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{{Article for deletion/dated|page=Machine Translations|timestamp=20131224102003|year=2013|month=December|day=24|substed=yes}}
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{{notability|date=December 2013}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2013}}
{{Use Australian English|date=December 2013}}
{{Infobox musical artist
| name                = Machine Translations
| image               = 
| image_size          = 
| landscape           = <!-- yes, if wide image, otherwise leave blank -->
| alt                 = 
| caption             = 
| background          = solo_singer
| birth_name          = Greg James Walker
| alias               = 
| birth_date          = <!-- {{birth date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|df=y}} -->
| birth_place         = 
| origin              = [[Canberra]], Australian Capital Territory, Australia
| death_date          = <!-- {{death date and age|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD|df=y}} (death date 1st) -->
| death_place         = 
| genre               = Rock, pop, [[alternative rock]]
| occupation          = Singer-songwriter, musician, producer
| instrument          = Guitar, piano, keyboards, vocals
| years_active        = 1985–present
| label               = Way Over There, [[Shock Records|Shock]], Spunk!
| associated_acts     = Moon, Thing of a Thousand Strings, P. Harness
| website             = {{URL|machinetranslations.org}}
| notable_instruments = 
}}
'''Machine Translations''' is the performing name of '''Greg James Walker''', an Australian singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist; who is also a producer as '''J Walker'''. Walker started out recording all instruments himself in a home studio, he later branched out to include a band.  Machine Translations' songs vary between simple guitar melodies and complex works with unusual instruments—a spectrum from pop to art. Since 1997 he has released several albums. In 2001 he toured the United States supporting [[Dirty Three]].

==Biography==
Greg James Walker, who works as J Walker or Machine Translations, was raised in [[Canberra]].<ref name="APRA Abstract"/><ref name="Zuel"/><ref name="Macgregor"/> By 1985 Walker, on keyboards, was a member of local psychedelic band, Moon, with Paul Davies on bass guitar and lead vocals; Chris Freney on guitar; and Ralph Rehak on drums.<ref name="Whitfield"/> Kathryn Whitfield of ''Pulse'' caught their performance in May 1986: "their lighting effects are reminiscent of the sixties oil lights with a kaleidoscope of coloured lights floating across the stage".<ref name="Whitfield"/> In 2003 Walker recalled "[he] played in a succession of 'funny little Canberra bands'".<ref name="Munro"/>

By July 1995 Walker was working in a home studio in his garden shed.<ref name="Enfield"/> Under the name Shed Method he issued a cassette album, ''Machine Translations'', which included the track "Jezebel".<ref name="Enfield"/><ref name="APRA Jezebel"/> Nick Enfield of ''[[The Canberra Times]]'' described the album as "an eclectic mix of his unique array of original sounds".<ref name="Enfield"/> Walker had been recording for over ten&nbsp;years making his own demos and producing other local artists.<ref name="Enfield"/> His [[Low fidelity|lo-fi]] approach included using traditional instruments: drums, guitars and keyboards; together with less conventional ones: broken piano (its front removed and strings played directly), [[oud]], and electric [[erhu]].<ref name="Enfield"/> His influences were [[John Cale]], [[Nico]] and [[Tom Waits]] while also "listening to a lot of belly-dancing music lately, as well as Chinese classical music, and Indian music".<ref name="Enfield"/> One of Walker's associates on the album was Kevin White.<ref name="Enfield"/>

Walker was also a member of P. Harness, which Enfield opined were "madcap ocker goons", with Geoff Hinchcliffe on guitar and lead vocals; and Mikel Simic on drums and lead vocals.<ref name="Enfield2"/> By August 1995 they released their second album, ''@ction''.<ref name="Enfield2"/> Simic described its underlying theme: "all the songs are specifically about eating, [or] they've got food references through them".<ref name="Enfield2"/> In October that year Walker and White supplied the music for a stage play, ''The Fortress'', at Studio One, [[Braddon, Australian Capital Territory|Braddon]].<ref name="Fortress"/> Walker completed his tertiary studies in [[Shanghai]] with a degree in [[Linguistics]] and [[Mandarin Chinese]].<ref name="Macgregor"/><ref name="Munro"/> He also lived in India "absorbing musical influences".<ref name="Munro"/>
 
Upon return to Australia Walker continued his musical career living near [[Wollongong]].<ref name="Munro"/><ref name="Hennessy"/> His album, ''Abstract Poverty'', was released in 1997 on the Way Over There label.<ref name="Abstract Album"/> Hans Uhad of Stylus Magazine felt it showed a "juxtaposition of slow burning, moody, Codeine-like numbers with deft, mildly psychotic stabs at fusing traditional Celtic music with his own burnt version of Americana and flamenco".<ref name="Uhad"/> One of the tracks, "Jezebel", was a re-recorded version of his earlier work as Shed Method.<ref name="APRA Jezebel"/><ref name="Abstract Album"/> Machine Translations' second album, ''Halo'', appeared in the following year on Way Over There and was distributed by [[Shock Records]].<ref name="Halo"/> White provided clarinet for the album.<ref name="Halo"/>

His next album on Way Over There was ''Holiday in Spain'' which was released in 1999. Kelsey Munro of ''[[The Sydney Morning Herald]]'' felt the album was a "criminally ignored underground classic".<ref name="Munro"/> ''Comes with a Smile''{{'}}s Matt Dornan noted there is "no disguising the homemade feel of both music and sparse packaging, but there's certainly a twisted core to this antipodean walkabout through sonic pastures new".<ref name="Dornan"/> Walker co-produced the album with Kimmo Vennon, he also used guest vocalists including Kirsty Stegwazi.<ref name="Dornan"/><ref name="Holiday in Spain"/> Walker had provided guitar on tracks for Stegwazi's solo album, ''Keep Still'' (1999). In 2000 Walker moved to Melbourne,<ref name="Zuel"/> where he worked on his next album, ''Bad Shapes'' (2001).<ref name="Munro"/>

== Discography ==
===Albums===
# ''Abstract Poverty'' (1997) 
# ''Halo'' (1998)
# ''Holiday in Spain'' (1999)
# ''Bad Shapes'' (2001)
# ''Happy'' (2002)
# ''Venus Traps Fly'' (2004)
# ''Seven Seven'' (2007)
# ''The Bright Door'' (2013)

===EPs===
# ''Love on the Vine'' (2003)
# ''Wolf on a String'' (2005)

==References==
{{Reflist|refs=

<ref name="APRA Abstract">{{cite web | publisher = [[Australasian Performing Right Association]] (APRA) | title = 'Abstract Poverty' at APRA search engine | url = http://www.apra-amcos.com.au/worksearch.axd?q=Abstract%20Poverty | accessdate = 25 December 2013 }}</ref>

<ref name="Zuel">{{cite news | url = http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/07/01/1088488087843.html | title = The Shape of Things to Come | last = Zuel | first = Bernard | authorlink = Bernard Zuel | work = [[The Sydney Morning Herald]] | publisher = [[Fairfax Media]] | date = 2 July 2004 | accessdate = 25 December 2013 }}</ref>

<ref name="Macgregor">{{cite web | url = http://www.allmusic.com/artist/machine-translations-mn0000441920 | title = Machine Translations Biography | last = Macgregor | first = Jody | publisher = [[Allmusic]] | accessdate = 25 December 2013 }}</ref>

<ref name="Whitfield">{{cite news | archiveurl = http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/47429/20100609-1544/www.canberramusicians.com/moon.html | url = http://www.canberramusicians.com/moon.html | title = Over the Top with Moon | last = Whitfield | first = Kathryn | work = Pulse | publisher = Canberra Musicians | archivedate = 9 June 2010 | date = May 1986 | accessdate = 25 December 2013 }}</ref>

<ref name="Enfield">{{cite news | url = http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article128287205 | title = Good Times: Greg's Unique Array of Sounds | last = Enfield | first = Nick | newspaper = [[The Canberra Times|The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995)]] | date = 13 July 1995 | accessdate = 25 December 2013 | page = 26 | publisher = [[National Library of Australia]] }}</ref>

<ref name="APRA Jezebel">{{cite web | publisher = [[Australasian Performing Right Association]] (APRA) | title = 'Jezebel' at APRA search engine | url = http://www.apra-amcos.com.au/worksearch.axd?q=Jezebel | accessdate = 25 December 2013 }}</ref>

<ref name="Enfield2">{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article130558107 |title=Good Times Music CD ''@ction'' at Last | last = Enfield | first = Nick |newspaper=[[The Canberra Times|The Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995)]] |date=17 August 1995 |accessdate=25 December 2013 |page=25 |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref>

<ref name="Fortress">{{cite web | url = http://www.ausstage.edu.au/pages/event/26443 | title = ''The Fortress'' | publisher = [[Ausstage|AusStage]] | accessdate = 25 December 2013 }}</ref>

<ref name="Hennessy">{{cite news | url = http://www.messandnoise.com/articles/4626638 | title = Machine Translations: 'Follow Your Nose' | last = Hennessy | first = Kate | work = Mess+Noise | publisher = Danny Bos, Kristy Milliken | date = 12 November 2013 | accessdate = 25 December 2013 }}</ref>

<ref name="Abstract Album">{{Citation | author1 = Machine Translations | title = Abstract Poverty | publication-date=1997 | publisher = Way Over There. [[National Library of Australia]] | url = http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/28021385 | accessdate = 25 December 2013 }}</ref>

<ref name="Uhad">{{cite web | url = http://www.stylusmagazine.com/reviews/machine-translations/bad-shapes.htm | title = Machine Translations – ''Bad Shapes'' – Review | last = Uhad | first = Hans | publisher = [[Stylus Magazine]] (Todd Burns) | date = 1 September 2003 | accessdate = 25 December 2013 }}</ref>

<ref name="Halo">{{Cite AV media notes | title = Halo | artist = Machine Translations | year = 1998 | type = album notes | publisher = Way Over There |id = WOT034 }}</ref>

<ref name="Munro">{{cite news | url = http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/04/16/1050172646378.html | title = All in the Translation | last = Munro | first = Kelsey | work = [[The Sydney Morning Herald]] | publisher = [[Fairfax Media]] | date = 17 April 2003 | accessdate = 25 December 2013 }}</ref>

<ref name="Dornan">{{cite news | url = http://cwas.hinah.com/review/?id=195 | title = Review: Machine Translations &#124; ''Holiday in Spain'' (Way Over There | last = Dornan | first = Matt | work = Comes with a Smile | publisher = Mark Venn | issue = 6 | date = Autumn 2000 | accessdate = 25 December 2013 }}</ref>

<ref name="Holiday in Spain">{{Citation | author1 = Machine Translations | title = Holiday in Spain | publication-date = 1999 | publisher = Way Over There Recordings: BMG Music | url = http://trove.nla.gov.au/work/6484712 | accessdate = 25 December 2013 }}</ref>

}}

==External links==
* {{Official website|http://www.machinetranslations.org/}}
* {{MusicBrainz artist|id=146ae170-9ca6-4513-a2f8-faccedec71f2}}

{{Persondata
| name              = Translations, Machine
| alternative names = Walker, Greg James
| short description = Australian musician, record producer
| date of birth     =
| place of birth    =
| date of death     =
| place of death    =
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Translations, Machine}}
[[Category:Australian musicians]]
[[Category:Living people]]