Litmus / Glass Love

'Litmus', Andrew Kidman's first avant-garde surf film, served as a soulful reaction to the pop-punk progression that dominated the 'alternative' mainstream. With the film's visceral and cerebral moodiness, folksy soundtrack, and meditative spirit, critics swooned over surf misfits like Wayne Lynch, Derek Hynd, Tom Curren, and Joel Fitzgerald. Despite the acclaim, the film was not much of a commercial success at the time. The aura of 'Litmus' soundtrack, however, has found its cultish corner in the surf world. Prior to filming Litmus, Kidman's band, The Val Dusty Experiment, recorded a total of thirty-five songs in one day. Additional contributions from Galaxie 500, Yothu Yindi and The Screaming Orphans diversify the score. 'Litmus' was a defining moment in surf film making - it sparked an open-minded retro-progressive movement as surfers formed a higher consciousness about the types of boards they were riding and why. Kidman released his second film, 'Glass Love', ten years later. As with 'Litmus', the music came first; Kidman felt his songwriting was ready to take on a new life. Thanks in part to 'Litmus', experimentation in board design progressed as surfers became more contemplative, questioning, 'is surfing art or sport?' 'Glass Love' and its soundtrack highlights this mindset and time period, creating an extra dimension to surfing that is still prevalent today.2LP - Double LP with 100 Page booklet.2CD -2xCD in 6 panel, bi-fold chipboard digipack. Includes 16 page booklet with photos and ephemera from the films.