Here’s a bit of a treat: a classic Pink Floyd track reproduced (not played back) on a Commodore 64!
Created by YouTube channel Lab Rat Warfare, the video displays an accurate recreation of “On the Run” (from 1973’s Dark Side of the Moon LP) using a Commodore 64, hooked up to additional devices to create the ensemble.
Lab Rat Warfare has gone ON THE RUN folks! Haha! Here is a homage to one of my favorite tracks in the history of music… a cover of Pink Floyd’s “On the Run” from Dark Side of the Moon!!!
Featuring:
- Commodore 64 – via MIDI with Cynthcart, Datel MIDI Interface, and miniXpander (bass 1)
- Korg Volca Keys – (bass 2)
- Korg Volca Drum – (hi hats 1)
- Gameboy (DMG) – via MIDI with Arduinoboy Pro (hi hats 2)
- Arturia Keystep Pro – brains 🧠
With the Game Boy helping out on drums, the magic grease to all of this (Pink Floyd’s stunning composition and Lab Rat Warfare’s superb effort) is the Datel MIDI Interface. While comparatively inexpensive back in the day, originals are hard to get hold of in 2022. Thanks to a supply of 6850 ICs, it is now possible to recreate the Datel MIDI Interface – a three-port device that connects to the C64’s cartridge bay – and they’re just £35.
Of course, there is a lot more going on with Lab Rat Warfare’s video, which really requires you to sit back and enjoy it. Perhaps the channel could recreate the whole album, as Dark SID of the Moon…?
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Christian Cawley is a writer and editor who covers consumer electronics, IT, and entertainment media. He has written for publications such as Computer Weekly, Linux Format, MakeUseOf.com, and Tech Radar.
He also produces podcasts, has a cigar box guitar, and of course, loves retro gaming.