Soft Machine

Debate: What was the best prog album of 1976?

By Martin Kielty published 24 January 26

Punk might have been on the rise but Rush, Genesis, Jon Anderson, Van der Graaf Generator, Kansas, Alan Parsons, Camel and Soft Machine released records that became all-time greats. But which one is your favourite – and why?

The Dutch quartet inspired by just five minutes of Soft Machine music to make an iconic debut album

By Malcolm Dome published 10 December 25

Their 1970 debut album, deliberately featuring no guitars at all, was inspired by the Canterbury band’s approach and Frank Zappa’s public persona – and it attained iconic status

Meet the Canterbury scene’s international next generation

By Phil Howitt published 19 September 25

The seeds of The Wilde Flowers have taken root all around the world. Here are just a handful of 21st-century musicians taking inspiration from the 60s and 70s

The oddball career of Kevin Ayers, quintessential English songwriter

By Max Bell published 31 July 25

Kevin Ayers co-founded Soft Machine, influenced Bowie, shared acid trips and girlfriends with Hendrix, and knew Syd Barrett better than most

Wang Chung’s Jack Hues reinvented himself by revisiting Robert Wyatt, Radiohead and Talk Talk

By Jo Kendall published 27 July 25

Decades after playing to 80,000 people a night with Wang Chung, the Canterbury artist went wild on Epigonal Quark, with help from Syd Arthur and others

"Behind those dark glasses and unsmiling visage, he presented an inscrutable presence." Soft Machine's Mike Ratledge remembered

By Sid Smith published 7 February 25

Prog writer Sid Smith pays tribute to the former Soft Machine founder and keyboard player Mike Ratledge, who sadly died after a short illness, aged 81

When William Burroughs gave Daevid Allen permission to call his band The Soft Machine

By Malcolm Dome published 6 February 25

A key moment in the Canterbury band’s history came when the future Gong mastermind made contact with his former collaborator in 1966