The legendary producer Steve Albini, was at the boards for some of rock’s most iconic albums – Nirvana’s In Utero and Pixies’ Surfer Rosa among them.
Albini was known for his production work in the ’90s, and his band Shellac who he sang and played guitar with.
He died of a heart attack at his recording studio Electric Audio, it has been reported.
Albini’s work on classic records like Surfer Rosa, In Utero, PJ Harvey’s Rid Of Me has been inspiring new generations of musicians and producers since they were released. Albini worked on records from Don Caballero, John Spencer Blues Explosion, Jimmy Page & Robert Plant, Mogwai, mclusky, Low, Ty Segall, Bonnie ‘Prince’ Billy, Nina Nastasia, The Breeders and many more.
Albini often called himself a recording engineer as opposed to a producer, and favoured the emphasis of his vocational work on the actual techniques of recording instruments as opposed to leading with studio trickery. Albini played the studio straight – a robust and live rock sound becoming his calling card.
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Albini was known also as a keen competitive poker and billiards player, and a music industry curmudgeon and critic, often firing missives through the press about industry machinations. He refused to take royalties from recording, saying it was unethical, as he lays out in his excellent letter in response to Nirvana about recording In Utero.
Steve Albini. pic.twitter.com/DzYjvJykdx
— Nirvana (@Nirvana) May 9, 2024
A well-known article The Problem with Music from 1993, which was about how major record labels swindle artists with jargon and contracts.
He was, ever an outsider, always an industry cynic, a punk rocker.
In lighter moments, he could be seen calling Steely Dan “music made for the sole purpose of letting the wedding band stretch out a little.
I will always be the kind of punk that shits on Steely Dan
— regular steve albini (@electricalWSOP) February 6, 2023
Shellac’s first album in 10 years titled To All Trains was due next week and a tour was planned.
Steve Albini was 61. His passing was sudden. He was still posting on Bluesky as of yesterday.
Niall Byrne is the founder of the most-influential Irish music site Nialler9, where he has been writing about music since 2005. He is the co-host of the Nialler9 Podcast and has written for the Irish Times, Irish Independent, Sunday Times, Totally Dublin, Cara Magazine, Red Bull and more. Niall is a DJ, co-founder of Lumo Club, event curator, Indie Sleaze club promoter, and producer of gigs and monthly listening parties & events in Dublin.
