Career History

Matt Gray began composing music for the Commodore 64 SID chip in the mid-1980s, sharing early work through Compunet - a dial-up online service that allowed C64 users to distribute programs, demos, and music to a community of enthusiasts across the UK.

The Compunet scene was the primary incubator for C64 composers in Britain before commercial work was available. Gray's earliest SID compositions circulated there before catching the attention of Thalamus Ltd.

Gray's first major commercial credits arrived in 1987 through Thalamus Ltd, the Liverpool-based independent publisher known for high-quality C64 releases. All three 1987 titles are classified as flagship SID work.

Quedex (Bob Pape, 1987) - Gray's first major commercial score. A taut, rhythmically intense title theme for a rotational puzzle game. The three SID voices are driven hard to create a mechanical energy that perfectly suits the game's mechanical concept.

Hunter's Moon (Steve Turner / Graftgold, 1987) - A more expansive and atmospheric piece. The title theme contrasts mechanical pulse with warm melodic runs - a technique Gray would refine to perfection the following year.

Driller (Incentive Software, 1987) - Written for the Freescape 3D engine game. A determined, industrial tone reflecting the tension of drilling on a hostile extraterrestrial environment.

Last Ninja 2: Back with a Vengeance (System 3, 1988) is considered Gray's masterwork and one of the greatest SID compositions in the history of the format. Thirteen subtunes scoring six themed levels of nighttime New York City - from the nocturnal jazz of Central Park to the electronic menace of The Mansion.

Each level pair consists of a loader and an in-game track, distinct in character but unified by a single atmospheric premise: the ancient world of the ninja meeting the neon city at midnight. The Central Park theme in particular is widely cited as a pinnacle of C64 SID composition - sophisticated chord movement over a walking bass line, with each of the three SID voices given distinct melodic material.

The score was composed using a custom SID player Gray wrote himself in 6502 assembly language, with melody lines sketched on a 3-octave Casio keyboard. The Last Ninja 2 deep dive covers each cue in detail.

Gray later released the Last Ninja 2 SID source code under a Creative Commons licence - a significant act of generosity to the community that had celebrated the music for decades.

Tusker (System 3, 1989) - A complete change of palette from Last Ninja 2. Exotic percussion and brass-like SID leads evoke sub-Saharan adventure. Gray demonstrates remarkable compositional range in moving from New York nocturne to African-inflected warmth.

Dominator (System 3, 1989) - Harder and more aggressive. The title theme is relentless, building electronic tension before the shoot-em-up begins. A more industrial SID palette that anticipates where game music would move in the early 1990s.

Gray's Codemasters period demonstrates pop accessibility alongside the System 3 sophistication. Treasure Island Dizzy (1989) is lighthearted island adventure - melodic and immediately accessible, scoring the Oliver Twins' Dizzy series.

Vendetta (System 3, 1990) continues the Dominator electronic aggression. Deliverance (Spellbound Software, 1990) explores a more introspective register. Micro Machines (Codemasters, 1991) - energetic and bouncy - is among Gray's last major C64 credits.

This period also includes two NES credits that were subject to documentation issues: Big Nose the Caveman (NES, Codemasters via Camerica, 1990) lists Gray as "Matthew Grey" - a misspelling in the in-game credits. Ultimate Stuntman (NES, Codemasters, 1990) features Gray's music but carries no in-game credit at all. Both anomalies are noted in the catalogue.

After his C64 period, Gray transitioned to commercial dance music production - a career that kept him active in the UK music industry for more than two decades. He was associated with the Xenomania production collective and the Motiv8 electronic dance music project.

This period represents an extended absence from the video game and SID community, but it built the production skills and commercial sensibility that would inform the Reformation series on his return.

Gray returned to the C64 community in 2014 with the Reformation crowdfunding campaign - orchestral and electronic reinterpretations of his classic catalogue. The campaign was funded by the community that had carried his music through the intervening decades.

Five Reformation albums have been released through his own label, 6581 Records - named after the MOS 6581 SID chip that defined his original work. Available on Bandcamp, SoundCloud, and major streaming platforms.

As part of his return, Gray released the Last Ninja 2 C64 SID source code under a Creative Commons licence - allowing the community to study, adapt, and build upon the original assembly language player routines. He also contributed music to Thrust 30 by Hayesmaker Games (a 30th anniversary remake of Thrust).

Gray remains active on social media as @MattGrayC64 across YouTube, X/Twitter, and SoundCloud. See the Reformation page for full album details.