Steve Albini, the indie rock icon who led Big Black and Shellac and is best known for his work as an audio engineer (he didn’t like the word “producer”) on albums by Nirvana, Pixies, PJ Harvey and more, has died. Pitchfork confirmed with his studio, Electrical Audio, that he died of a heart attack at age 61.
Born on July 22, 1962 in Pasadena, California, Albini and his family moved to Missoula, Montana in 1974, and, in his early teens, Albini started playing bass and discovered first-wave punk. He eventually started playing in bands of his own (with names like Just Ducky and Small Irregular Pieces of Aluminum), and after moving to Evanston, Illinois to attend the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University, he began writing for Chicago-area punk zines like Matter and Forced Exposure. In 1981, he formed Big Black and began recording bands, including his own. They put out their debut EP Lungs the following year on Ruthless Records, a label Albini co-managed with The Effigies’ John Kezdy (who passed away last year) and Criminal IQ Records’ Jon Babbin.
Big Black signed to Homestead Records for their 1985 EP Racer-X and 1986 debut album Atomizer, before joining Touch and Go for 1987’s Headache EP and Songs About Fucking LP. Big Black broke up that same year and Albini went on to form Rapeman with former members of Scratch Acid, whose demise also led to the formation of The Jesus Lizard. Rapeman released the Budd EP and the full-length album Two Nuns and a Pack Mule on Touch and Go in 1988, plus two 7″ singles, before calling it quits in 1989. In 1992, Albini formed his longest-running band, Shellac, whose sixth album (and first in 10 years) To All Trains is set to come out next week (May 17). They were also set to go on tour this year.
Throughout his time playing in various bands, Albini recorded some of the greatest albums of all time, and his unique approach to making raw, loud, great-sounding rock records has been rightfully praised for decades. (His stark style has worked wonders for quieter artists too.) His work includes Nirvana’s In Utero, Pixies’ Surfer Rosa, PJ Harvey’s Rid of Me, several Jesus Lizard records, several Neurosis records, Slint’s Tweez, The Breeders’ Pod, The Wedding Present’s Seamonsters, Superchunk’s No Pocky for Kitty, Jawbreaker’s 24 Hour Revenge Therapy, Dirty Three’s Ocean Songs, Low’s Things We Lost in the Fire and other Low records, Godspeed You! Black Emperor’s Yanqui U.X.O., Joanna Newsom’s Ys, several Songs: Ohia and Magnolia Electric Co. records, several MONO records, several Will Oldham records, several Nina Nastasia records, several Scout Niblett records, Cloud Nothings’ Attack on Memory, Screaming Females’ Ugly, and so many others.
It’s really impossible to sum up just how important Steve Albini has been to the past 40+ years of underground/alternative music, and impossible to say anything that hasn’t been said already. This is a monumental loss and Albini’s impact isn’t going anywhere.
Musicians have been paying tribute to Albini, including Pixies, Wedding Present, Jack White, Cloud Nothings, and more.
Rest in peace, Steve.