Bridging the gap between pop and orchestral music, Make-Believe Machines sprang to life in early 2007 as a collaboration between between musicians Justin Norman (composer/bass/guitar/vocals) and Rob Ogden (composer/percussion).

Having spent four years writing and performing in the pop-rock band, Cardboard Canary, the two had grown weary of conventional song structures and instrumentation.

Implementing layered textures of electronic and acoustic sound, they draw heavily from late 19th century romanticism, early 20th century impressionism and minimalism, and contemporary ambient music. Their first album, Moral Calculus, was self-released online in September 2008 through the band’s Web site.