snobb
One of Soft Machine co-founder Hugh Hopper in 1978 played with Elton Dean (another Soft Machine veteran) on his Soft Head project,where National Health/Gilgamesh keyboardist Alan Gowen collaborated as well. After that Howard left music for two years, and this duet album with Gowen is evidence of his return to music.
Album was recorded in few days live, with minimal overdubs, and in fact sounds more as demo tape. Just bass and Moog,very intimate and relaxed sound,but with light melancholy or even sadness in atmosphere all around. By its mood,this album is very much Gowen's album (similar to his last ("Before a Word Is Said") album, released next year), one of his last work (he dies of leukemia very soon after this recording).
Sound is stripped,demonstrating great tunes and Gowen's typical tinkling tones, Howard's bass is very meditative, softer than usual. There are some modern influences in this album's sound (but I would say more ambient,than new age, as is mentioned in some album's reviews),but by it's nature it is still very jazzy work.
On later Cuneiform re-release there is added extra live material (5 songs from duo's rare gig ,with Isotope's drummer Nigel Morris)as bonus, which is very different by it's atmosphere and sound from original album. It demonstrates few great electric fusion pieces and some quite raw improvs as well.Interesting material for collectors, but has nothing to do with original half of album.