As you’ve hopefully heard by now (and read our review), the Sundance film “Something In The Dirt” is a big hit. From filmmakers Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead, who I like to describe as DIY versions of Christopher Nolan—that is to say ambitious, cerebral, complex sci-fi, horror, and genre films, but done on a lo-fi scale—“Something In The Dirt” is a swirl of all their previous heady, high-concept ideas, but with a hefty dose of humor and a deep look at the world of phenomenon, conspiracy theories and even pareidolia or apophenia (essentially the phenomenon of seeing patterns, consistencies and correlations of things that just aren’t there). Perhaps that’s just a fancy way of saying, “Something In The Dirt” is about a pair of dirtbag losers (played by Benson and Moorhead themselves) in a seemingly ravaged, hellscape Los Angeles. They start going down the mother of all rabbit holes when they witness and experience something impossible in one of their apartments. They also begin to find huge foundational cracks in their apartment complex, but they might be just cracks in the fabrics of their fraying reality.
What ensues is a hilarious, intricate, intimate, and engrossing journey of discovery that’s part Reddit wormhole, QAnon batshit theories, and stoner brainworm beliefs. Of course, most Benson and Moorhead films are generally scored by Jimmy LaValle, aka, the ambient soundscape artist who records under the name The Album Leaf. LaValle’s sonorous music already sounds like cinematic soundtrack scores, and the ambitious filmmaking pair have put him to good use over the years. “Something In The Dirt” is this is LaValle’s fourth collaboration with Benson & Moorhead following previous work on their mind-bending films, “Spring,” “The Endless,” and “Synchronic.”
We’re pleased to present an exclusive soundtrack piece from “The Symbol,” composed by LaValle and featured in the movie. Here’s the film’s official synopsis:
When neighbors John and Levi witness supernatural events in their Los Angeles apartment building, they realize documenting the paranormal could inject some fame and fortune into their wasted lives. An ever-deeper, darker rabbit hole, their friendship frays as they uncover the dangers of the phenomena, the city, and each other.
XYZ Films will be releasing “Something In The Dirt” sometime later this year. In the meantime, enjoy Jimmy LaValle’s “The Symbol,” which you can listen to below.