The loss of Jon Hiseman inevitably hangs over Hidden Details, but there could be no more fitting tribute to his skills as producer than this high-octane release. This is the Softs as questing and rocking as ever. They know their heritage, and there's two Mike Ratledge songs to remind us of that. But this is no band sitting on its laur els. Ratledge's ‘The Man Who Looked at Trains’, for example, has a full make-over, with Travis' flute to the fore. Travis' contribution can't be underestimated: his writing is more reflective than Etheridge's, often ethereal, as on the closing, elegiac ‘Breathe’, nicely contrasting with the industrial scale and rhythmic lock down of Etheridge's ‘Broken Hill’. Etheridge, however, has his own subtleties. His acoustic intro to his ballad ‘Heart Off Guard’ adroitly setting up Travis' soprano. And throughout, that seemingly ageless combo of Marshall and Babbington drives the band on, with the latter laying down classic pulses, notably on ‘Fourteen Hour Dream’. With its fresh, live in the studio feel (accommodated by Hiseman's lithe recording environment), long term Softs fans, whatever their stylistic loyalties, will savour Hidden Details.

Jazzwise spoke with John EtheridgeCan't start without remembering Jon Hiseman…Jon's going was a really tremendous shock. A fantastic drummer, bandleader, producer, engineer and, above all, devoted carer to Barbara (Thompson) for over 20 years. Recording at his studio was exactly the right environment for us. He was endlessly encouraging and positive. What a loss.

Is there a burden of expectation on this band? Every fan has their fave Softs incarnation…Ah ha! Burden of Proof was our last album! I personally don't feel this burden. I'm enjoying playing some of that older material, which is bound to sound different, as the early bands were so keyboard driven. Though we have Theo's work on keys, it's the guitar that is the main harmony instrument in our line-up. Recently fans have been very accepting and I think we manage to span many of the Soft Machine eras in a way that's almost healing, as there were plenty of splits in the old days!

Do you write with a ‘Soft Machine’ head on?I put myself in a Softs frame of mind and things flow from there. ‘Broken Hill’ was an adaptation of something that half existed with John and Roy in mind. ‘One Glove’ was an attempt to do something almost mechanical: so with those two tunes you get the Soft and the Machine!… I'd like my playing, and our sound in the band, to cover everything from primal 1967 UFO club ‘Interstellar Overdrive’ grunge to sophisticated, contemporary sounds.

Here's to the next 50 years! Future plans?We will be recording in 2067 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the first album. I intend to be there, even as ectoplasm! We have a lot of touring coming up: US and Canada (October), Britain (November), California (January/February), South America (April). A long rest after that!