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luke machin
Luke Machin is a guitarist who stands alongside many of the greats. Interested in music since such early childhood, his first musical moments have to be related to him by his parents - his first word was "Judaaa" which he got from the song "Kiss Like Judas" by the band It Bites who would become a major influence on his life - so much so that he now plays for the band as well.
Luke joined the Tangent in 2010 and thereby began a run of albums from COMM through to the most recent, only missing out on "Le Sacre Du Travail" - something Andy still regrets.
As a Teenager, Luke was a bit of a media star, made various TV appearances on regional shows and even on Saturday Morning National TV. He also had the amazing experience to play in front of a packed crowd at Old Trafford, home of the team he has supported - Manchester United - since before memory.
He attended Brighton Institute Of Modern Music where he studied under luminaries like Guthrie Govan and had sessions with Jeff Beck and Robert Plant. He formed the band Maschine here (originally Concrete Lake) and has so far made two albums with the band with a third in development now
Luke came to the band aged 20 and brought a whole boatload of new techniques and infuences to the band from day one. By the time he was recording his first album for The Tangent he was aleady knee deep in the production side of the record.
Luke's guitar playing is very special. Essentially he has all the makings of a Steve Vai, Satriani, Malmsteen - style guitar hero. Technical, complex, fluid, fast and stunning. The "special" bit is that he is hugely "clued in" to the musical framework of whatever band he's playing for, be that It Bites, Karnataka, The Tangent or Maschine. However spectacular his parts may be - they are always subservient to the composition he is playing on. His melodic sensibility knows very few equals - you can even sing the man's fills!
The most recent Tangent album "Songs From The Hard Shoulder" features some of his best playing yet including a world class melodic solo at the end of the song "The Changes". However, tasty and cool licks that bear more resemblance to Steely Dan than "Passion & Warfare" are an equally important contribution, along with some stunning vocal arrangements which give the band a new depth
Luke has been closely involved in the production of all the albums he's made with the band. He took full production credits for the albums "The Slow Rust Of Forgotten Machinery" and "Auto Reconnaissance"
Luke cites artists like It Bites, Dream Theater, UK (Holdsworth in particular), Pain of Salvation, Satriani and Vai as being major influences on his playing. Yet he is highly enthused by so many other areas of music, Jazz, Funk, Nu Soul, (artists like Thundercat), Hip Hop and Jazz fusion. His forthcoming solo album "Soulshine" promises to be a smorgasbord of styles and talent
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