Oscar-nominee Julian Slater (Baby Driver) has an extended history with director Edgar Wright. It’s an attribute of filmmaking that seems incredibly popular lately with single-vision directors sticking by their frequent and beloved collaborators as they move from film to film. Early films such as the iconic Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz transitioned into Baby Driver, which brought Slater two Oscar nominations in the then-split sound categories.
This year, Slater’s collaboration with Wright continues in the time and reality-bending Last Night in Soho. In the film, Thomasin McKenzie plays a fashion obsessed young woman whose sensitivity to the paranormal world brings her to the 1960s. There, she meets Anya Taylor-Joy as an aspiring singer. The film progresses between the two time periods until it culminates in a shocking conclusion.
Here, Slater talks to Awards Daily about his close collaboration with Edgar Wright and what keeps him coming back to work with the acclaimed director. He shares the inspirations – cinematic and otherwise – that led to the sound design for Last Night in Soho. He reveals how his sound landscape reflects the mental deterioration of McKenzie’s Ellie. Finally, how exactly did he recreate the sounds of the 1960s that are so critical to the thriller.
Last Night in Soho is currently available on VOD.
