For any other band apart from BLACK SABBATH to name their new work after its place in the ensemble’s studio discography, or for the number of its tracks, would be quite tasteless, as CHICAGO proved time after time. However, when SOFT MACHINE decided to bestow the title of “Thirteen” on a platter which will be released on March 13th, 2026, it could only mean further return to form the band have never lost anyway, to the mental and creative place where platters like “Six” and “Seven” used to exist. Laid down as a quartet of John Etheridge on guitar, Theo Travis on sax, Asaf Sirkis on drums and Fred Baker on bass, it also features Daevid Allen, the group’s founding member who didn’t appear on any of their official records but joined them for a session in 2001 whence his parts came,
Since it’s a self-financed affair, the veterans call on their fans to pre-order the disc and, thus, help issue it. As for how it was born, let’s ask one of the players.
“The writing process was intense, and we were sending these compositions back and forth – rehearsing, thinking a lot about the music, and creating the new material,” – says Asaf Sirkis. “We wanted songs that both respect the musical legacy of the band and move it forward, representing what we sound like now. It was a very memorable time for me, especially because it’s my first official full-length album with SOFTS – a band that I’ve been listening to since my late teens as well as to the works of people who where in the band: Robert Wyatt, Allan Holdsworth, John Etheridge – so I’m quite honoured to be a part of it.”
Thirteen
1. Lemon Poem Song
2. Open Road
3. Seven Hours
4. Waltz For Robert
5. The Longest Night
6. Disappear
7. Green Books
8. Beledo Balado
9. Pens To The Foal Mode
10. Time Station
11. Which Bridge Did You Cross
12. Turmoil
13. Daevid’s Special Cuppa
