The Mexican Summer Curated ‘Self Discovery For Social Survival’ Movie and Soundtrack Give You a Chance to Escape

Self Discovery for Social Survival is, separately, a great surf movie and a wonderful soundtrack bringing together some of the best bands associated with the Mexican Summer record label. The movie captures beautiful landscapes across the world – with a focus on surfing but also venturing beyond the waves – in a movie that is almost entirely silent save for the music that makes up the soundtrack. Especially in the brutal winter months here in Minnesota, is was a nice escape to see the warmth and beauty that exists beyond the snow drifts and icicles we are surviving through right now.

The soundtrack is what originally brought me to the movie, featuring a plethora of bands I have loved over the last decade producing some of their most lucid works. Ranging from the reverb-drenched pop dub of Peaking Lights to the celestial instrumentals of Dungen, it is a soundtrack that stands on its own two feet, but becomes even more profound and enjoyable when blended with the stunning video footage of the movie. There is definite pattern of the artists, creating left-of-center pop music, from the psych-pop of Allah Lahs to the pristine ambient of Jefre Cantu-Ledesma to the blinkered pop of duo Connan Mockasin and Andrew Vanwyngarden (MGMT). Even leaving aside the hypnotic escapism the project provides the viewer/listener, it is one of the projects I found myself returning to most throughout the second half of 2019 and is something that I think will have a long shelf life.

You can preview the movie above (and stream it in various locations) and listen to and purchase the full soundtrack via the Mexican Summer bandcamp page below.