Mike Ratledge, one of the founding members of the legendary British psych-rock band Soft Machine, has died. As Louder points out, Soft Machine guitarist John Etheridge shared the news in a Facebook post today. "Incredibly sad news that my great friend and Soft Machine legend passed away two hours ago after a brief illness," Etheridge wrote. "Mike was the backbone of Soft Machine in the early years and a man with an absolutely incisive mind - a marvellous composer and keyboardist. A real renaissance man - so talented, cultured, charming - and a wonderful companion. We used to meet every few weeks for over 40 yrs - a treat for me. What a loss to all of us and his sisters and wonderful girlfriend Elena, who were with him at the end." Ratledge was 81.
Born in the UK town of Maidstone, Kent in 1943, Ratledge studied classical music growing up, learning piano and clarinet. Upon meeting Daevid Allen as a teenager, he developed an interest in jazz and joined Allen's band the Daevid Allen Trio. While earning a degree in psychology and philosophy from University College, Oxford, he added avant-garde music to his mix of interests. By 1966, he formed Soft Machine with Allen plus Robert Wyatt and Kevin Ayers. The lineup would change a lot over the years, but Ratledge remained the band's longest-tenured member until his departure in 1976.
Named after the William S. Burroughs book, Soft Machine pioneered an adventurous, proggy form of psych-pop that eventually evolved into a form of jazz fusion. Though commercial success eluded the band, their music was groundbreaking and profoundly influential in a Velvet Underground kind of way. Ratledge's keyboard playing was a central fixture of the band's work, and his signature hairstyle, mustache, and dark sunglasses made him just as important to the band's image. After his time in Soft Machine, he continued to compose and produce through a number of outlets, including TV and theater. In the '90s, he also teamed with new age composer Karl Jenkins on the album Adiemus: Songs Of Sanctuary; Ratledge and Jenkins continued working together in the years to follow.
Below, check out some of Ratledge's music.
