Pink Floyd will continue to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the classic album The Dark Side of the Moon by releasing a brand new 30-minute film documenting the recent Australian solar eclipse. Entitled ‘Eclipse’ the YouTube exclusive release follows a number of lucky Pink Floyd fans who flew to Western Australia to listen to The Dark Side Of The Moon whilst witnessing a once-in-a-lifetime viewing of an extraordinary and rare total solar eclipse phenomenon. The documentary will be released exclusively on the band’s YouTube channel (here) as part of ‘Floyd Fridays’ on October 13th.
On Thursday 20 April 2023, the shadow of the moon grazed the tip of Western Australia, as it travelled over one of the world’s most beautiful areas – the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Ningaloo Marine Park (Nyinggulu) in Exmouth. Overseen by the group’s long time Creative Consultant and Hipgnosis co-founder, Aubrey ‘Po’ Powell, Pink Floyd gave eight Australian fans (named The Astronome Domine Eight) the exclusive opportunity to visit the special scenic location within the region to hear The Dark Side of the Moon in full. The album’s soaring epic final song ‘Eclipse’ (with the closing lines “But the sun is eclipsed by the moon…”) was timed to align with the exact moment of total eclipse.
The documentary, created by Powell and his team, Director Benny Trickett and Producer Fiz Oliver, follows the Astronome Domine Eight who listened alongside a purpose-built pyramid on a deserted beach. It traces their journey from applying for the trip through to their emotions afterwards. Locals in the area and thousands of others who had also made the historic trip to Exmouth to be part of the experience were also interviewed as part of the documentary.
This momentous year will also witness another major eclipse on the 14th October across the Americas, and Pink Floyd is running a campaign across the band’s socials encouraging local fans to play The Dark Side Of The Moon during the eclipse and upload videos and photos of their experiences using #pfeclipse. The best of these will be reposted across the Pink Floyd socials.
Also, in recognition of one of the best-selling albums of all time, a fully immersive experience with visuals of the solar system and beyond is currently being played out alongside the whole of The Dark Side Of The Moon in various Planetariums around the world. The show itself is presented with a different theme for each track; some futuristically looking forward and some a retro acknowledgment to Pink Floyd’s visual history, all relating to a time and space experience, embracing up to the minute technology that only a Planetarium can offer. It is an all-encompassing surround sound and visual treat that will transcend reality and take you way beyond the realms of 2D experience. Contact your local Planetarium for any screening details.
Pink Floyd’s stand-alone release of the newly remastered The Dark Side Of The Moon on CD, LP and Blu-ray will also be available on October 13th. First released as part of The Dark Side Of The Moon 50th Anniversary Box Set, this is the first time that the new remaster of the classic album will be available on its own. The Blu-ray contains the Dolby Atmos and a 5.1 Surround mix as well as the remastered Stereo version. The package comes with commemorative postcards, stickers and a 24-page booklet.
The Dark Side Of The Moon is available to pre-order at PinkFloyd.lnk.to/DarkSide50thBreakouts
