UK SOUNDTRACK
SPOTLIGHT
AIR Studios has two recording rooms and two
mix rooms, the largest recording room being
Lyndhurst Hall, which can accommodate a full-
size orchestra and choir. “There are not many
studios like AIR or Abbey Road anywhere in
the world,” says Studio Manager Alison Burton.
“It’s not just the amenities and the ability to
create lush sounds, it’s the experience. We
are surrounded here by turn-of-the-century
stained glass in an old church designed by
the architect behind the Natural History
Museum. It’s beautiful and, for many composers,
it’s like a second home.”
Clients include composers Hans Zimmer,
David Arnold, Clint Mansell and Craig Armstrong,
and companies such as 20th Century Fox, Disney,
Lionsgate and DreamWorks.
“There are more recording studios cropping
up in Eastern Europe but London’s musicianship
is second to none,” Burton says, adding that the
growth in visual effects means London can also
offer top-rated post-production houses and
more film production complexes such as Pine-
wood and Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden.
“This, together with London being an exciting
cultural city where people speak English, makes
it a top recording destination.”
Zimmer, who relocated from London to Los
Angeles in the late 1980s and most recently
worked on
Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice
,
still calls AIR his home and records the majority
of his scores in Lyndhurst Hall.“There is nowhere
else like recording in London,” he says. “I can’t
pinpoint the sound but it’s emotional, it’s what
music is meant to sound like. I know every crev-
ice of AIR’s studios. The acoustics are second to
none and the facilities are helpful in making
sure you have what you need, whether it’s a cer-
tain organ or any other kind of rare instrument.”
Mansell, the composer on the upcoming
Lov-
ing Vincent
and Ben Wheatley’s
High-Rise
, also
sings AIR’s praises: “We had a very small music
budget when I worked on
Black Swan
,” he says.
“Alison [Burton] worked hard to get us into the
studios at an affordable rate. Every project you
work on, they go out of their way to assist you,
they want you to succeed.”
RECORDING STUDIOS
AIR STUDIOS
“
EVERY PROJECT
YOUWORK ON,
THEY GO OUT OF
THEIR WAY TO
ASSIST YOU
”
Clint Mansell, Composer
Lyndhurst Hall
Air Studios
Hans Zimmer
57
