Gate6 is a Dutch progressive rock band with an unusual and somewhat unconventional origin story. The group was founded by longtime friends Jan and Tony, who had each spent many years performing successfully on instruments that would later turn out not to be their primary creative match. Jan had previously played guitar in the bands Challenge and Isolation, while Tony spent a decade as a keyboard player with Marathon, a well‑known Dutch progressive rock act from the 1990s. Despite knowing each other for more than 25 years, the two musicians had never managed to collaborate in the same band. This changed in 2005, when they finally began writing music together. Their creative partnership proved unexpectedly fruitful. Tony returned to guitar, picking up his old Les Paul, while Jan expanded his collection of synthesizers, adding instruments such as the Korg Wavestation and the Roland Fantom. What began as a small studio project quickly grew into the foundation of a full band. After composing around fifteen songs, the idea of forming a complete lineup took shape. Tony’s former Marathon colleagues Willem van der Horst (drums) and Jacques Suurmond (bass) joined the project, establishing the first incarnation of Gate6. Rehearsals soon followed, often accompanied by humorous complaints from neighboring bands about the group’s powerful “wall of sound.” Before settling on the name Gate6, the band experimented with several alternatives, including the notable but short‑lived option “Black Light Machine.” Reactions to that name were mixed, prompting the group to adopt the more concise and distinctive Gate6.
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Man To Be
It’s Over
God Machines 2012 Full Album