Album features performances by Steve Morse, King Crimson violinist David Cross, GnR guitarist Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal, and keyboard legend Patrick Moraz plus members of Weather Report, Utopia, Angel, Soft Machine, Gong, and more!
Los Angeles, CA – As longtime guitarist and co-writer for the powerhouse rock hitmaker Billy Idol, Steve Stevens is widely celebrated as a master of composing forceful, electrifying rock melodies that balance their intensity with an undeniable mainstream appeal. It’s that melodic sensibility matched with an impressive technical mastery that has made Stevens one of the most sought after collaborators in music today. Recently, Stevens accepted an invitation to contribute to the new album from The Prog Collective and the result is one of the purest expressions of Stevens’s creativity ever captured.
For the uninitiated, The Prog Collective, founded and helmed by producer/multi-instrumentalist and famed bassist for Yes Billy Sherwood, has united some of the finest musicians of rock, jazz, metal, pop and everything in between since its founding in 2012. The group’s newest studio effort, entitled Dark Encounters, takes a deliberate turn toward a more brooding and melancholic musical path, filled with haunting ambience and eerie melodic passages. All of this makes Stevens the perfect partner for an exploration into the darker side of prog rock. Check out the album’s first single and the album’s leadoff track, “Darkest Hour,” which is released today on all music platforms.
Dark Encounters is set for release on March 29 and includes contributions from a number of notable musicians and creative geniuses from the legendary Steve Morse, violinist David Cross, and guitar wizard Bumblefoot to keyboardist Patrick Moraz, Utopia’s Kasim Sulton, Gong’s Steve Hillage, and more!
Track List: 1. Darkest Hour with Steve Stevens 2. Ominous Signs with Steve Morse 3. At The Gates with David Cross 4. Dark Days with Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal, Patrick Moraz & Omar Hakim 5. Lonely Landscape with Kasim Sulton 6. The Long Night with Frank Dimino & Marco Minnemann 7. The Quasi Effect with Billy Sherwood 8. The 11th Hour with John Etheridge 9. Between Two Worlds with Steve Hillage & Gregg Bissonette 10. Distant Thunder with Todd Sucherman 11. Dark Money with Joe Bouchard 12. For All To See with Pat Mastelotto 13. Beyond Reason with Chad Wackerman BONUS TRACKS [CD ONLY] 14. I Saw the Light – Todd Rundgren with Rick Wakeman 15. I’m Not In Love – Nektar with Rick Wakeman
Soft Machine, arguably the greatest bunch of people in circulation, featuring legendary musicians John Etheridge, Theo Travis, Roy Babbington, John Marshall, is touring this Fall, mostly in the UK and there are two shows in The Netherlands.
Next year, there will many shows around Europe, and hopefully in South America as well.
FALL 2019 TOUR DATES SEP 13 – LOWESTOFT, ENGLAND (Lowestoft Jazz Festival, The Seagull Theater) OCT 10 – YORK, ENGLAND (The Crescent) OCT 11 – KINROSS, SCOTLAND (Backstage at the Green Hotel) OCT 13 – AMBLESIDE, ENGLAND (Zefferellis) OCT 16 – WOLVERHAMPTON, ENGLAND (Robin 2) OCT 17 – MANCHESTER, ENGLAND (Band On The Wall) OCT 22 – MILTON KEYNES, ENGLAND (Wavendon Stables) OCT 24 – NOTTINGHAM, ENGLAND ( Bonington Theater) OCT 26 – LONDON, ENGLAND (HRH Prog 8 Festival, Empire Shepherds Bush) OCT 27 – SHEFFIELD, ENGLAND (HRH Prog 8 Festival, Academy) OCT 30 – CARDIFF, WALES (Earl Haig Club) OCT 31 – NEWCASTLE UNDER LYME, ENGLAND (New Victoria Theater) NOV 10 – GLASGOW, SCOTLAND (Mono) NOV 11 – NEWCASTLE ON TYNE, ENGLAND (The Cluny) NOV 14 – CAMBRIDGE, ENGLAND (Storey’s Field Center) NOV 21 – BRIGHTON, ENGLAND (Komedia) NOV 29 – TILBURG, THE NETHERLANDS (Paradox) NOV 30 – ZOETERMEER, THE NETHERLANDS (De Boerderij) Thank You for Your supportLeonardo / MoonJune / Soft Machine
And we have plans to make a new album, sometimes in the late Summer of 2020, to be released in early 2021. And then, besides many more gigs across Europe and the UK, the band will go back to Japan and Asia in 2021 and as well, to the USA and Canada.
Worldwide booking/management and booking coordination:: MoonJune Music <[email protected]>
There can be few British bands that can say that they have had as much impact on music as the mighty Softs, and here a mere 37 years after their last studio album they are back with a new one. Originally formed in 1966, with their debut album in 1968, they have continued to be at the cutting edge of fusion and have had some incredible musicians pass through their ranks. The band officially disbanded in 1978, then reformed briefly in 1981 and then 1984 before returning as SoftWare in 1999, which in turn became Soft Works, before morphing into Soft Machine Legacy in 2004, and then at the end of 2015, they decided to drop the word “Legacy”. But given that guitarist John Etheridge, bassist Roy Babbington and drummer John Marshall were all in the same line-up(s) in the Seventies, they have a more than valid claim to the name. The only member of the band who wasn’t involved back then is Theo Travis, who provides sax, flute and Fender Rhodes. But, he joined Soft Machine Legacy as long ago as 2006, when he replaced Elton Dean after he had passed away.
Anyone who admits to enjoying Canterbury progressive rock or fusion will have multiple Soft Machine albums in their collection, and this one fits right in. John Etheridge is an incredible guitarist, and it takes someone very special indeed to step into the shoes of Allan Holdsworth, not once but twice. He is lyrical, dramatic, restrained yet over the top, simple yet complex, allowing the music to take him where it will. Every musician is an absolute master of his craft, and they push the envelope in so many ways. Jazz, prog, fusion, call it whatever you like but this is intricately crafted music that is both awe-inspiring yet inviting, eclectic yet so very easy to get inside of, and the more time spent with it the greater the rewards. Some of these guys are nearly 80 years old now, yet show no sign at all of slowing down. This is an essential purchase.
NYC – In support of their forthcoming new album, British music legends Soft Machine will embark on their first North American tour since 1974 in October 2018, followed by the second North-American leg of the tour in January/February 2019. In concert, their set list will include material from all parts of the band’s repertoire from 1970 onwards, but this is emphatically not a nostalgia act resting on its laurels. Last weekend Soft Machine played their first two shows in North America since 1974 (it was in 1974 they toured USA and Canada during the Bundles/Allan Holdsworth era). Both shows, at the Montreal Jazz Festival and Quebec City, were exceptionally well received by the enthusiastic audience and local press.
Hidden Details is a new studio album of Soft Machine, recorded at the late great Jon Hiseman’s Temple Studio in Surrey, England, last December 2017, and it will be released in September 2018 on MoonJune Records (North America; on CD and HD Download), on John Etheridge’s Dyan Records (UK/Europe on CD, and iTunes), and on Vivid Records (Japan), exactly 50 years since the release of the band’s 1968 debut album The Soft Machine. Limited and highly collectible vinyl edition of only 200 coloured vinyl (orange, blue and tour edition orange & blue marbled) will be released on the Dutch label Tonefloat, on September 8, 2018.
“’Hidden Details’ is very much the product of an active, contemporary sounding outfit striking out with its own agenda. Though informed by the past, the music here is neither weighed down nor beholden to it. Animated with the same ineffable and inquisitive spirit that has always made this group throughout its fifty years such a compelling experience, it’’ good to have a new Soft Machine with us in 2018. The yearning tenderness of ‘Heart Off Guard’ and the come-down reveries of ‘Broken Hill’ and ‘Drifting White’ showcase the more intimate aspects of Soft Machine’s personality while in contrast, ‘One Glove’ gives the more pugilistic side of John Etheridge’s playing an outing. The terse angularities of the title track and ‘Life on Bridges’ highlight a fearless disposition, as does the buzzsaw interplay heard during ‘Ground Lift’ and ‘Flight of the Jett,’ both featuring Roy Babbington’s decisive interventions. The surging lyricism of ‘Fourteen Hour Dream’ flirts with an almost popish sensibility, underscoring the sense that this is a quartet that is fundamentally at ease with itself. The return of what some older fans of the band have called ‘cosmic tinkles’’– the appearance of layers of cyclical electric piano motifs – is especially welcome. Their brief manifestation on ‘The Man Who Waved at Trains’ and Third-era, ‘Out-Bloody-Rageous,’ both stone-cold Mike Ratledge-composed classics, adds an extra spacey dimension to the overall sound. Travis’ use of looping technology with his flutes creates its own beguiling world and can be heard to powerful effect on the beautiful and enigmatic ‘Breathe,’ where his hovering notes are underpinned by Marshall’s oblique yet atmospheric percussion.” – Sid Smith
Soft Machine:
JOHN ETHERIDGE – guitar
THEO TRAVIS – sax, flute, Fender Rhodes
ROY BABBINGTON – bass guitar
JOHN MARSHALL – drums
with special guest GARY HUSBAND drums on selected dates
2018 North American Tour Dates:
October 6 – Orion Studios – Baltimore, MD, USA [John Marshall on drums]
October 7 – Theater Of Living Arts – Philadelphia, PA, USA
October 9 – Roxy’s & Duke – Dunellen, NJ, USA
October 10 – Darryl’s House – Pawling, NY, USA
October 12 – The Iridium – NYC, NY, USA
October 13 – The Iridium – NYC, NY, USA
October 14 – The Iridium – NYC, NY, USA
October 16 – Mod’s Club – Toronto, ON, Canada [Gary Husband on drums]
October 17 – The Tralf – Buffalo, NY, USA [Gary Husband on drums]
October 18 – Beachland Music Hall – Cleveland, OH, USA [Gary Husband on drums]
October 19 – The Irving Theater – Indianapolis, IN, USA [Gary Husband on drums]
October 21 – Progtober Festival – Reggie’s – Chicago, IL, USA [Gary Husband on drums]
October 22 – Shank Hall – Milwaukee, WI, USA [Gary Husband on drums]
2019 North American Tour Dates:
January 24 – Freight & Salvage – Berkeley, CA, USA
January 25 – Flynn’s – Santa Cruz, CA, USA
January 27 – Alberta Rose Theater – Portland, OR, USA
January 28 – Triple Door – Seattle, WA, USA
January 29 – Triple Door – Seattle, WA, USA
January 31 – The Baked Potato (2 shows) – Los Angeles, CA, USA
February 1 – The Baked Potato (2 shows) – Los Angeles, CA, USA
February 2 – Scottsdale Performing Arts Center – Scottsdale, AZ, USA
February 4-9 – Cruise To The Edge – Key West, FL / Cozumel, Mexico
2018 confirmed shows in Japan & Europe:
July 7 – Montreal Jazz Festival – Monument National – Ludger Duvernay – Montreal, Quebec, Canada
July 8 – Salle Jean-Paul Tardif – Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
July 28 – Billboard Live Tokyo – Tokyo, Japan (2 shows) [special guest Gary Husband, keyboards]
July 29 – Billboard Live Tokyo – Tokyo, Japan (2 shows) [special guest Gary Husband, keyboards]
July 30 – Billboard Live Osaka – Osaka, Japan (2 shows) [special guest Gary Husband, keyboards]
September 6 – Cosmopolite – Oslo, Norway
September 8 – De Boerderij – Zoetemeer, The Netherlands
September 9 – Musikbunker – Aachen, Germany
September 10 – Franzis – Wetzlar, Germany
September 12 – Muhle Hunziken – Rubigen, Switzerland
September 13 – La Casa Di Alex – Milano, Italy
September 14 – Club Il Giardino – Verona, Italy
September 16 – Porgy & Bess – Vienna, Austria
September 17 – Museum – Bratislava, Slovakia
September 18 – Akropolis – Prague, Czech Republic
September 19 – Kulturbanhof – Jena, Germany
November 3 – Marlow Theater – Canterbury, UK
November 6 – Sage – Gateshead, UK
November 8 – Green Hotel – Kinross, Scotland, UK
November 9 – Hebden Bridge Townhall – Hebden, UK
November 10 – The Trade’s Club – Howden, UK
November 16 – Borderline – London, UK
November 17 – West End Center – Aldershot, UK
November 18 – Lews Con Club – Lewes, UK
November 20 – Epic Studios – Norwich, UK
November 22 – Trading Boundaries – Fletching, UK
November 25 – Talking Heads – Southampton, UK
December 15 – Peppel – Zeist, The Netherlands
December 16 – Harmonie – Bonn, Germany
Soft Machine is a legend and an institution of British music, a band who included Robert Wyatt, Daevid Allen, Mike Ratledge, Kevin Ayers, Andy Summers (later of The Police), Hugh Hopper, Elton Dean, Roy Babbington, John Marshall, Karl Jenkins, Allan Holdsworth, John Etheridge, Percy Jones, Rick Sanders, Dave McRae and Jack Bruce among others (Jimi Hendrix briefly jammed with the band in 1968!). Since its creation in 1966, this band pioneered Psychedelic and Progressive Rock, led the ‘Canterbury’ trend, pioneered jazz-rock, and then guitar-led fusion (launching the guitar god Allan Holdsworth in 1974), influenced generations of musicians. Disbanded in 1978, recreated in few occasions in 1981 and 1984, the band resurfaces in 1999 under the name of Soft Ware. Much was said about this band with a very complex intriguing history of constant personal changes during the 1966-1978 period. The band resurrected in 1999 under the name of Soft Ware, then as Soft Works 2002-2004 and Soft Machine Legacy 2004-2015. In December 2015, it was confirmed that the band had dropped the “Legacy” tag from their name, as the band featured three of the group’s 1970s era members – guitarist John Etheridge, drummer John Marshall and bassist Roy Babbington (from the seminal 1976’s album Softs), in addition to flute and sax player Theo Travis – returning to the original name from 2015, and performing numerous concerts all around Europe, South America and Japan.
To pre-order Soft Machine’s Hidden Details CD and HD 24bit Download: https://softmachine-moonjune.bandcamp.com/album/hidden-details-hd ;
All CD orders come with HD 24bit downloads.
Pre-ordered CDs will be shipped in the end of August 2018.
Pre-ordered Downloads will be released the first week of September.
Those who purchased either the CD or HD Download, will receive instant download of one tune before the official release date. Downloads of two more tunes will be released on August 4 2018, and the full album download will be released on September 7 2018.
$15 for the CD + shipping (from USA) and $10 for HD 24bit Download.
To pre-order Soft Machine’s Hidden Details CD and HD 24bit Download: https://softmachine-moonjune.bandcamp.com/album/hidden-details-hd ;
All CD orders come with HD 24bit downloads.
Pre-ordered CDs will be shipped in the end of August 2018.
Pre-ordered Downloads will be released the first week of September.
Those who purchased either the CD or HD Download, will receive instant download of one tune before the official release date. Downloads of two more tunes will be released on August 4 2018, and the full album download will be released on September 7 2018.
$15 for the CD + shipping (from USA) and $10 for HD 24bit Download.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
