Two groups are called The machines: (1) A Russian Electronic group created by Anton Neumark, on the ataraxy records label. (2) Brilliant Belgian melodic pop-group around Paul Despieghelaere from the beginning of the 1980's. Late in the seventies, the Gent-based Nestormartin renames itself to The Machines and wins the second edition of HUMO's Rock-Rally in 1980. They write music in the best tradition of the Beatles and Talking Heads.