I Speak Machine, the audio-visual collaboration between musician Tara Busch and filmmaker Maf Lewis, has a long relationship with synth pioneer Gary Numan, having repeatedly opened for him since 2015, including extensive touring in 2022. Onstage, Busch is the visible component of that collaboration, singing, dancing, and commanding a battery of synthesizers while Lewis’ visuals accompany the performance.

I previously saw Busch perform with synth-pop act Blancmange at Cruel World 2025, playing keyboards and singing backing vocals alongside Neil Arthur during the band’s first North American appearance in 39 years. I’ve long been a fan of Blancmange, so it was thrilling to see Arthur bring those songs to life with Busch’s assistance. She absolutely nailed the music.

So when I entered the Howard Theatre for a recent performance by the groundbreaking Cabaret Voltaire, I had no idea I was about to witness another similar turn by Busch, once again taking a synthesizer station alongside one of Britain’s great electronic music pioneers.