Sam Slater is a British composer, sound designer, and record producer whose work bridges contemporary classical composition, experimental electronics, and sound for screen. Based in Berlin, Slater studied Experimental Composition at Leeds University before moving to Germany, where he collaborated extensively with the late Jóhann Jóhannsson.

He has twice won Grammy Awards for his role as score producer and musical sound designer on Oscar winning Joker and Emmy winning Chernobyl, and has worked extensively with Hildur Guðnadóttir, co-composing the soundtrack to Battlefield 2042. That project earned him the Icelandic Music Award for Producer of the Year and the Society of Composers & Lyricists Award for Outstanding Original Score for Interactive Media.

Slater’s own work is characterised by use of unconventional sound sources and the design of new instruments, often blurring the boundary between composition and sonic engineering. He has constructed custom electroacoustic devices, altered acoustic instruments for new tonal possibilities, and used extended recording techniques to capture unusual resonance, distortion, and texture. These methods inform both his solo releases—Wrong Airport Ghost (2018) and I Do Not Wish To Be Known As A Vandal (2022)—and collaborative works.

In 2022, Slater formed Osmium, a collaborative experimental ensemble with Guðnadóttir, James Ginzburg, and Rully Shabara. Known for its use of bespoke electroacoustic instruments and extended vocal and percussive techniques, Osmium merges heavy, metallic sonics with intricate rhythmic structures and immersive live performance.

In 2024, Slater composed the score for 2000 Meters to Andriivka, a documentary by Mstyslav Chernov chronicling the war in Ukraine. The film premiered at Sundance in January 2025, where Chernov received the Directing Award: World Cinema Documentary. Slater’s restrained but impactful score deepened the film’s emotional resonance.

In 2025, he founded Mt. Brings Death with American guitarist Mason Lindahl, a label for experimental and cross-media projects. New solo and collaborative releases are scheduled for later this year.