MOONJUNE RECORDS NEW RELEASE:

SOFT MACHINE "DROP"

MIKE RATLEDGE Lowrey organ, Fender Rhodes electric piano
ELTON DEAN saxello, alto sax, Fender Rhodes electric piano
HUGH HOPPER bass guitar
PHIL HOWARD drums

Recorded live during the German tour in the Fall of 1971. Original recordings
edited and
remastered by Mike King in October of 2008, with thanks to Aymeric Leroy for
pitch
correction.

Liner notes by Steve Lake.

Dedicated to the memory of Elton Dean (1946-2006).

Soft Machine were one of first and one of the greatest jazz/rock bands of all
time with
their absolute pick between 1969 and 1972. This CD documents an often
overlooked
phase in the long and complex history of Soft Machine - Australian drummer Phil
Howard's
five-month interim behind the drum stool between Robert Wyatt's departure and
his
eventual long-term replacement John Marshall. It did last long enough to record
half of
the studio album "Fifth" (1972) and a couple of BBC radio sessions, but until
now no
official document of that line-up in its preferred environment - the stage.
Howard was
brought into Soft Machine by saxophonist Elton Dean, both being members of
Elton's side
project Just Us, and under their combined influence the band became freer and
wilder than
ever before (or after) in its existence, pushing longtime leaders Mike Ratledge
and Hugh
Hopper into unchartered areas of electric madness. Before long they'd decided
this wasn't
the way to go, but meanwhile the line-up had antagonised audiences throughout
extensive tours of the UK and Europe. This CD documents the German leg of the
tour and,
as veteran music journalist Steve Lake notes in his detailed liner notes, is a
revelation - a
glimpse of a highly exciting alternative route Soft Machine decided not to
explore further.

"An unsung jazz drums hero, Phil Howard – who can be compared to Rashied Ali,
Tony
Williams and Tony Oxley - is one of the world's greatest jazz drummers that
99.99% of
people have never heard of."

"...here is an album to savour. A document of a mighty band with a whirlwind
drummer, a
very special highlight among the Soft Machine's invigorating live recordings." -
Steve Lake

For more information, please check
www..MOONJUNE.com

CD available from MoonJune Records from December 1st.
Official release dates:
Japan, December 9th, 2008
USA and the rest of the world, January 19th, 2009

Thanks
MoonJune Records
New York