Greg James Walker, known professionally as Machine Translations, was born in 1967 in Canberra, Australia. He is a singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist who began his musical journey by recording all instruments himself in a home studio. In 1985, Walker played keyboards for the local psychedelic band Moon. His debut album as Machine Translations, Abstract Poverty, was released in 1997 on the Way Over There label. In 2001, Walker expanded his band and toured the United States supporting Dirty Three. Notable albums include Bad Shapes (2001), which received critical acclaim, and Happy (2002). As a composer, Walker has been nominated for several APRA Music Awards: Best Music for a Documentary in 2005 for Girl in a Mirror: A Portrait of Carol Jerrems, Best Soundtrack Album in 2008 for East of Everything.