Legendary hip hop pioneer DJ Muggs and frequent David Lynch collaborator Dean Hurley join forces for the original score to the 2023 Sundance premiering feature film Divinity. Equal parts sonically punishing and ethereal, the soundtrack delivers a unique punch that further intensifies the mind-bending, acid-trip experience of the film. Divinity Is a sci-fi dystopian odyssey produced by Steven Soderbergh and helmed by visionary director Eddie Alcazar. Set in the distant future, scientist Sterling Pierce dedicated his life to the quest for immortality, slowly making progress developing a serum named Divinity. Jaxxon Pierce, his son, now controls and profits from his father’s once benevolent dream. Society on their barren planet has been entirely perverted by the supremacy and pervasiveness of the drug. Two mysterious brothers arrive with a plan to abduct the mogul, and with the help of a woman named Nikita, they set on a trajectory hurtling toward true immortality. Amidst the film’s extraordinary tapestry of stark aesthetics and themes, the score is a ten tonbarbell of sonic weight. Crafted with 8-bit samplers, Wavestation synths, extended choir and string techniques, the soundtrack manages to swing wildly between the arenas of both music and sound design. Like all rich soundtracks, listening to the score on its own reconjures the imagery of the film in the screen of the listener’s mind, an aural experience that manages to encapsulate and pulse a matched intensity of the film. Tracks like ‘The Brothers’ and ‘Reflective Dreams’ cascade Vangelis-esque tones, painting with broad strokes of cinematic grandeur and ethereal wonder. ‘Main Titles’ and ‘Infinity Techno’ conversely swing hard into relentless, punishing sonics; with brutal, pulsing energy representative of the twisted, relentless pursuit of immortality. A standout of the album is undoubtedly “Divinity 2 Infinity: The Odyssey,” featuring cult hip-hop hero and lyrical-savant Kool Keith. Written for the film’s end credits, the track is a satisfying throwback to the 90’s original soundtrack cut bespoke-tailored to the film’s narrative themes. DJ Muggs and Dean Hurley’s synergy yields a soundtrack that takes Divinity beyond the screen and into a multi-dimensional experience, inviting its listener along uncharted auralterrain for an unforgettable odyssey in sound.
