she lives – the “soft machine” runs smoothly, as a part fits into the other, mechanical processes liquefy imperceptibly, seemingly endless echo loops turn out to be a plan full Pulsation of an atmospheric unit. As a aufgeschreckter swarm of bees, the sounds of a keyboard floating through space. The underlying distortion of a bass guitar are reminiscent of a gentle at the end of the engine singing saw. In spite of all the nervousness fluttering notes of a quiet, intent of blowing loose breath through the pieces. Then again, the music is raging monsters, and met with an aggressive Growl to the engine room. The British Band Soft Machine, represented for the past fifty years, a Vision: A musical Bio-organism, diverse, electronically linked, for the moments of the difference between nature and technology.
More than thirty musicians played in more than twenty different Soft Machine-formations, ongoing change in the line guaranteed a lasting makeover. From the wit of Dadaism influenced by the drug-induced rush of experience in the “Swinging London” fascinated by the New York Free-Jazz infected, and from the straightforward Rock of the British province of bored, the Soft machinist, a Band’s philosophy of perpetual experiment. Originally a quintet with hippiesken Eccentrics such as Daevid Allen and Kevin Ayers, the remaining Trio of keyboardist Mike Ratledge, Hugh Hopper on Bass and Drummer/singer Robert Wyatt, the saxophonist Elton Dean Quartet, the grossed pophistorisch important albums such as “Third” and “Fourth”.
officially
were considered to be the Underground darlings of Europe, and, not infrequently, the Ensemble grew in bizarre improvisation adventure, in which Drone effects of organ and saxophone for a constant state of alert. Although the entry of the jazz-rock guitarist Alan Holdsworth and John Etheridge of many Hardcore Fans, it was regarded as a betrayal, given just this melody blessed flow engineers the Band’s new rock musical Drive, and shimmering textures. In the meantime, had retired, with Mike Ratledge, the last original member and the rigid composition-rule of multi-instrumentalist Karl Jenkins, the old surreal sound remained perfect, and the magic of a through and through playful contracts stickiness, increasingly, on the track.
Officially disbanded, the pioneers of the Canterbury Sound have never, in addition to projects such as Softs, Soft Heap, Soft Ware, Soft Works and Soft Machine Legacy – even diehard machinists, it was hard to keep track – were able to preserve in the last two decades of memories of ease, anarchy, and heat.
thirty-Seven successful years after their last Studio album “Land Of Cockayne”, the Psychedelic-Rock-the prophets of the past with the official successor of the “Hidden Details” is now a small music-historical Sensation. Far from any nostalgia Trips turns out to be the current Formation as a Band in the 21st century. Century, with new Material and old Playfulness. The surviving machines leaders John Marshall on drums, Roy Babbington on Bass, guitarist John Etheridge and Theo Travis on saxophone, flute and Keyboards, it’s about letting the spirit of the legendary experimental circle revival and tilling the broad jazz-rock field.
Soft Machine compositions to build up a powerful Riff, a melodic Bass figure, or a single lyric chord around; there is little harmonic development in music. But it is just this linear conception, in conjunction with the highly expressive solos makes it special tension in their music. In Bonn “Harmonie”, the last stop of their European tour, showing off the Soft-seniors – up on Theo Travis ‘ all in the seventies – which, almost mystical moments can arise from sound community. In addition to the four “classic” Ratledge compositions of the pieces of the Comeback album. As welcomed in “Broken Hill” – Etheridge, is here imbued with rare melodic emphasis – David Gilmour out of the Scenes while the Band is in “Life On Bridges” answers to Roy Babbingtons Fuzz-Bass-seeking provocations.
Sometimes it seems that Etheridge wool overtake on the fretboard of his guitar, but suddenly, all of the delusion to dissolve witty Legato lines in the comforting touch of chill. Its perfect for “Sweeping”technique, in which the player sweeps the Pick with the stop hand in a direction of two, three strings to “”, it is due to that the pieces burn at all beguiling Lyrizismen soon ablaze. As the control center Theo Travis turns out to be; at the Keyboard, he controls the key structural elements, with his flute, he primed the suction effect of “Chloe And The Pirates”, as a Saxophonist, he heats up with repetitive Riffs, songs like “Gesolreut”, or “The Tale Of Taliesin” threat.
