Soft Machine, the legendary progressive rock outfit from the United Kingdom, are back on 13 March 2026 with a new studio album, “Thirteen”.
The album single Green Books is out now, and you can stream it in full below. There’s also a six-minute “teaser” of the album that should give you a feel for what to expect from the latest release by these great veterans, who are one of the defining names of the Canterbury strand of progressive rock.
Soft Machine’s thirteenth studio album features guitarist John Etheridge (50 years in the band now), Theo Travis, Fred Baker and new drummer Asaf Sirkis.
Special guests on the album include organist Pete Whittaker (Double Talk) and Soft Machine founding member Daevid Allen (Gong). The band used ‘glissando’ guitar recordings from 2001, when Allen was still alive.
The material spans atmospheric improvisations, psychedelic free jazz, jazz-rock fusion, flute flurries and groovy twists and turns from the ‘fretless’ bass. That’s it. Pure musical adventurism!
The cover art is by artist Esra Kizir Gokcen and was designed by Carl Glover.
You can already pre-order “Thirteen”.
“Thirteen” track list:
1. Lemon Poem Song (3.27)
2. Open Road (7.30)
3. Seven Hours (5.12)
4. Waltz for Robert (4.19)
5. The Longest Night (13.08)
6. Disappear (3.55)
7. Green Books (5.46)
8. Beledo Balado (4.32)
9. Pens To The Foal Mode (2.42)
10. Time Station (2.46)
11. Which Bridge Did You Cross (2.49)
12. Turmoil (5.30)
13. Daevid’s Special Cuppa (3.10)
Line-up:
John Etheridge – guitar
Theo Travis – saxophone, flute, electronics, Rhodes piano
Fred Baker – ‘fretless’ bass
Asaf Sirkis – drums, piano
