Nordmach & Trudell (2020 – 2021)
The Beginning
Some collaborations are built from shared interests. Others are born from decades of friendship. For Chris Blais and Allan (Al) Trudell, it was both.
Their musical story began long before Vibe A Tribe. In the early days, they played together throughout the Windsor-Detroit area, performing in bands that blended live musicianship with the emerging world of machines and MIDI. Eventually, they formed a two-piece electronic act, experimenting with sequencers, drum machines, and early digital setups, the foundation of what would later define the Nordmach sound.
It was during this two-piece period that Chris and Al met Rob Higgins, sparking the friendship that led to Vibe A Tribe. After contributing to several of that album’s tracks, Al moved on to other creative projects, and years passed without the two reconnecting.
Then, in 2020, amid the stillness of lockdowns and reflection, Nordmach & Trudell came to life. It was a reunion decades in the making, a chance for two lifelong friends to make music again, combining Al’s heartfelt songwriting with Chris’s cinematic production.
It felt like picking up a conversation that had never really ended.
The Collaboration
"Al was one of those people who could make you laugh even in the middle of heartbreak. He had this rare mix of honesty and melody and I wanted to make sure his voice would always have a place to live."
— Chris Blais / Nordmach
The project became both a musical reunion and a spiritual continuation, a way to capture Al’s warmth, humour, and raw talent in the timeless space of sound. Together, they wrote and produced songs that reflected everything they had always shared: heart, melody, friendship, and truth.
Riding On The Wind
"She was the love of his life. He wrote it for her." — Chris Blais / Nordmach
One of Al’s most personal songs, Riding On The Wind was inspired by his wife Karen, who worked as a flight attendant. The lyrics tell the story of life in the skies, the distance, the longing, and the quiet strength of love that endures separation.
Chris recorded & produced and edited the lyric video, available now on YouTube, and the track can be streamed everywhere music is available. Even years later, Riding On The Wind remains a soaring tribute to devotion and connection.
Watch on YouTube: Riding On The Wind
Listen on Spotify, Apple Music, and all streaming platforms.
"Nothing lasts forever, and the dark will become light." - Al Trudell
Other Songs
The duo recorded several other tracks during their time together, each carrying its own story and heart.
Featured Songs:
You’re Gonna Love Me Tonight
Thinking of You
U & Me
Wall Between Us
(All available on every streaming platform)
Each track balanced Al’s lyrical sincerity with Chris’s sonic architecture, blending guitar and synth, nostalgia and modern design. The sound was unmistakably theirs: organic emotion framed by Nordmach’s cinematic stillness.
Wall Between Us
"They put a wall between us, and you can’t get around… but it won’t defeat us, we’ll make it somehow." - Al Trudell
This was one of the last songs Al recorded. During the sessions, Chris began to notice subtle changes in Al’s energy and voice. No one yet knew the depth of his illness, but the emotion in the vocal told its own story.
Al had written the song about Karen, the distance between them as she worked in the air, and the closeness they shared in spirit. He was never fully satisfied with his vocal performance and asked Chris not to release it. Out of respect, Chris waited. After Al’s passing, he finished the mix and released it as a tribute.
"It was a tough decision. He had finally married the love of his life after years of challenge, only to face cancer and the isolation of the pandemic. That song still breaks me every time I hear it."
— Chris Blais / Nordmach
The Legacy of Al Trudell
"He wasn’t just a friend. He was a compass. Every time we made music, he reminded me why we started doing this in the first place."
— Chris Blais / Nordmach
When Al passed in 2021 after a battle with cancer, Chris carried forward not just their songs, but their shared purpose to create something honest, moving, and real.
The music they made together continues to echo through Nordmach in every lyric that faces loss with light and in every synth that carries a trace of Al’s laughter.
Legacy Connection
Nordmach & Trudell was not just collaboration. It was friendship immortalized in sound.
Each note from this era lives on in the Nordmach sound today, textured, emotional, and filled with memory.
In Memory of Allan Trudell
For the laughter, the music, and the light you left behind.
These songs are your echo, Al - still here, still alive, still playing.