"The missing links in my life's work, no less!" – Robert Wyatt

"By far one of the year’s best releases.... the album captures Wyatt laying down tracks that would later make up much of Soft Machine’s classic second and third albums, all in high fidelity, all marvelously creative, adventurous, humor-filled and, all things considered, rather stunningly ahead of their time." – Rolling Stone

"Cuneiform has delivered a Holy Grail with Robert Wyatt's '68 ... The sound on '68 is excellent; it was painstakingly cleaned up and remastered from original sources, making this a must for any Wyatt, Soft Machine, or prog head. The booklet also contains a lengthy interview with Wyatt by Aymeric Leroy with comments from Hopper. All killer, no filler." – Thom Jurek/All Music Guide

"After a half a dozen listens I am convinced this is of the very best archival releases EVER.
The creativity was pouring out of RW at that time and the freedom he had doing these demos reveal a sense of freshness that is really exciting – also there is a feeling of warm intimacy like we get to be the fly on RW's studio wall in 1968 - the interview is amazing too.
Do not miss this." – Udi Koomram

In September, 1968, the Soft Machine had just finished their second, exhaustive tour of the USA supporting the Jimi Hendrix Experience. At the conclusion of the tour, vocalist/drummer/multi-instrumentalist Robert Wyatt stayed, working on recordings in Hollywood and New York City. Upon Robert's return to England, these documents lay forgotten...

Now, for the first time, all four of the recordings Robert made in '68 are collected together and released, all carefully worked on and presented in the best possible sound quality – and the recorded sound here is surprisingly excellent overall!

The bulk of the material - the two long suites - were later re-recorded by the Soft Machine; Rivmic Melodies later became the basis of side one on Volume II (1969) and Moon In June showed up as Robert's showcase on Third (1970).

These tracks serve as a template for the post-psychedelic Soft Machine's career as founders of European jazz/rock and the entire release is a precursor to Robert's post-band, solo career.

'68 press release

This album, Solar Flares Burn For You, started its life as simply a collection of the two BBC Top Gear sessions that Robert recorded in 1972 and 1974. But as we worked on it, Robert became more and more involved in it, until it ended up in its final form. In addition to the Top Gear recordings, there is a previously unheard and little known 1973 soundtrack for a short experimental film, two recent works with old collaborator Hugh Hopper and finally a 2003 home demo of a new song that did not end up on Robert's new release "Cuckooland". Additionally, this CD includes a Quicktime movie of that 1973 film, as well as a 16 page booklet filled with photos, artwork and stories supplied by Robert and others, and liner notes by Aymeric Leroy.

"Throughout a career as singular and honest as his expressive voice, Robert Wyatt has remained a true progressive." - Rolling Stone

Solar Flares press release