Soft Works - Abracadabra in Osaka (Live) (2025)

"Abracadabra in Osaka" (2020) is a live archival album by the British jazz-rock/Canterbury superproject Soft Works, released by MoonJune Records. The recording was made on August 11, 2003, during the band's concert at the Namba Hatch in Osaka, Japan, as part of the tour supporting their only studio album, "Abracadabra."

Soft Works formed in 2002 as a "supergroup" bringing together four veterans of the classic 1970s Soft Machine lineups.

The project was short-lived and later transformed into Soft Machine Legacy (following Holdsworth's departure), so this live release is a valuable recording of a live performance by this very lineup.

In contrast to the restrained studio work "Abracadabra," the live recording from Osaka reveals the full power and freedom of the musicians' improvisation. The album's sound is virtuosic and complex: Holdsworth's incredible, instantly recognizable guitar solos intertwine with Dean's expressive saxophone lines, while the rhythm section of Hopper and Marshall creates a dense, rocking fusion foundation.