Soft Releases 2006

Update December 29th 2006

Here's a list of new & coming releases of The Soft Machine, Hugh Hopper, Elton Dean, Robert Wyatt, a.o.

Check out the archives:

******* Go to the 2002 Releases ******
******* Go to the 2003 Releases *******
******* Go to the 2004 Releases *******
******* Go to the 2005 Releases *******

Just released

This list contains albums by Soft Machine members or featuring them, archival Soft Machine releases, and other albums that might interest fans. I'll archive release more than a year old.

  • Joe Boyd - White Bicycles: Making Music in 1960's (Fledg'ling UK)

    Collection of rare Joe Boyd productions that includes Soft Machine's She's Gone which was only available on Triple Echo and never made it to the CD format. Release date set on July 18th.

    Update 23/07/2006: This album is a companion to the Joe Boyd book and both are out now.

  • Bruford - Rock Goes To College DVD (Winterfold)

    DVD release of a 1979 BBC show featuring Allan Holdsworth and Dave Stewart. Tracklisting: 1. Sample and Hold - 2. Beelzebub - 3. The Sahara of Snow (Part One) - 4. The Sahara of Snow (Part Two) - 5. Forever Until Sunday - 6. Back to the Beginning - 7. Adios a la Pasada (Goodbye to the Past) - 8. 5G. Release date planned September 25th 2006.

  • Elton Dean Quintet - Boundaries (ECM)

    Planned for an re-issue in April in Japan, hopefully a release in Europe and USA will follow, this is the classic Elton Dean album from the early 80's featuring Keith Tippett, Marc Charig, Marcio Mattos and Louis Moholo.

    Update 06/05/2006: Release and available at selected stores for a lot of dollars.

  • Dean/Dunmall/Rogers/Levins - Elton (Duns Limited)

    Released on Paul Dunmall's own label, this is a fitting tribute to the late Elton Dean. Recorded live at London's Vortex in 1997 it's a quartet set with Dunmall on tenor sax, Elton Dean on alto and saxello, Paul Rogers on double-bass and Tony Levin on drums.

  • Julie Driscoll - 1969 (Eclectic)

    Re-issue of the classic Julie Driscoll solo-album from the same year with guests including Elton, Nick, Marc, Keith Tippett and Karl Jenkins to name a few. Completely remastered from the original mastertapes. Release date set August 29th 2006.

  • Free Beat (Elton Dean, Tony Bianco, Jon Wilkinson) - Northern Lights (FMR)

    From the FMR website: "The concept of Freebeat came through Tony Bianco’s realisation that time signature is another way of phrasing. “In Freebeat you will feel the pulse, it kind of feels like 4/4, but when you try to count you’ll find that you can’t count anything into it. It’s a combination of beats and phrasing, more like the way speaking occurs. Three of these pieces freature my bass parts looped (sometimes up to a hundred bars), then I play the drums to the bass track, afterwards adding keyboard chords, then Elton and Jon add their parts where I was able to open up the pieces into more of a free zone, while still feeling the pulse.. All tracks were first takes by all on board. The great work that both Elton Dean and Jon Wilkinson contributed is obvious. Straight and Free. Chaos and Order. Liberty and Responsibility combining for Freebeat.” Tony Bianco"

  • David Gilmour - On an Island (Sony)

    Solo disc by Pink Floyd's David Gilmour featuring Wyatt on cornet, voice and percussion on one track, "Then I Close My Eyes". Release date 7 March 2006.

  • Gong - Gong At Montserrat 1973 and Other Stories (DVD) (Voiceprint)

    An archival Gong DVD release featuring also some unreleased 1967 Soft Machine footage: "The DVD features footage of the classic line up of Gong including Daevid Allen, Gilli Smyth, Didier Malherbe, Tim Blake and Steve Hillage also features some exciting footage of Soft Machine featuring Daevid Allen filmed at a benefit for John "Hoppy" Hopwood at UFO in 1967. The Soft machine footage has been rarely seen before and as well as being in full colour also has a soundtrack making this footage not only extremely rare but also hugely enjoyable.In additio to the archive fotage there is also footage from 2006 of Daevid Allen performing songs and reciting poetry. Finally there is live footage of acidmothers Gong at the RFH in 2002" (Voiceprint newsletter).

  • Hatfield and the North - Hattitude (Burning Shed)

    Second volume in the Hatfield archival release series. This one contains more live tracks and some BBC recordings as well. Still only tracks with the four core Hatfield members: Phil Miller, Pip Pyle, Richard Sinclair, Dave Stewart. As brilliant as the first volume.

  • Isipingo - Which Way Now (Cuneiform)

    Broadcast from Radio Bremen, November 1975, this is Harry Miller's band, featuring Louis Moholo, Keith Tippett, Mike Osborne, Mongezi Feza and Nick Evans. Excellent piece of South African/British jazz with some of the keyplayers in the British jazzscene of the time. So far the only officially released Isipingo CD was part of the Harry Miller boxset from Ogun (Family Affair 1977). A welcome addition to their catalogue, I'd say.

    Update 31/12/2005: Release date set for May 2006.

  • Jakko Jakszyck - The Bruised Romantic Glee Club (Burning Shed)

    From the 21st Century Schizoid Band website:
    "Jakko Jakszyck has nearly completed a new solo album entitled 'The Bruised Romantic Glee Club.' The CD features performances from Mel Collins, Ian Wallace, 'Porcupine Tree's' Gavin Harrison and Richard Barbieri, Legendary Double Bass player Danny Thompson, Keyboard player Dave Stewart, Hugh Hopper, Mark King and Lyndon Connah to name but a few. The album features a lot of new previously unreleased material including both a Crimson and Soft Machine cover and lyrics by Peter Sinfield. This should be available in the Autumn. He is considering playing a few dates to promote this."

    Update 23/05/2006: The official Jakko website (www.jakko.com)schedules this one as "a few weeks from now" in an update from February 2006.
    Update 23/07/2006: Release date pending for end of August 2006.
    Update 18/10/2006: Available for pre-order from Burning Shed.

  • Phil Miller/In Cahoots - Conspiracy Theories (Crescent)

    New album by Phil Miller and In Cahoots. The band currently consists of Phil, Pete Lemer, Fred Baker, Mark Fletcher with guests including Didier Malherbe, Richard Sinclair, Dave Stewart , Barbara Gaskin and Annie Whitehead. No direct Soft Machine links but hey I give it a go. Should be out there but the Miller website doesn't give a clue yet.

    Update 09/12/2006: Should be out any day now. The first pressing apparently went failed. Check the Miller website or Wayside for updates.
    Update 23/12/2006: Out now.

  • Monks of Doom - Whats Left For Kicks? (Magnetic)

    Off-shoot band from Camper van Beethoven, their latest album (after fourteen years!) includes two Soft Machine covers (Moon in June and Dedicated to you...).

  • Mujician - There's No Going Back Now (Cuneiform)

    New Mujician release on Cuneiform scheduled for May 2006. Mujician is Keith Tippett, Paul Dunmall, Tony Levin, Paul Rogers.

  • NDIO - The Cortex ((Boombaday Records)

    A limited release by NDIO themselves, this is a recording of Hugh Hopper, Frank v/d Kooij and Mark Hewins, live in Rotterdam. Good to see Mark back in the spotlight after several years.

  • News From Babel - Sirens and Silences/Work Resumed on the Tower (ReR)
  • News From Babel - Letters Home (ReR)

    Reissues of both News From Babel albums. Wyatt sings some tracks on the second one.

    Update 09/12/2006: Out now.

  • Nucleus - Hemispheres ((Hux)

    Hux Records will release a new live CD from Nucleus from 1970 and 1971 with the band in full force featuring Karl Jenkins and John Marshall. Another welcome addition to the ever growing legacy of this top notch jazzrock band from the UK. Release date set at July 17.

  • Nucleus - UK Tour '76 ((MLP)

    MLP is working on a 1976 radio recording from Nucleus (Ian Carr, Bob Bertles, Ken Shaw, Geoff Castle, Roger Sellers and Roger Sutton). No release date known as of yet.
    Update 18/10/2006: Released as 2CD set.

  • Soft Machine - Soft Machine (Geffen/Universal)

    Japanese remaster (!) of the first Soft Machine album planned for 18/01/2006, limited papersleeve.

  • Soft Machine - Floating World Live (Bremen 1975) (Moonjune)

    Radio Bremen recording from 1975 to be released later this year. Liner notes by Aymeric Leroy from Calyx with interviews with Jenkins, Babbington, Marshall.

    Update 22/01/2005: Moved to rumour-section.
    Update 29/01/2005: Planned for release mid-2005 in Japan, later in the rest of the world.
    Update 25/09/2005: Confirmed for release january 2006. Title added.
    Update 12/11/2005: Release moved to February 2006.
    Update 12/02/2006: Announcement from MoonJune:

    Finally the long waited Radio Bremen broadcasting of the Soft Machine’s concert on January 29, 1975 in Bremen is out and the street date is March 21 in USA (exclusively distributed by CityHall Records) and Europe, on MoonJune Records and March 22 in Japan, on Strange Days Records. You can find some initial information about the record here. Audio files of each tune are available.

    The cd release contains 16 pages cd booklet featuring very rare interviews collected by Aymeric Leroy of members of that Soft Machine, and some very rare photos of the band. Fantastic sound quality, digitally re-mastered from the original Radio Bremen audio tapes, fantastic concert and a very rare violin playing of the guitar god Allan Holdsworth, whose carrier was virtually sky-rocketed during his 18 Soft Machine months.

    You can buy this cd straight from the vendor if you go to this link: https://www.2checkout.com/2co/buyer/orderpage?sid=149779.

  • Soft Machine - Orange Skin Food (Ambitions/Membran)

    What appears to be another cheap compilation of Voiceprint licensed Soft Machine recordings. 23 tracks in total pulled from "Somewhere in Soho", "Facelift" and "Live 1970". Better buy the originals and leave this one be.

  • Soft Machine - Grides (CD/DVD) (Cuneiform)

    This will actually be another package (my previous update mixed this one up with the Eclectic release). Cuneiform will release: "a CD/DVD package with a great concert from October, 1970 AND a 20' DVD of the band on the German Beat Club TV show in March, 1971, which includes 8' of footage shot but never broadcast!)" The concert from October 1970 will probably be the 25/10/2005 Amsterdam Concert.

    Update 31/12/2005: Confirmed to be the Amsterdam concert. Release date set for May 2006.

  • Soft Machine - Shooting at the Moon (Brook Records)

    This CD will be released on March 6, 2006. Details unknown, although I expect it'll be another re-issue of Jet-Propelled Photographs given the title and the price (7 euros).

    Update 06/05/2006: This is indeed another JPP release.

  • Soft Machine - Middle Earth Masters (Cuneiform)

    Scheduled for September 2006, Cuneiform will release: "a reasonably good fidelity - better than anything else that anyone has EVER heard but still 'a bit problematic' show from Middle Earth Spetember 16th 1967" (as more or less quoted from the What's Rattlin' mailinglist)

  • Soft Machine Legacy - The 40th Year Jubilee Celebration - The Paris Concert (DVD) (In-Akustik)

    A professional DVD recording in Paris (12/12/2005), two hours of music by the Legacy! Planned for release summer 2006. Setlist played:

    1st Set:
    1. Ash (Etheridge)
    2. Seven For Lee (Dean)
    3. 1212 (Hopper)
    4. Baker¹s Treat (Dean)
    5. Facelift (Hopper)

    2nd Set:
    6. Has Riff (Ratledge, Dean, Etheridge, Hopper, Marshall)
    7. Kings & Queens (Hopper)
    8. One Up (Marshall)
    9. Two Down (Etheridge, Marshall)
    10. Kite Runner (Etheridge)

    First Encore:
    11. Strange Comfort (Etheridge)

    Second Encore:
    12. One More Time (Dean, Etheridge, Hopper, Marshall)

    Update 06/05/2006: Scheduled to be released on June 6th.
    Update 23/05/2006: Out now! Also available as audio CD.

  • Soft Machine - The Soft Machine Legacy (Moonjune)

    To be released fall 2005, The Soft Machine Legacy is a follow-up to Soft Works and includes Elton Dean, Hugh Hopper, John Etheridge and John Marshall.

    Update 04/07/2005: The band's name will probably change in "Soft Machine's Dean/Etheridge/Hopper/Marshall"; album will be called "Legacy"; planned to be recorded in August 2005. Moved from Rumour to Planned.
    Update 13/08/2005: Recording in August.
    Update 14/09/2005: Recording actually took place in early September. Album is planned for release in January 2006, but audioclips will be available on the Moonjune website in October. A new European tour is currently planned for end of this year, a UK tour for early next year.
    Update 12/11/2005: Release moved to Spring 2006.
    Update 18/12/2005: Scheduled for release on March 20th (Japan) and April 2006 (rest of the world).
    Update 06/05/2006: Release date set to May 9th.
    Update 23/05/2006: Unless I've missed it, this one is not out yet...
    Update 27/05/2006: Release date set July 3rd. Also see the special Moonjune Records page for pre-ordering and general information.

  • Various Artists - Plague Songs (4AD)

    Compilation CD for charity event that includes the track "Flies" by Brian Eno and Robert Wyatt.