Search - Soft Machine :: Spaced

Creature of loops, remix of cut up...

KirK | 30 miles away from the center of Tokyo, Japan | 05/30/2001

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This recording sounds like a kind of environmental music, which was played by Mike Ratledge, Hugh Hopper and Rober Wyatt with some sax blasts played by Brian Hopper and with the tape looping work by Bob Woolford in 1969. According to the brochure in this CD, "Spaced" seems to have been made to fulfill the contract with the record company and it was the same timing when "Volume Two" was recorded for the same reason. Since it is the creature of tape loops edited in the living room of Bob Woolford's apartment, it sounds different from other titles by Soft Machine. Although there are several portions scattered here and there, in which you can enjoy the dynamism of their live performance, it still sounds like a remix of "cut up" phrases, which reminds me of the technique of writing taken in "The Soft Machine" by William Burroughs.As a Soft Machine freak, it is "must to have". But it could be "nice to have" for average listeners of good old progressive rock music."

Highly experimental side step for softs

Warren W. Nelson | Mooresville, NC USA | 08/06/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This may be the most demented work the Softs ever released, at least that I've heard. This was originally composed as background for a multimedia event of this title in the time period between the second and third album; so the sense of experimentation and personal challenge for the Softs was growing exponentially. This album represents an edited version of the event comprising tape loops, sonic experiments and some of the most possessed and inspired Mike Ratledge keyboard ever comited to tape along with some pulse style drumming from Robert Wyatt. The thirty two minute fourth section is absolutely astounding; This recording captures the band growing in intellectual depth and complication stretching the improvisations into a more avant garde direction. This is an inspired performance with some fascinating improvisational experiments.



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A cool Soft Machine CD!!!

Jason Pumphrey | Falls Church, Virginia United States | 12/29/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you are a fan of the Soft Machine, This CD will be a welcome addition to your collection!!! It's from their early period with Robert Wyatt!!! And it's a very cool album!!! Very experimental!!! A true relic of the past!!! it's nice to see this music released after all of these years!!! Fans of their first five albums will most likely enjoy this one!!! Five Stars!!! A+"