Neil Godbole
Owner of Airship Laboratories
About Neil Godbole
When Neil Godbole was 16 years old in 1996, he already had many years of experience running his own Bulletin Board System (think AOL or Prodigy but on a smaller scale) and building his own computers from the ground up. So when the time came for his school to retrofit their computer lab, Neil Godbole was right there to help with all aspects of the project – from setup and wiring to maintenance and most importantly, education. Neil Godbole was a leader at his High School in promoting the potential uses of such new and powerful technology for its time.
Neil Godbole Loves to Play South African Drums
Neil Godbole, owner of Airship Laboratories, not only enjoys producing music but also playing music himself. An avid percussionist, Neil Godbole particularly appreciates the beauty of South African drums. In South Africa, there are three types of drums that are used in ceremonies, rites of passage, and religious gatherings:
Djembe: The djembe has been used for centuries in both popular and tribal music. It is goblet-shaped with a wide top, narrow center, and medium base. Djembes are usually made of wood with skin tops and are played with bare hands. They are very versatile and loud, often able to be heard over the rest of a percussion ensemble.
Ashiko: The Ashiko is a style of African hand drum in the shape of a cone. It has straight sides and is traditionally made with wild game heads, but most modern Ashikos are made with goatskin and have a less traditional sound.
Dunun: A dunun is a rope-tuned cylindrical drum with rawhide skin covering both ends. A plain straight stick, curved stick with flat head, or straight stick with cylindrical head may be used to strike the drum, which is traditionally played horizontally. There are three different sizes of dunun; the dundunba is the largest and has the lowest pitch, the sangban is medium-sized and has a higher pitch, and the kenkeni is the smallest with the highest pitch.
Neil Godbole and Iraivan Temple Building
In March of 2011, Neil Godbole went on an exciting tour of the Hindu Monastery on the Hawaiian island of Kauai. The sanctuary was founded in 1970 and houses Satguru Bodhinatha Veylanswami and his order of 21 swamis, yogis, and sadhakas from six different nations. The monastery and temple complex sits on 363 acres. Kauai’s Hindu Monastery also serves as the headquarters and theological seminary of Saiva Siddhanta Church, and it houses the Himalayan Academy, Hinduism Today magazine, and the Hindu Heritage Endowment. For over forty years, Hindu pilgrims have visited the temple from all over the world to worship.
The San Marga Iraivan Temple is a massive white granite structure that was carved by hand in India and erected by Indian master stone masons. The Iraivan Temple is intricately designed with gold-leafed domes. The temple is still partially under construction by resident artisans from India who are constructing an edifice that follows ancient Agamic mystical injunctions to connect humans to the Divine. The carving of the temple began in India in 1990, and the assembly at Kauai’s Hindu Monastery began in 2001. The Iraivan Temple is a pilgrimage destination for Hindus, who consider it a place of spiritual rejuvenation.
Another temple that Neil Godbole visited, Kadavul Hindu Temple, was the first Siva temple at Kauai’s Hindu Monastery. It was established in 1973 and it is where the monks worship and meditate together each morning. It is considered the spiritual nucleus of Kauai’s Hindu Monastery. At this temple, the monks worship, meditate, chant, practice Sanskrit, and perform personal spiritual discipline twenty-four hours a day in three-hour rotating vigils. Neil Godbole greatly values the time he spent at Kauai’s Hindu monastery, exploring the beautifully carved temples and meeting the monks who reside there.
Neil Godbole and Why Airship Laboratories is the Studio for You
Neil Godbole is the owner of and producer at Airship Laboratories, a unique media production facility located in Richmond, CA. Airship Laboratories is independently owned and operated, and the facility is composed of over 3,500 square feet of production space. The live room is 1,100 square feet with 18-foot high ceilings, treated walls and ceilings to avoid reflections, and large acoustic panels that swing in and out for customized manipulations to the room’s dimensions bordering both sides.
The isolated control room features a Pro Tools HD ICON system and analog outboard gear to provide our artists with exceptional recordings. Both the live room and control room contain broadcast quality sound treatments that were designed by professional studio acousticians. In addition, the laboratories contain rooms for editing, content creation, and two-channel playback.
Neil Godbole’s Airship Laboratories offers audio, and media production services. The dedicated staff assists with multiple services, including:
Audio tracking, mixing, re-amplification, and two-channel mix-down to analog tape.
Media identity and brand development, web and social media development.
Creating better recordings through applied science, Airship Laboratories, run by Neil Godbole, draws his experience from both his love of music and his history as a Studio Operator at Hyde Street Studios. Neil Godbole has produced artists such as The Greening and Fuzzy Hunnies as well as the up-and-coming Cosmic Machine out of Airship Laboratories. Any new artist looking to produce a high-quality album should consider working with Neil Godbole at Airship Laboratories.
Neil Godbole Album Spotlight: There and Back Again by Cosmic Machine
Bay Area rock band Cosmic Machine released their first full-length album, There and Back Again, on October 26th, 2012. Recorded and mixed at Airship Laboratories, owned by Neil Godbole, this album represents the culmination of a year and a half of writing by frontman Andrew Amoranto. With influences ranging from Jimi Hendrix to The Killers, Cosmic Machine creates a sound that traverses time and space.
There and Back Again opens with “Age of Glaciers,” a drum-heavy track that draws the listener in by presenting a new period in time: “The age of glaciers has come.” We move into “Another November Rain,” a possible harkening back to the famous song by Guns N’ Roses. This upbeat track with a strong drum and guitar hook transitions into the album’s first single, “Where the Wild Ones Go.” Saturated with uplifting harmonies, Neil Godbole considers this track a strong representation of what makes Cosmic Machine unique. The fourth track, “Radiation Complication,” brings the listener back in time, with a 1970s tone. Shifting yet again, “On the Streets of Nowhere Town” begins with a fast-paced guitar and drum combo that flows into a steady beat and clear vocals. “Flowers for Amalie” is a slightly more haunting track with striking chords. The dizzying pace of “14 Girls” is an impressive arrangement with a speedy vocal performance. Finally, with “Shadows Sieged” and “Where You Roam,” Cosmic Machine slows the listener down, and then exits with a five minute outro that is the album’s title – “There and Back Again.”
As one of two engineers on this album, Neil Godbole highly recommends the debut album of Cosmic Machine, There and Back Again. The album is excellent for listeners who enjoy the unique tone of Brandon Flowers, frontman of The Killers, combined with a tone that frequently reminds listeners of the 1970s. The heavy rock beats of Cosmic Machine keep the listener engaged and wanting more.
Neil Godbole Artist Spotlight: The Greening
Post-psychedelic pop band The Greening is a Bay Area act that currently rehearses and records at Airship Laboratories, owned by Neil Godbole. The Greening formed in the late 1990s and has since released three albums: After Shoal Parlor in 2003, The Last Tibetan Midnight in 2010, and Eon v. Aeon in 2013. Their most recent production, Eon v. Aeon, was recorded at Hyde Street Studios’ Studio D through the band’s connection with Neil Godbole. When recording their second album, The Greening rehearsed and recorded at their own studio, Weight Vest Studios. However, the band was forced to close Weight Vest Studios only six months after releasing The Last Tibetan Midnight due to financial reasons. When The Greening found themselves without a studio to rehearse and record their third album, friend Neil Godbole invited the band to work with him at Hyde Street Studios. The Greening also recorded half of another, currently unnamed album at Hyde Street Studios before ultimately following Neil Godbole to his new recording studio, Airship Laboratories.
The Greening describes their sound as “collage rock,” meaning that they combine three-harmonies, power-pop hooks, unexpected tempo and dynamic shifts, and fast rock energy. The experimental combination of these elements is surprising yet musically sound. For his recording studio, producer Neil Godbole enjoys choosing unique bands with distinctive musical elements that set them apart from other emerging artists. The Greening bears certain similarities to Cosmic Machine, another band produced by Neil Godbole’s Airship Laboratories. Both bands feature tight harmonies and a psychedelic tone combined with fast-paced drums and guitar. Through The Greening and Cosmic Machine, Neil Godbole sets a standard for the type of music he is looking to produce. Neil Godbole seeks to work with experimental artists looking for superior recording quality to suit their unique style and tone. With Neil Godbole and Airship Laboratories, artists will find an experienced and enthusiastic production team.
Neil Godbole: From Hedge Fund to Music Production
Neil Godbole is a businessman at heart. Neil Godbole has moved from his position as a hedge fund manager at Opulent Lite to the owner of and producer at Airship Laboratories, a cutting-edge media production studio. While hedge funds and music production may seem as if they are polar opposites, Neil Godbole sees his transition as moving from one business venture to another, bringing his ample business experience with him. As a producer, Neil Godbole is in charge of the overall vision of the music he produces. Neil Godbole oversees the recording, mixing, and mastering that will create a marketable final product.
Although music is an art, Neil Godbole’s job as a producer is to manage the business of art. Any good businessman possesses excellent sales skills, and Neil Godbole is no exception. Neil Godbole understands both the business world and the music world, allowing him to view music as both an art and a potentially successful product. Neil Godbole contributes to the brand of a band by producing a specific sound that will lead to a unique album with recognizable qualities that can propel the band’s musical career. Neil Godbole always keeps the interests of the artists at the front of his mind when working on an album.
As a businessman, Neil Godbole understands the importance of providing a valuable service and creating connections with clients. Neil Godbole delivers quality and reliable music production and seeks career-long connections with the artists who record at his studio. By connecting with clients, Neil Godbole forms mutually beneficial business relationships that even lead to friendships. Neil Godbole is committed to providing his artists with the highest quality music production available, and he is constantly searching for new technologies and ways to improve Airship Laboratories. By bringing his business experience and skills to Airship Laboratories, Neil Godbole works toward excellence in media production.
Neil Godbole and the Environment
While Neil Godbole is known both for his hedge fund management at Opulent Lite and music production at Airship Laboratories, lesser known is his passion for the environment. In 2009, Neil Godbole protested the removal of trees in Walton Square in San Francisco, CA on behalf of the 733 Front Street Homeowners Association, of which he was President. Neil Godbole argued for alternative management in regard to infected pine trees in Walton Square. The Department of Public Works had called for the immediate removal of the trees, stated to be diseased. However, Neil Godbole consulted with forestry experts and argued that the decision had been made too quickly, and that a re-assessment was necessary. Neil Godbole asserted that the trees provided both beauty and shade to the public, and also provided migratory landing and protection for wild parrots and other birds in San Francisco. To show his passion for the environment, Neil Godbole suggests the followings simple ways to help the environment.
Turn Off Electronics: Simply turning off electronics not in use can save a significant amount of your daily energy usage. Neil Godbole specifically suggests turning off your computer at night when it is not in use.
Plant a Tree: Not only is planting a tree a fun family activity, trees also improve air quality, your land, and can even provide shade that saves you money on cooling your home.
Use Cruise Control: Using cruise control benefits both the consumer and the environment. Cruise control can provide you with better gas mileage, allowing you to save and the environment to flourish.
Buy a Reusable Coffee Cup: Save on waste and get a reusable coffee cup. Not only will it keep your beverage hotter longer, it will drastically cut down on your personal waste output, especially if you are a daily coffee drinker. Not a coffee person? Try a reusable water bottle or tea tumbler.
Neil Godbole – UCLA Graduate
Neil Godbole, owner of Airship Laboratories, is a graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles. Neil Godbole graduated in 2002 with a Bachelor of Science in Cognitive Science. While studying cognitive science, Neil Godbole specialized in computing, a skill which has benefited him as a producer and engineer at Airship Laboratories. While at UCLA, Neil Godbole showed early signs of someone interested in the music industry and musical performance. Neil Godbole performed with two other students at an open mic in 2002, where they were very well received by their peers. The trio performed an acoustic set using guitars and a South African drum. Neil Godbole and his friends performed both prearranged and improvised songs, working off of the energy of the crowd and enjoying the relaxed atmosphere.
Since graduating from UCLA, Neil Godbole has held multiple positions using his degree in Cognitive Science. At first, Neil Godbole utilized his computing concentration as an AdWords Representative at Google and a Software Analyst at Calypso Technology. Next, Neil Godbole moved to the world of investments and hedge funds as the owner and operator of Trueblue Strategies, LLC and then Investment Advisor at Opulent Lite, LP. Finally, Neil Godbole returned to his UCLA music roots and became Studio Operator at Hyde Street Studio D. After gaining experience at Hyde Street Studios, Neil Godbole ultimately moved on to open and produce at his own recording studio, Airship Laboratories.
As a successful businessman and music producer, Neil Godbole is certainly a source of pride for his alma mater. Neil Godbole is an entrepreneur who used his post-graduate time to successfully explore multiple career options, gain experience, and bring his new skills to his own business ventures. Neil Godbole’s most recent enterprise at Airship Laboratories is an innovative approach to music production that will prove to be a groundbreaking accomplishment for the UCLA graduate
Contact Neil Godbole
Neil Godbole has spent many years in the professional world as a hedge fund manager. After many years of high-end education, Neil Godbole became a hedge fund manager for a successful company. He worked very hard to accomplish his day-to-day job duties. Neil Godbole had a variety of responsibilities and he made sure to work hard in order to accomplish them. Neil Godbole dedicated a great deal of his personal time in order to make sure the job was done right.
Website: http://my.opera.com/neilgodbole/about/
Location: 20695 Rice Court, Rockville, MD
Phone: +1 510-232-0995