Ben Daglish (1966–2018) was one of the most prolific and technically gifted composers of the Commodore 64's golden era. Starting with Potty Pigeon in 1983, he went on to produce music for over 94 titles catalogued in the High Voltage SID Collection - a body of work spanning Gremlin Graphics, Ocean Software, US Gold, System 3, and beyond.
His most celebrated work is the C64 arrangement of Gauntlet (1986, US Gold), a four-player dungeon crawler whose SID score captures the oppressive stone-and-torchlight atmosphere of the original arcade. The title theme is among the most recognisable pieces of 8-bit music ever composed. That same year, in collaboration with Tony Crowther, Daglish formed W.E.M.U.S.I.C. - a pioneering C64 demo music group.
In 1987, Gremlin Graphics became Daglish's primary home. The trio of Krakout, Deflektor and subsequent titles defined Gremlin's in-house sound. That year also brought The Last Ninja (System 3), where Daglish composed the Wastelands and Wilderness themes - with Anthony Lees completing the remaining levels in a seamless collaboration.
After leaving Gremlin, Daglish performed as part of SID80s, a live act celebrating C64 music. He died in September 2018. His HVSC archive - 94 titles and counting - is among the largest contributed by any single C64 composer.
Read the full biography, explore the complete SID catalogue, or visit the Gauntlet & Last Ninja deep-dives.