 2023}}</ref> {{As of|January 2023}}, the line-up of Soft Machine was Etheridge, Travis, Baker and drummer [[Asaf Sirkis]].<ref name="mobile.twitter.com Soft Machine new drummer Asaf Sirkis">{{cite web |url=https://mobile.twitter.com/ProgMagazineUK/status/1612103255563059203 |title=Prog legends Soft Machine announce short run of February UK dates where they will introduce new drummer @asafsirkis, who replaces the now-retired John Marshall... |date= 8 January 2023 |website=Mobile.twitter.com |access-date= 10 January 2023}}</ref><ref name="www.jazzmusicarchives.com Soft Machine new drummer Asaf Sirkis">{{cite web |url=http://www.jazzmusicarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=29753&title=soft-machine-to-introduce-new-drummer |title=Soft Machine to introduce new drummer on UK live dates |date= 9 January 2023 |website=Jazzmusicarchives.com |access-date= 10 January 2023}}</ref> They embarked on a seven-date UK tour beginning on 3 February 2023 at the [[New Cross Inn]] in London and ending on 26 May 2023 at [[Leeds City Varieties|City Varieties]] in [[Leeds]].{{refn|group=nb|On 3 February 2023 at the New Cross Inn (a pub in [[New Cross]]) in London; 8 February at the Tivoli Theatre, [[Wimborne]]; 9 February at The Pavilion, [[Falmouth, Cornwall|Falmouth]]; 15 February at Band on the Wall in [[Manchester]]; 16 February at Backstage at The Green Hotel in [[Kinross]]; 17 February at Zeffirellis in [[Ambleside]]; 26 May 2023 at [[Leeds City Varieties|City Varieties]] [[Music Hall]] in [[Leeds]]}} The band began touring again in November 2023 with dates booked until November 2024.<ref name="softmachine.org Past Gigs">{{cite web |url=https://softmachine.org/touring/past-gigs# |title=Past Gigs |date= 2 May 2025 |website=softmachine.org |accessdate= 2 May 2025}}</ref> 

Co-founding member Mike Ratledge died on 5 February 2025.

On 4 March 2025 in Manchester (at Band On The Wall), the band embarked on a 8-date UK Spring tour which concluded on 4 April in London (at The Vortex Jazz Club), celebrating on that occasion John Etheridge's 50 years with the band (since 12 April 1975).<ref name="softmachine.org Past Gigs"/> Soft Machine are due to tour Europe from 9 May in London (at Signature Brew) to 25 May 2025 in Zoetermeer, The Netherlands (at De Boerderij): the 10-date Spring tour should also include Sweden (four dates), Norway (one date), Finland (two dates) and Germany (one date). A show on 27 November 2025 in London at [[Cadogan Hall]] (with [[Colosseum (band)|Colosseum]]) is already scheduled too.<ref name="softmachine.org Soft Machine on-tour">{{cite web |url=https://softmachine.org/touring/on-tour |title=Upcoming Events |date= 2 May 2025 |website=Softmachine.org |access-date= 2 May 2025}}</ref>

==Style==
Soft Machine's music encompasses [[progressive rock]],<ref name=Lynch2/><ref name=consequenceofsound>[https://consequence.net/2015/03/r-i-p-daevid-allen-founder-of-gong-and-soft-machine-has-died/ "R.I.P. Daevid Allen, founder of Gong and Soft Machine, has died"] by Ben Kaye, ''[[Consequence of Sound]]'', 13 March 2015</ref><ref>Macan, Edward. ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=b98dJ3cYAksC&pg=PT256 Rocking the Classics: English Progressive Rock and the Counterculture]''; Oxford University Press; 1 edition 9 January 1997; {{ISBN|978-0195098884}}</ref><ref>Holm-Hudson, Kevin (editor).''[https://books.google.com/books?id=JQCPAQAAQBAJ&pg=PA10 Progressive Rock Reconsidered ]''; Routledge; 21 October 2001; {{ISBN|978-0815337157}}</ref><ref name=avclub>[http://www.avclub.com/article/a-guide-to-the-best-and-a-bit-of-the-worst-of-prog-79776 "A guide to the best (and a bit of the worst) of prog rock"] by Jason Heller, ''[[The A.V. Club]]'', 7 June 2012</ref>{{Overcite|reason=Does this point really need five citations?|date=December 2024}} [[experimental rock]],<ref>[[Paul Hegarty (musician)|Hegarty, Paul]]. ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=fsaoAwAAQBAJ&pg=PT58 Beyond and Before: Progressive Rock since the 1960s]''; Bloomsbury Academic; 23 June 2011; {{ISBN|978-0826423320}}; p.105</ref><ref>Blake, Andrew. ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=t7d0DH0qHc8C&pg=PA151 The Land Without Music: Music, culture and society in twentieth-century Britain]''; Manchester University Press, 15 February 1998; {{ISBN|978-0719042997}}; p.151</ref> [[jazz fusion|jazz rock]],<ref>[http://www.allmusic.com/subgenre/jazz-rock-ma0000012014 "Jazz » Fusion » Jazz-Rock"], ''[[AllMusic]]''</ref><ref>Rupprecht, Philip. ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=DBu_CQAAQBAJ&pg=PA425 British Musical Modernism: The Manchester Group and their Contemporaries]''; Cambridge University Press; 18 August 2015; {{ISBN|978-0521844482}}; p.425</ref> [[jazz]],<ref name=Lynch2/><ref>[https://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/gong-soft-parade-founder-daevid-allen-dead-at-77-20150313 "Gong, Soft Machine Founder Daevid Allen Dead at 77"] byDaniel Kreps, ''[[Rolling Stone]]'', 13 March 2015</ref> [[proto-prog]],<ref>{{cite book |last=Greene |first=Doyle |title=Rock, Counterculture and the Avant-Garde, 1966–1970: How the Beatles, Frank Zappa and the Velvet Underground Defined an Era |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ELeaCwAAQBAJ |year=2016 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=978-1-4766-2403-7 |page=182}}</ref> [[psychedelic rock]]<ref name=consequenceofsound/> and [[art rock]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/robert-wyatt-mn0000292915/biography|title=Robert Wyatt {{!}} Biography & History|last=Dougan|first=John|website=AllMusic|access-date=6 January 2020}}</ref> The band are part of the [[Canterbury scene]] of progressive rock.<ref name=Lynch2/><ref name=avclub/> According to Hugh Hopper: "We weren't consciously playing jazz rock, it was more a case of not wanting to sound like other bands; we certainly didn't want a guitarist".<ref name=mojo>Irvin, Jim. ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=AVQbF9lTBwgC&pg=PA208 The MOJO Collection: The Ultimate Music Companion]''; Canongate Books Ltd; 4th edition: 1 November 2007; {{ISBN|978-1841959733}}; p.208</ref>

==Members==
{{main|List of Soft Machine and spin-off band members}}
*[[John Etheridge]] – guitar {{small|(1975–1978, 1984, 2015–present)}}
*[[Theo Travis]] – saxophones, flutes, keyboards, piano {{small|(2015–present)}}
*[[Fred Thelonious Baker]] – bass {{small|(2020–present)}}
*[[Asaf Sirkis]] – drums {{small|(2022–present)}}<ref name="mobile.twitter.com Soft Machine new drummer Asaf Sirkis"/><ref name="www.jazzmusicarchives.com Soft Machine new drummer Asaf Sirkis"/>

===Former===
{{div col|colwidth=30em}}
*[[Mike Ratledge]] – keyboards, piano, organ, synthesizers, flute {{small|(1966–1976; died 2025)}}
*[[Robert Wyatt]] – drums, percussion, lead and backing vocals {{small|(1966–1971)}}
*[[Kevin Ayers]] – bass, guitars, backing and lead vocals {{small|(1966–1968; died 2013)}}
*[[Daevid Allen]] – guitar, bass, backing vocals {{small|(1966–1967; died 2015)}}
*Larry Nowlin –  guitar, backing vocals {{small|(1966)}}
*[[Andy Summers]] –  guitar {{small|(1968)}}
*[[Hugh Hopper]] – bass, guitars, alto saxophone {{small|(1968–1973; died 2009)}}
*[[Brian Hopper]] – tenor and soprano saxophones {{small|(1969)}}
*[[Elton Dean]] – alto saxophone, saxello, flute, keyboards {{small|(1969–1972; died 2006)}}
*[[Lyn Dobson]] – tenor and soprano saxophones, flute, backing vocals {{small|(1969–1970)}}
*[[Mark Charig]] – cornet, trumpet {{small|(1969)}}
*[[Nick Evans (trombonist)|Nick Evans]] – trombone {{small|(1969)}}
*[[Phil Howard (musician)|Phil Howard]] – drums {{small|(1971–1972)}}
*[[John Marshall (drummer)|John Marshall]] – drums, percussion {{small|(1972–1978, 1980–1981, 1984, 2015–2022; died 2023)}}<ref name="mobile.twitter.com Soft Machine new drummer Asaf Sirkis"/><ref name="www.jazzmusicarchives.com Soft Machine new drummer Asaf Sirkis"/>
*[[Karl Jenkins]] – baritone and soprano saxophones, recorder, flute, oboe, keyboards, piano, synthesizers {{small|(1972–1978, 1980–1981, 1984)}}
*[[Roy Babbington]] – bass {{small|(1973–1976, 2015–2020)}}
*[[Allan Holdsworth]] – guitars, violin, voices {{small|(1973–1975, 1978, 1980–1981; substitute for Etheridge at one show in 1977; died 2017)}}<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.calyx-canterbury.fr/softmachine/chrono2.html|title=Soft Machine-Chronology (2)|website=Calyx-canterbury.fr}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=John Etheridge Interview | website=[[YouTube]] | date=20 August 2023 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cyT5oRh34PY}}</ref>
*[[Alan Wakeman]] – tenor and soprano saxophones {{small|(1976)}}
*[[Ray Warleigh]] – alto saxophone, flute {{small|(1976, 1980–1981, 1984; died 2015)}}
*[[Ric Sanders]] – violin, keyboards<ref>{{Cite web |title=Soft Machine- Newcastle England 1976 | website=[[YouTube]] | date=21 November 2015 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VBHygKgilM}}</ref> {{small|(1976–1978)}}
*[[Percy Jones (musician)|Percy Jones]] – bass {{small|(1976)}}
*Steve Cook – bass {{small|(1976–1978)}}
*[[Jack Bruce]] – bass {{small|(1980–1981; died 2014)}}
*[[Stu Calver]] – vocals {{small|(1980–1981; died 2000)}}
*[[Dick Morrissey]] – tenor saxophone {{small|(1980–1981; died 2000)}}
*John Perry – vocals {{small|(1980–1981)}}
*[[Tony Rivers]] – vocals {{small|(1980–1981)}}
*[[Alan Parker (musician)|Alan Parker]] – guitar {{small|(1980–1981)}}
*[[John Taylor (jazz)|John Taylor]] – piano {{small|(1980–1981; died 2015)}}
*[[Paul Carmichael]] – bass {{small|(1984)}}
*[[Dave MacRae]] – keyboards, piano {{small|(1984)}}
{{Div col end}}

==Discography==
{{Main|Soft Machine discography}}

===Studio albums===
* ''[[The Soft Machine (Soft Machine album)|The Soft Machine]]'' (1968)
* ''[[Volume Two (The Soft Machine album)|Volume Two]]'' (1969)
* ''[[Third (Soft Machine album)|Third]]'' (1970)
* ''[[Fourth (Soft Machine album)|Fourth]]'' (1971)
* ''[[Fifth (Soft Machine album)|Fifth]]'' (1972)
* ''[[Six (Soft Machine album)|Six]]'' (1973)
* ''[[Seven (Soft Machine album)|Seven]]'' (1973)
* ''[[Bundles_(album)|Bundles]]'' (1975)
* ''[[Softs (album)|Softs]]'' (1976)
* ''[[Land of Cockayne (album)|Land of Cockayne]]''  (1981)
* ''[[Hidden Details]]'' (2018)<ref name="Shindig-Hidden">{{Cite news | author=Joe Banks | title=Soft Machine – Hidden Details (review) | date=September 2018 | publisher=[[Shindig! (magazine)|Shindig!]] }}</ref><ref name="Wire-Hidden">{{Cite news | author=Brian Morton | author-link=Brian Morton (Scottish writer) | title=Soft Machine – Hidden Details (review) | date=October 2018 | publisher=[[The Wire (magazine)|The Wire]] }}</ref><ref name="ProgArch-Hidden">{{Cite web | url= http://www.progarchives.com/album.asp?id=57661 | title=Soft Machine – Hidden Details (info and reviews) | publisher= Prog Archives | access-date=16 December 2018 }}</ref>
* ''[[Others Doors (album)|Other Doors]]'' (2023)

===Soft Machine Legacy studio albums===
* ''Soft Machine Legacy'' (2006)
* ''[[Steam (Soft Machine Legacy album)|Steam]]'' (2007)
* ''[[Burden of Proof (Soft Machine Legacy album)|Burden of Proof]]'' (2013)

==Filmography==
*''Soft Machine Legacy: New Morning – The Paris Concert'', available in DVD format (2006)
*''Alive in Paris 1970'', available in DVD format (2008)
*''[[Romantic Warriors III: Canterbury Tales]]'', available in DVD format (2015)

==Notes==
{{Reflist|group=nb}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
*Bennett, Graham. ''Soft Machine: Out-Bloody-Rageous''; London: SAF Publishing; 2005; {{ISBN|0-946719-84-5}}; Revised and updated edition: 2014; {{ISBN|978-90-822792-0-7}}

==External links==
*[https://www.softmachine.org/ Official Website]
*[http://www.calyx-canterbury.fr/softmachine/ Soft Machine section] at the Canterbury Music website
*[http://www.disco-robertwyatt.com/images/soft_machine/index.htm Une discographie de Robert Wyatt] (in French)
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20070327225459/http://www.music-city.org/Soft-Machine/discography/ Soft Machine discography] (archived 2007)
* {{imdb name|9551568}}
* {{discogs artist|Soft Machine}}

{{Soft Machine|state=collapsed}}
{{Robert Wyatt|state=collapsed}}
{{Kevin Ayers|state=collapsed}}
{{Daevid Allen|state=collapsed}}
{{Andy Summers|state=collapsed}}
{{Allan Holdsworth|state=collapsed}}
{{UK underground}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Canterbury scene]]
[[Category:Columbia Records artists]]
[[Category:English progressive rock groups]]
[[Category:English psychedelic rock music groups]]
[[Category:English jazz-rock groups]]
[[Category:Harvest Records artists]]
[[Category:Musical groups established in 1966]]
[[Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1984]]
[[Category:1966 establishments in England]]
[[Category:Articles which contain graphical timelines]]
[[Category:Proto-prog groups]]