Northern Machine originated as the solo ambient industrial project of synth player Pat Gillis and soon incorporated contributions from multi-instrumentalist Bill Warford, the two officially becoming a duo in 1993.

The first Northern Machine releases arrived courtesy of the international cassette underground: First Transmission (1988, audiofile Tapes), The Sleeper Dislodged (1989, Sound of Pig) and A Broken Mold (1992, SPH). Half of A Broken Mold features tracks produced in collaboration with Carsten Ginsberg, co-founder of Dada-pop troublemakers Mother's Gaping Hole.

All subsequent Northern Machine releases have been via HC3 Music, a microlabel established during their psychedically-influenced early and mid-90s period and initially called "The Hoffman Cleaner Cathode Company". Surge Zone (1995) and The Lost Signal (2000) indicate their interests of the time and the latter was released after three years of searching for distribution from other potentially sympathetic outlets. The death of 'zine culture, arrival of the internet and growing ubiquity of digital music production and distribution convinced them to move forward utilizing their own resources.

The decade since that time has seen three releases, each emphasizing distinctly different approaches from one to another:

Staalhertz (2003) - short, rhythmically structured pieces alternating with drones and collages

Dark To Dark / Dark Too (2007) - hypnotic ambiances (some lengthy)

In Front of the Crowd (2011) - a balance of discordant live performances, drones and one tuneful studio out-take

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