Soft Machine is an English rock band from Canterbury, Kent, founded in 1966 by Mike Ratledge, Robert Wyatt, Kevin Ayers, Daevid Allen, and Larry Nowlin. Key figures in the Canterbury scene, they started as pioneers of British psychedelic rock before evolving into progressive and jazz-rock innovators. From 1971, Soft Machine became exclusively instrumental and frequently changed members, including notable musicians like Andy Summers, Hugh Hopper, Elton Dean, John Marshall, Karl Jenkins, Roy Babbington, and Allan Holdsworth. Despite limited commercial success, the band is highly regarded for its influence on progressive and experimental music. Their current lineup features John Etheridge, Theo Travis, Fred Thelonious Baker, and Asaf Sirkis. The band’s name is taken from a novel by William S. Burroughs.