City at Midnight
Matt Gray is a British composer who, between 1987 and 1991, wrote some of the most celebrated SID music on the Commodore 64 - culminating in the thirteen-subtune score for Last Ninja 2 (System 3, 1988), widely regarded as the benchmark of what the 6581 chip could produce. After two decades in commercial dance music, he returned in 2014 with the Reformation series - orchestral and electronic reinterpretations of his C64 catalogue, released through his own 6581 Records label.
Last Ninja 2 SID - Stereo Mix
The full Last Ninja 2 SID soundtrack in stereo Dolby Headphone processing - all thirteen subtunes, rendered direct from the 6581 chip with no pitch correction. Essential listening.
Three Eras, Thirty Titles
From Thalamus through System 3 to Codemasters, Gray scored more than thirty C64 titles between 1987 and 1991. Each era has a distinct character: the Thalamus years are taut and rhythmically precise (Quedex, Hunter's Moon); the System 3 period reaches its peak with Last Ninja 2 and extends through Tusker, Dominator, and Vendetta; the Codemasters run closes with Treasure Island Dizzy and Micro Machines before Gray's move to commercial dance music.
Browse the complete catalogue with box art, platforms, and years →
Arcade Attack Interview
The definitive video interview with Matt Gray - career arc from Compunet and Thalamus through System 3 and Last Ninja 2, the dance music years, and the Reformation return. The VGM Maestro series from Arcade Attack.