Since its creation as a trio in 1966, Soft Machine has pioneered psychedelic, progressive, and jazz-rock, emerging as a leader of the so-called “Canterbury Scene” — a movement largely defined by musicians with a strong improvisational impulse derived from jazz. Initially steeped in jazz, drummer and vocalist Robert Wyatt joined forces with keyboard player Mike Ratledge and bassist, guitarist and vocalist Kevin Ayers; together, and alongside Pink Floyd, they became synonymous with the emerging psychedelic underground. While frequently associated with the “Canterbury Scene”, the label itself can feel artificial: many of the musicians linked to it had little or nothing to do with Canterbury, the place.
