Vibe A Tribe (1993–1996)

The Beginning 

Before Nordmach existed, the spark began here — in the mid-90s, with Rob Higgins.
What started as a customer relationship at Long & McQuade, where Chris was working, quickly became a friendship built on shared musical taste and creative curiosity.

By 1993, the two were writing and producing together under the name Vibe A Tribe, channeling the sounds that inspired them both.
 

Their debut CD, Tribal Instinct, went on to sell nearly 2,000 copies locally — an impressive feat for two independent artists still figuring out how to market themselves but already feeling the pull of something bigger.

Recording at Chalet Studios

“For our first CD it was pretty cool to be able to record it at Chalet Studios located in Pickering, Ontario. This was home to many amazing Canadian artists such as Moist, Barenaked Ladies, Rush, and Rik Emmett — so we were really excited to do the album at such an amazing place!”
— Chris Blais / Nordmach

The experience of recording at Chalet Studios brought their music to life in a professional environment surrounded by some of Canada’s finest.
 

This milestone marked not only their first full recording project but also Chris’s early steps into the production world he’d later make his own.

The Album

The lineup evolved throughout the project’s timeline, but the core sound remained a mix of synth-driven melodies, heartfelt vocals, and live instrumentation.

Album credits:

Rob Higgins – Vocals, synths, lyrics and songwriting
Chris Blais – Vocals, synths, lyrics and songwriting
Glen Kameka – Drums
Julian Grech – Bass
Charlie Lambrick – Guitars
Allan Trudell – Guitars, lyrics, songwriting, and production/mixing on “Never Ever” and “Real Thing.”
Al also contributed background vocals to “Real Thing.”

The album was produced and engineered by Everitt Ravenstein and Robert Laidlaw. Ravenstein’s background includes pre-production engineering work on Rush’s Presto and engineering credits for Barenaked Ladies’ early single Be My Yoko Ono. Laidlaw is widely known for his bass work and long career recording and touring with many of Canada’s top artists.

Legacy Connection

Vibe A Tribe laid the groundwork for everything that followed — from No Ordinary Machine to Nordmach itself.

The friendship that began in a music store became a creative force that still echoes through every Nordmach release today.