Like the soundtracks for
Danny Boyle's other films, the music collected for his adaptation of Alex Garland's novel The Beach is a hip mix of British and American rock and electronica.
Asian Dub Foundation's "Return of Django," Moby's "Porcelain," Leftfield's "Snake Blood," and the Hardfloor remix of
Mory Kante's "Yeke Yeke" are among the album's electronic highlights, while Blur's "On Your Own (Crouch End Broadway Mix)" and New Order's "Brutal" add a touch of British pop to the set. "Business as Usual" is a collaboration between
Barry Adamson (whose albums seem more filmic than most scores) and the film's star,
Leonardo DiCaprio; composer
Angelo Badalamenti and Orbital collaborate on "Orbital Mix."
All Saints and
Sugar Ray contribute the previously unreleased tracks "Pure Shores" and "Spinning Away," respectively, making The Beach an entertaining, if somewhat scattered, collection of music featured in the film. ~ Heather Phares, All Music Guide