Mark Jenkins Releases “The Dark Side of the Moon and Other Music by Pink Floyd for the Moog Synthesizer”

Big Synth and Software contributor’s latest CD for your dancing, dining, and purchasing pleasure

“THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON and other music by Pink Floyd FOR THE MOOG SYNTHESIZER” (CD only release) is the striking new project from London-based synthesizer composer MARK JENKINS and joins his popular “Mike Oldfield’s TUBULAR BELLS for the MOOG SYNTHESIZER” recently re-issued in a new expanded version. Both original albums have their 50th anniversary in 2023 and between them have sold 60 million copies.

Mark Jenkins explains “I wanted to add music from “The Dark Side of the Moon” to my live performances but to concentrate on the instrumental sections. So many of the tracks give new emphasis to the synth, piano and keyboard parts contributed by Richard Wright, though I’ve also recorded the absolutely crucial vocal sections with two wonderful singers”. 

The CD-only release opens with the mind-bending psychedelic collages of “Speak To Me” and “On the Run”, with its familiar driving EMS Synthi bass sequence, and has a shortened vocal version of “Breathe” before going into an instrumental “Money” and  “Any Colour You Like” with cascading MiniMoog synths. “Brain Damage” becomes a lyrical piano-led instrumental while the climactic “Eclipse” gets the full vocal treatment.  

Filling out the CD are three much-loved Floyd classics – “Interstellar Overdrive” with quotes from “Set The Controls for the Heart of the Sun”, the Richard Wright composition “Remember A Day” with vocals, and a truly awesome version of “Comfortably Numb” from “The Wall” with superb alternating vocals by Maggie Sand and Mark O’Malley. Mark Jenkins plays synths, guitar and lap steel guitar, while guest Steve Reeves tackles the tricky alternating guitar solos of “Any Colour You Like” and Hannah Chappell guests on cello.

With an eye-catching sleeve design matching the “Tubular Bells” release, “THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON and other music by Pink Floyd for the MOOG SYNTHESIZER” is available now, and there are live performances of both albums around the UK and in Germany throughout 2023. Extracts video here.

THE DARK SIDE OF THE MOON and other music by Pink Floyd for the MOOG SYNTHESIZER – track list

1) Speak To Me/Breathe (5.22)

2) On The Run (3.28)

3) Money (6.07)

4) Any Colour You Like (4.27)

5) Brain Damage (1.42)

6) Eclipse (2.25)

7) Interstellar Overdrive  (5.39) inc.

  Set The Controls For The Heart of The Sun

8) Remember A Day (5.00)

9) Comfortably Numb (8.19)

Compositions variously by Waters, Gimour, Wright, Mason, Barrett