By 1996, surfing was on the upswing in popularity as professional surfers became marketable athletes. The three-fin, high performance, “thruster” shortboard was the tool of choice, lending to a fast-paced slashing style and ultimately a more aggressive “surf and destroy” movement in board culture.

Litmus, Andrew Kidman’s first avant-garde surf film, served as a soulful reaction to the pop-punk progression that dominated the mainstream. Prior to filming, Kidman’s band, The Val Dusty Experiment, recorded a total of thirty-five songs in one day. The outcome of the “one-and-done” sessions was a lo-fi, rustic, experimental rock ‘n’ roll sound, adding a rough-around-the-edges ambiance to the surf scenes that span Ireland, Australia, California, and South Africa. Additional contributions from Yothu Yindi and The Screaming Orphans diversify the score. Litmus was a defining moment in surf filmmaking — it sparked an open-minded retro-progressive movement as surfers formed a higher consciousness about the types of boards they were riding and why. The Anthology Surf Archive reissues series proudly presents the soundtrack of Litmus, released in tandem with the soundtrack from Kidman’s 2006 follow up, Glass Love, in new form.