in-the-earth

Listen to Clint Mansell's intense, eerie 'In the Earth' synth score

Ben Wheatley’s new horror film In the Earth is out today in theaters. It was made during the pandemic, over 15 days in August 2020, and is about a scientist trying to find a cure for an extinction level virus whose search takes him to a forest that is more alive than most. The film is only in theaters at the moment — distributor Neon has a deal with Hulu so look for it to show up there sooner than later — but you can listen to Clint Mansell‘s excellent score now.

Unlike a lot of Mansell’s work, this is a full-on synth score, and in keeping with the vegetal themes of the film, he actually captured the sound of “singing plants via PlantWave midi sprout machine.” It’s big, ominous, sometimes beautiful and often eerie — think Blade Runner or Annihilation — not to mention unsettling at times. Clint says, “Paranoia, isolation, anxiety, synths, plants…something for everyone!”

The In the Earth score is out now via Invada and Lakeshore Records. You can listen to it in full, and watch the film’s trailer, below.