This was a test of using the commodore 64 home computer as a video synthesiser in around 1985. The patterns are created by direct manipulation of the VIC display chip reading a paddle input. This followed on from a similar attack on a Vic20 home computer which was used live at the Sedition festival in 83. In fact I recall the Vic20 was a better noise box (hint) but I do not have any surviving footage. This recording was made to betamax late in 85. Disturbing the display list directly went outside the usual border of the C64 image. After this I tried to gain more control over the results but when the Amiga was released abandoned work on the C64. The first Amiga work we made was Hot With Fleas in 1987, using the 'lm' or longmovie UNIX software.

Text and video from Tom Ellard's YouTube Channel.