At the tender age of 30, Nigel Godrich has already made his mark on the international music scene.
Best known for being Radiohead's "invisible 6th member", he's also worked with everyone from Beck to Travis, via Natalie Imbruglia and REM.
After finishing work on Radiohead's album "Hail To The Thief", Steve Lamacq talked to the wonder-producer, who, whether you realise it or not, probably has a place somewhere in your record collection.
Bernard Butler on Nigel Godrich
"I met Nigel when I was working on the McAlmont and Butler album in 1995. I booked an engineer who didn't turn up on the first day and Nigel spent the whole day wandering around telling me 'I can do this what do you want someone else for'. And he did."
Nigel on getting involved with Radiohead
"I went to see Radiohead at The Town and Country Club and Thom came up to me and said 'We were going to call you to see if you wanted to come and help us record in our rehearsal space'. And that was that. It was weird - as an assistant (at Rak Studios) I never worked on any big records. The next thing I did was OK Computer."
Phil Selway (Radiohead) on Nigel:
"He gets amazing sounds and gets them very quickly so that allows you to have a good momentum to the session. Beyond that he does have an overview so he can pick out elements of good performances, marry all those together and just keep everything moving."
Fran Healy - Travis
"I remember so many times when I've done a vocal take and I think 'that's the one!' and Nigel will be behind the glass going 'nah, do it again'. When we recorded the Humpty Dumpty Love Song I recorded the vocal for it live and put this mad effect on the vocal, I couldn't hear what I was doing it was so effected. When I eventually did what I perceived to be the worst take Nigel's like 'brilliant!'."
Beck
"I think he's one of these rare people who's incredibly technical and has incredible perfectionist streak in him but he's also reckless too. Sometimes he'd record the whole song in two tracks so he can't go back and mix it. He works dangerously he's not afraid to take a chance which I like."
In How to...:
Get a producer for an unsigned artist
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/onemusic/recording/producerp01.shtml
Home recording - the basics
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/onemusic/recording/homebasicsp01.shtml
In Music exposed:
Travis
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/onemusic/exposed/travis219p01.shtml
Other links:
Radio 1 Online: Alt
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/alt
BBCi Music: Radiohead discography
http://www.bbc.co.uk/cgi-perl/music/muze/index.pl?site=music&action=discography&artist_id=24768
BBCi 6music: Steve on 6music
http://www.bbc.co.uk/6music/presenters/steve_lamacq/
(c) BBC Radio 1 OneMusic 2003