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Godrich has produced most of the solo work by Radiohead singer Thom Yorke, including his albums ''
Nigel Timothy Godrich (born 28 February 1971) is an English
sound supervisor, and Brenda Godrich. He was fascinated by recording at an early age. As a child, after he asked for a machine to make records, his father bought him a cassette machine; Godrich used it to make recordings of his television, train sets and running water.
Godrich was educated at William Ellis School in North West London, where he shared classes with his friend and the future Zero 7 member Henry Binns. Godrich began playing guitar, inspired by Jimi Hendrix and Frank Zappa. He first visited a recording studio at the age of 16, when his band recorded a demo at Elephant Studios, record producer
A record producer is a recording project's creative and technical leader, commanding studio time and coaching artists, and in popular genres typically creates the song's very sound and structure. Virgil Moorefield"Introduction" ''The Producer as ...
, recording engineer and musician. He is known for his work with the English rock band Radiohead, having produced all their studio albums since '' OK Computer'' (1997). He has also produced several projects by the Radiohead singer, Thom Yorke. He is a member of Atoms for Peace
"Atoms for Peace" was the title of a speech delivered by U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower to the UN General Assembly in New York City on December 8, 1953.
The United States then launched an "Atoms for Peace" program that supplied equipment ...
(with Yorke) and Ultraísta.
Early in his career, Godrich worked as the house engineer at RAK Studios, London, under the producer John Leckie
John William Leckie (born 23 October 1949) is an English record producer and recording engineer. His production credits include Magazine's ''Real Life'' (1978), XTC's ''White Music'' (1978) and Dukes of Stratosphear's ''25 O'Clock'' (1985), t ...
. He met Radiohead while working at RAK on their second album, '' The Bends'' (1995), for which he received his first production credit. Radiohead hired him to produce their next album, ''OK Computer'', which was a major success and brought him attention from major artists. He has since worked with acts including Beck, Air
The atmosphere of Earth is the layer of gases, known collectively as air, retained by Earth's gravity that surrounds the planet and forms its planetary atmosphere. The atmosphere of Earth protects life on Earth by creating pressure allowing f ...
, Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. One ...
, U2, R.E.M.
R.E.M. was an American rock band from Athens, Georgia, formed in 1980 by drummer Bill Berry, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills, and lead vocalist Michael Stipe, who were students at the University of Georgia. One of the first alternati ...
, Pavement, Roger Waters and Arcade Fire
Arcade Fire is a Canadian indie rock band, consisting of husband and wife Win Butler and Régine Chassagne, alongside Richard Reed Parry, Tim Kingsbury and Jeremy Gara. The band's current touring line-up also includes former core member ...
. Godrich is the creator of the music webseries '' From the Basement''.
Early years and education
Nigel Godrich was born inWestminster
Westminster is an area of Central London, part of the wider City of Westminster.
The area, which extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street, has many visitor attractions and historic landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, B ...
, London, the son of Victor Godrich, a BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...Wapping
Wapping () is a district in East London in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. Wapping's position, on the north bank of the River Thames, has given it a strong maritime character, which it retains through its riverside public houses and steps, ...
, and spent time asking the engineer questions. He studied at the School of Audio Engineering (SAE), London.
Career
After graduating from SAE, Godrich became a junior staff member at the Audio One studio complex, working as a tea boy. He did not enjoy his time there; according to Godrich, "With a beeper in my pocket, I'd wait next to the kettle, ready to deliver my hot beverages. I wasn't even allowed in the studios, but I ouldhang there thinking, 'OK, it's only the first rung, but at least I'm on the ladder.'" After the closure of Audio One, in 1990 Godrich worked at RAK Studios, London, first as a messenger and later as a studio assistant. He would stay late at night, inviting musician friends to play there while he practised recording them. At RAK, he became a tape operator for the producerJohn Leckie
John William Leckie (born 23 October 1949) is an English record producer and recording engineer. His production credits include Magazine's ''Real Life'' (1978), XTC's ''White Music'' (1978) and Dukes of Stratosphear's ''25 O'Clock'' (1985), t ...
, with whom he worked on albums by Ride
Ride may refer to:
People
* MC Ride, a member of Death Grips
* Sally Ride (1951–2012), American astronaut
* William Ride (19262011), Australian zoologist
Arts, entertainment, and media Films
* ''Ride'' (1998 film), a 1998 comedy by Millicen ...
and Denim
Denim is a sturdy cotton warp-faced textile in which the weft passes under two or more warp threads. This twill weaving produces a diagonal ribbing that distinguishes it from cotton duck. While a denim predecessor known as dungaree has been p ...
. After four years, Godrich left RAK to become freelance, and set up his own studio, Shabang, where he planned to create dance music. Six months later, he was hired to engineer and mix '' The Sound Of... McAlmont & Butler'' (1995), the debut album by McAlmont & Butler
McAlmont & Butler are an English rock/soul music duo, comprising singer David McAlmont and guitarist Bernard Butler.
History
Formed in 1994, David McAlmont and Bernard Butler had already experienced individual success: Butler as the guitaris ...
. Godrich said it was a "brilliant experience" and credited Bernard Butler with teaching him how to produce records.
Radiohead
Godrich first worked with the rock band Radiohead when Leckie hired him at RAK to engineer their EP '' My Iron Lung'' (1994) and their second album, '' The Bends'' (1995). The band nicknamed him "Nihilist", approving of his efforts to take their sound in new directions. When Leckie left the studio to attend a social engagement, Radiohead and Godrich stayed to record B-sides; one song, "Black Star", was instead included on ''The Bends''. In 1995, Godrich produced Radiohead's charity single " Lucky", plus the B-sides "Bishop's Robes" and "Talk Show Host", released on the 1996 single "Street Spirit (Fade Out)
"Street Spirit (Fade Out)" is a song by the English alternative rock band Radiohead. It is the final track on their second studio album, '' The Bends'' (1995). It was released as a single on 22 January 1996 and reached number five on the UK Sing ...
".
Radiohead invited Godrich to co-produce their third album, '' OK Computer'' (1997), which won Best Alternative Album at the 40th Grammy Awards and sold more than 4.5 million copies worldwide. Working in improvised studios without supervision, Godrich and the band learned as they went, and credited the open process with the record's success. In 2013, Godrich told the '' Guardian'': "''OK Computer'' was such a big thing for me because I was given power for the first time. Some of these incredibly intelligent and insightful people said 'do what you want' to me so I worked my arse off for them and together we did something that represents where we all were at the time. And it stuck for some reason. People got it, so that changed my life."
Godrich has produced every Radiohead studio album since, and won the Grammy Award for Best Engineered Non-Classical Album for their sixth album, '' Hail to the Thief'' (2003). He did not work with Radiohead on the initial sessions for their seventh album, ''In Rainbows
''In Rainbows'' is the seventh studio album by the English rock band Radiohead. It was self-released on 10 October 2007 as a pay-what-you-want download, followed by a physical release internationally through XL Recordings and in North America ...
'' (2007). According to the guitarist Ed O'Brien, Radiohead wanted to get out of "the comfort zone", and the bassist Colin Greenwood said Godrich was busy working with Charlotte Gainsbourg
Charlotte Lucy Gainsbourg (; born 21 July 1971) is a British-French actress and singer. She is the daughter of English actress Jane Birkin and French musician Serge Gainsbourg. After making her musical debut with her father on the song " Lemo ...
and Beck. However, Radiohead re-enlisted Godrich after their sessions with another producer, Spike Stent, proved fruitless.
Godrich's father died during the recording of Radiohead's ninth album, ''A Moon Shaped Pool
''A Moon Shaped Pool'' is the ninth studio album by the English rock band Radiohead. It was released digitally on 8 May 2016, and physically on 17 June 2016 through XL Recordings. It was produced by Radiohead's longtime producer Nigel Godrich.
...
'' (2016); Godrich wrote: "Making this album was a very intense experience for me. I lost my dad in the process. Hence a large piece of my soul lives here in a good way." Godrich provided sound design for '' Kid A Mnesia Exhibition'' (2021), an interactive experience created for the anniversary of ''Kid A'' and ''Amnesiac''.
In 2006, CBC described Godrich's collaboration with Radiohead as "the most adventurous band-producer partnership in modern rock". He has been dubbed the band's "sixth member", an allusion to Beatles producer George Martin
Sir George Henry Martin (3 January 1926 – 8 March 2016) was an English record producer, arranger, composer, conductor, and musician. He was commonly referred to as the " Fifth Beatle" because of his extensive involvement in each of the ...
being called the " fifth Beatle". Godrich also plays Chieftain Mews, a long-running character who appears in Radiohead's promotional material.
Radiohead side projects
Godrich has produced most of the solo work by Radiohead singer Thom Yorke, including his albums ''The Eraser
''The Eraser'' is the debut solo album by the English musician Thom Yorke, released on 10 July 2006 through XL Recordings. It was produced by Nigel Godrich, the longtime producer for Yorke's band Radiohead.
''The Eraser'' comprises electronic ...
''(2006), '' Tomorrow's Modern Boxes ''(2014)''Tomorrow's Modern Boxes'' vinyl packaging and '' Anima'' (2019). Yorke credits Godrich with helping edit his work, identifying which parts need improvement and which have potential. He gave the example of the ''Eraser'' song "Black Swan", which originally was "a six-minute load of crap, except for this one juicy bit, and odrichgoes past and goes, 'That bit. Fuck the rest.' Usually it's something like that." Godrich said: "When we were in a room when it's with Radiohead ... I'm trying to manage a relationship between orkeand the band and it's me butting heads with him and trying to work on behalf of the band. As soon as he and I were alone, we found that the dynamic was completely different, we were pulling in the same direction and it was incredibly productive."
In 2009, to perform songs from ''The Eraser,'' Godrich and Yorke formed Atoms for Peace
"Atoms for Peace" was the title of a speech delivered by U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower to the UN General Assembly in New York City on December 8, 1953.
The United States then launched an "Atoms for Peace" program that supplied equipment ...
, with Godrich on guitar, keyboards and synthesisers. The band also includes the bassist Flea
Flea, the common name for the order Siphonaptera, includes 2,500 species of small flightless insects that live as external parasites of mammals and birds. Fleas live by ingesting the blood of their hosts. Adult fleas grow to about long, a ...
of the Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1983, comprising vocalist Anthony Kiedis, bassist Flea, drummer Chad Smith, and guitarist John Frusciante. Their music incorporates elements of alternative rock, funk ...
, the drummer Joey Waronker of Beck and R.E.M.
R.E.M. was an American rock band from Athens, Georgia, formed in 1980 by drummer Bill Berry, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills, and lead vocalist Michael Stipe, who were students at the University of Georgia. One of the first alternati ...
, and the percussionist Mauro Refosco of Forro in the Dark. Their debut album, '' Amok'', produced by Godrich, was released in 2013, followed by a tour of Europe, the US and Japan. Godrich engineered '' Junun'' (2015), an album by the Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood, the Israeli composer Shye Ben Tzur and the Indian ensemble the Rajasthan Express, recorded at Mehrangarh Fort
Mehrangarh Fort covers an area of 1,200 acres (486 hectares) in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India. The complex is located on a hilltop around 122 metres above the surrounding plain, and was constructed by Rajput ruler Rao Jodha, though most of the ex ...
in Rajasthan
Rajasthan (; lit. 'Land of Kings') is a state in northern India. It covers or 10.4 per cent of India's total geographical area. It is the largest Indian state by area and the seventh largest by population. It is on India's northwestern s ...
, India.
Godrich produced '' A Light for Attracting Attention'' (2022), the debut album by the Smile
A smile is a facial expression formed primarily by flexing the muscles at the sides of the mouth. Some smiles include a contraction of the muscles at the corner of the eyes, an action known as a Duchenne smile.
Among humans, a smile expresses ...
, a band comprising Yorke, Greenwood and with the drummer Tom Skinner. The '' Guardian'' critic Alexis Petridis said the Smile "sound like a simultaneously more skeletal and knottier version of Radiohead", exploring more progressive rock
Progressive rock (shortened as prog rock or simply prog; sometimes conflated with art rock) is a broad genre of rock music that developed in the United Kingdom and United States through the mid- to late 1960s, peaking in the early 1970s. In ...
influences with unusual time signature
The time signature (also known as meter signature, metre signature, or measure signature) is a notational convention used in Western musical notation to specify how many beats (pulses) are contained in each measure (bar), and which note va ...
s, complex riffs and "hard-driving" motorik psychedelia.
Other projects
Following his success with ''OK Computer'', Godrich mixed most ofNatalie Imbruglia
Natalie Jane Imbruglia ( , ; born 4 February 1975) is an Australian singer and actress. In the early 1990s, she played Beth Brennan in the Australian soap opera ''Neighbours''. Three years after leaving the programme, she began a singing caree ...
's hit album '' Left of the Middle'' (1997) and R.E.M.
R.E.M. was an American rock band from Athens, Georgia, formed in 1980 by drummer Bill Berry, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills, and lead vocalist Michael Stipe, who were students at the University of Georgia. One of the first alternati ...
's '' Up'' (1998). Godrich has collaborated with American singer-songwriter Beck several times, on '' Mutations'' (1998), '' Sea Change'' (2002) and '' The Information'' (2006). The first two of these albums, particularly ''Sea Change'', were noted for their atmospheric folk/pop sound, a departure from the spontaneous, sample-heavy style Beck was known for. Godrich has also worked with Travis, producing their commercial breakthrough '' The Man Who'' (1999) and its followup '' The Invisible Band'' (2001) and co-producing ''The Boy With No Name
''The Boy with No Name'' is the fifth studio album by Scottish rock band Travis (band), Travis. The album was released on 7 May 2007 through Epic Records. This is Travis first album in which other members contributed to songwriting, rather than t ...
'' (2007) with Brian Eno and Mike Hedges.
Godrich produced Pavement's final album ''Terror Twilight
''Terror Twilight'' is the fifth and final studio album by American indie rock band Pavement, released on June 8, 1999, on Matador Records in the US and Domino Recording Company in the UK.
''Terror Twilight'' was produced by Nigel Godrich, w ...
'' (1999), with Radiohead's Jonny Greenwood contributing harmonica on two tracks. Godrich, a fan of the band, hoped to help them find a bigger audience with a less "sloppy" record. Songwriter Stephen Malkmus
Stephen Joseph Malkmus (born May 30, 1966) is an American musician best known as the primary songwriter, lead singer and guitarist of the indie rock band Pavement. He currently performs with Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks and as a solo artist. ...
later described the album as "overproduced" and described conflicts with Godrich. In response, Godrich tweeted: "I literally slept on a friend's floor in NYC to be able to make that album." In 2020, Godrich said that he loved the album and had enjoyed making it.
In 2001, Godrich remixed U2's " Walk On" for its single release, and mixed and contributed production to Air
The atmosphere of Earth is the layer of gases, known collectively as air, retained by Earth's gravity that surrounds the planet and forms its planetary atmosphere. The atmosphere of Earth protects life on Earth by creating pressure allowing f ...
's albums '' Talkie Walkie'' (2004) and '' Pocket Symphony'' (2007). In 2002, Godrich was hired to produce the second album by the Strokes
A stroke is a medical condition in which poor blood flow to the brain causes cell death. There are two main types of stroke: ischemic, due to lack of blood flow, and hemorrhagic, due to bleeding. Both cause parts of the brain to stop funct ...
, '' Room on Fire'' (2003). He was fired when their work, according to the band, proved "soulless". Godrich said of the failed collaboration: "The problem there was that me and inger_Julian_Casablancas.html" ;"title="Julian_Casablancas.html" ;"title="inger Julian Casablancas">inger Julian Casablancas">Julian_Casablancas.html" ;"title="inger Julian Casablancas">inger Julian Casablancasare just too similar, we're both control freaks. He wanted to do it his way, I wanted to do it my way, and obviously that's the point of me being there. And I'm saying 'Well, why am I here if you're not prepared to try and do it the way I want to do it?' We got on great, it was just one of those laughable things where it just doesn't work. I wanted them to change, and they didn't."
Godrich produced the 20th anniversary version of "Do They Know It's Christmas?", released in December 2004, which featured Yorke and Greenwood. Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. One ...
hired Godrich to produce his album '' Chaos and Creation in the Backyard'' (2005) after being recommended by Beatles producer George Martin
Sir George Henry Martin (3 January 1926 – 8 March 2016) was an English record producer, arranger, composer, conductor, and musician. He was commonly referred to as the " Fifth Beatle" because of his extensive involvement in each of the ...
. Godrich fired McCartney's touring band and demanded that McCartney abandon songs Godrich found clichéd, over-sentimental, or subpar. The album was nominated for several Grammy Awards, including Album of the Year, and Godrich was nominated for Producer of the Year.
In 2010, Godrich and Beck composed the score for '' Scott Pilgrim vs. the World'', Godrich's first film work. In October 2012, Godrich, along with Joey Waronker and singer Laura Bettinson, released an album as Ultraísta. In 2015, he produced the live album '' Roger Waters: The Wall'', and made a cameo as a Stormtrooper in '' Star Wars: The Force Awakens''. He mixed the Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1983, comprising vocalist Anthony Kiedis, bassist Flea, drummer Chad Smith, and guitarist John Frusciante. Their music incorporates elements of alternative rock, funk ...
' eleventh studio album, '' The Getaway'' (2016). Godrich produced the fifth solo album by Roger Waters, '' Is This the Life We Really Want?'', released in June 2017. Godrich, a fan of Waters' work with Pink Floyd, was critical of Waters' previous solo work and felt his role as producer was to "encourage him, to push him a little bit". During the COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
, Godrich worked with the Arcade Fire
Arcade Fire is a Canadian indie rock band, consisting of husband and wife Win Butler and Régine Chassagne, alongside Richard Reed Parry, Tim Kingsbury and Jeremy Gara. The band's current touring line-up also includes former core member ...
in isolation in El Paso, Texas
El Paso (; "the pass") is a city in and the county seat, seat of El Paso County, Texas, El Paso County in the western corner of the U.S. state of Texas. The 2020 population of the city from the United States Census Bureau, U.S. Census Bureau w ...
, recording their album '' We'' (2022).
''From the Basement'' (2006–2009)
In September 2006, it was announced that Godrich, along with producer Dilly Gent, producer James Chads and John Woollcombe, were shooting the music series '' From the Basement'', filmed from London'sMaida Vale Studios
Maida Vale Studios is a complex of seven BBC sound studios, of which five are in regular use, in Delaware Road, Maida Vale, west London.
It has been used to record thousands of classical music, popular music and drama sessions for BBC Radio 1 ...
. The series focused on intimate, live performances by musicians without a host or an audience. Godrich said, "I'm really interested to capture some really iconic, bigger names– really the whole point is to get people who are having their moment, to try and get a definitive record of what they're doing."
Godrich conceived ''From the Basement'' as a means of authentically documenting music being made. Drawing further inspiration from British television music series '' The Old Grey Whistle Test'', Godrich came upon the idea of a television programme. Despite early reports, ''From the Basement'' did not initially appear on British television, because of not taking on corporate sponsors.
When the pilot was in production, ''From the Basement'' was to be an online programme only. However, this was not feasible as it did not generate enough money to produce the episodes to the quality level desired. Instead, the producers went to international TV networks to receive money up front to produce the series. The series did eventually air on television; the first UK broadcast was on Sky Arts
Sky Arts (originally launched as Artsworld) is a British free-to-air television channel offering 24 hours a day of programmes dedicated to highbrow arts, including theatrical performances, movies, documentaries and music (such as opera perfor ...
on 1 December 2007, featuring four songs performed by Thom Yorke on 8 December 2007. The United States premiere was on Rave HD on 22 February 2008, followed by a run on Independent Film Channel
IFC (formerly known as the Independent Film Channel) is an American basic cable channel owned by AMC Networks, originally launching in 1994 as a TV channel devoted to independent films. The Independent Film Channel originally operated as a com ...
, as part of the network's "Automat" block of television programmes in the autumn of 2008. On 3 November 2008, the series was released on DVD. A new series of ''From the Basement'' began on YouTube in May 2022, featuring acts including Idles, Warpaint and Caribou.
Approach and influences
Godrich credited the producersPhil Thornalley
Philip Thornalley (born 5 January 1960) is an English songwriter-producer who has worked in the music industry since 1978. He is perhaps best known for co-writing (with Scott Cutler and Anne Preven) the song " Torn" (made famous by Natalie Im ...
, John Leckie
John William Leckie (born 23 October 1949) is an English record producer and recording engineer. His production credits include Magazine's ''Real Life'' (1978), XTC's ''White Music'' (1978) and Dukes of Stratosphear's ''25 O'Clock'' (1985), t ...
and Steve Lillywhite
Stephen Alan Lillywhite, (born 15 March 1955) is a British record producer. Since he began his career in 1977, Lillywhite has been credited on over 500 records, and has collaborated with a variety of musicians including new wave acts XTC, Bi ...
for teaching him his craft, saying they were "people I watched directly and emulated". He named his "heroes" as the Beatles producer George Martin
Sir George Henry Martin (3 January 1926 – 8 March 2016) was an English record producer, arranger, composer, conductor, and musician. He was commonly referred to as the " Fifth Beatle" because of his extensive involvement in each of the ...
, for "inventing the job", and Trevor Horn
Trevor Charles Horn (born 15 July 1949) is an English music producer, label and recording studio owner, musician and composer. He is best known for his production work in the 1980s, and for being one half of the new wave band The Buggles (wit ...
, for being "the thing that really made me sit up and listen". He named Joni Mitchell as his favourite artist, citing her "unique combination of musical and lyrical talent".
Godrich said that although he enjoys listening to "clinical" and "shiny" music, he works best creating "organic" sounds: "Making a dark brown soup was more my skill, atherthan making a big fairy cake." He does not approach acts he produces; instead, he waits for them to contact him first, as "I'm not under any illusion that I can improve someone I'm already a fan of".
Godrich said he believes people place too much emphasis on studio equipment and "trickery", which is less important than musical sensibility and communication. He said: "I get very annoyed with people asking me what my favourite microphone is. It doesn't matter ... One of the reasons why music has become generally worse, and I'm sorry to say that, is that people think about technology more than the actual music they're making." He feels that "the recording process is best when fast, because it's then the smallest obstacle to the actual music".
Discography
Composition credits
References
External links
* * Allmusic Credits* {{DEFAULTSORT:Godrich, Nigel 1971 births Living people 21st-century composers 20th-century English musicians 21st-century English musicians English audio engineers English male film score composers English record producers Grammy Award winners Musicians from London People educated at William Ellis School People from Westminster Radiohead Atoms for Peace (band) members