The Difference Engine can refer to two projects.
One is the solo project of Christopher G. Brown (Vary Lumar, ex-8mm fuzz, pyotr, Ochmoneks). Formed in 2005, Brown has been releasing synthpop and industrial music and playing live regularly under the moniker, most recently with 2013's "Strange Aeons".
Official site
The other is the similarly named (article free) Difference Engine, a mid-90s shoegazing band from Rhode Island.