We know Mr. Lee from previous Ubiquity Records outings (such as Miles Of Styles and Voices & Choices and it’s only right such a talent should get a whole CD to himself to show off his love of long boards, twangy guitars and breakers.

From a label so associated with the West Coast music scene, it’s a little surprising that the film Under The Sun was filmed at Byron Bay and the Gold Coast in a ‘battle’ of surf towns is a $ vs. lifestyle attitude clash. As an aside, take a trip to Victoria where the hard surfers hand out and home of Rip Curl.as another microcosm of surf industry vs. surf culture. How can the sport be at one with the environment as it continues to explode on an ever upward exponential curve since the Beach Boys went surfs up?

What’s the answer? False reefs al a Boscombe Pier or mass events like Boardmasters at Newquay or watching Eurosport and X Channel. Not scene the film but I’m sure the scenery is spectacular.

Shawn Lee’s prolific musical imagination isn’t match by many, and if it is, they’d be hard pressed to match the standard he does. The first 4 tracks could be classified as theme tune vocal, interlude, funk theme and theme tune instrumental but you’d be missing out. Great to see the harmonica back in vogue (also see Kenneth Bager featuring Gisli - Fragment Zero (and I Keep Hearing) on Brownswood Bubblers Three).

Only 28 tracks are crammed into the 70 minutes on CD1 and all the ones with the harp on are brilliant with the moody ‘Hollisday’ and rockin’ ‘Below The Surface’, atmospheric ‘Great White Harp’, broken ‘Lava’. And then there’s the Johnny Kid and Piratesesque ‘Rabbits Revenge’, funkin’ ‘Wichita Heights’ and a bit of ‘Nice Dream’ synth pop.

Not exactly David (Oceans 11 et al) Holmes or screen score blockbuster epics but it was never intended to be. Fans of Lee’s work will know what to inspect and won’t be disappointed. Previous albums are a better introduction but it’s a fine body of instrumentals (apart from the vocals on the title track)

The LP version is just the Shawn Lee tracks so for the full 39 track edition, you’ll need to get the double CD soundtrack. CD2 that kicks off with a classic 10mins of cinematic surf dude electric guitar based rock and dnb and there’s an atmospheric steel drum based instrumental that’s 11 minutes long; even the rock club ‘Take A Ticket On A Slow Train’ fits the mood. ‘The Pass’ has got a bit of The Black Seeds about it and ‘Open Water’ has more of a theme train theme (which is good in my books).

Can’t wait to see the film, I’ll probably go on a Wednesday; and for more watery inspired goodness on Ubiquity, don’t forget Nobody’s Blank Blue - Western Water Music Vol. II.

Reviewed: Various - Under The Sun Movie Soundtrack (Ubiquity Records) Cat. No. URCD 238 Release date: 6th October 2008
Tracklisting CD1 (Shawn Lee’s Ping Pong Orchestra) :
01. Under The Sun
02. Afro Surf
03. Capricorn
04. Hollisday
05. Below The Surface
06. Murf The Surf
07. 1994
08. Corvette
09. Rabbits Revenge
10. Great White Harp
11. Porpoise Song
12. Lava
13. Erotic Drums
14. Sweet Sixteen
15. New Era
16. Wichita Heights
17. Wave Song
18. Clock Song
19. Nice Dream
20. Rabbit
21. Psych Drums
22. Oom Pa Pah
23. Very Bari
24. Southern Surfer
25. Totally Tubular
26. Nino Nino
27. Under The Sun (Instrumental)
28. Under The Sun (Reprise)

Tracklisting CD2 (Afro Dizzi Act, Band Of Frequencies & Low Pressure Sound System) :
01. The Drop Off
02. Dylan’s Wings
03. Sol Train
04. Spoonbender
05. The Pass
06. Open Water
07. Forever
08. Bark
09. Quantum Pod
10. Storm Front
11. Deep Dish

Links:
www.shawnlee.net
www.myspace.com/shawnleemusic
www.underthesunsurfmovie.com
www.ubiquityrecords.com
www.myspace.com/ubiquityrecords
www.myspace.com/lowpressureproductions
The next release for Low Pressure Productions is the sound track to Life Like Liquid, a film by Dave Rastovich. Available now at Switch-foot.com
www.myspace.com/afrodizziact
www.afrodizziact.com
SuperCharged in Byron Bay, Australia : Sept 2008 with DJ Friction and Skool Of Thought dropping the heavyweight breaks and drum’n’bass at Liquid Nightclub. Visit www.myspace.com/superchargedbyronbay