Steve Albini: The world of music pays tribute
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Tributes to Steve Albini have poured in in the wake of his unexpected death. The musician and engineer suffered a heart attack while at work at his Electrical Audio studio in Chicago, IL.
“On the night of May 7, our captain, Steve Albini, died unexpectedly,” read a message posted on the studio’s website. “We are struggling to comprehend and process this loss.
“Steve was a hero to all of us, our friend and mentor. He was one of the greatest living recording engineers, tirelessly dedicated to capturing the creative work of the bands and artists he worked with. He saw recording almost as an ethical imperative to document the music of the world around him.
“Steve had a profoundly generous spirit; he was always willing to share his knowledge and expertise, and his time and attention. He gave all of us at the studio a shot in an ever-dwindling industry and became our fierce advocate, as he did for countless others in his orbit over the years.
“We are honoured to have spent time alongside him in his career-long project of building and sustaining a recording studio that has come to serve as a home base for anyone wanting to make music on their own terms. We are grateful to have been given the grace of his knowledge, his loyalty, his kinship, his love.
“Thank you, Steve. We love you.”
Meanwhile, many of those who recorded with the Shellac and former Big Black frontman or were influenced by his work have paid tribute to his personality and engineering genius.
The Breeders: “The Breeders are mourning the sudden passing of Steve Albini. He built worlds.”
Slint: “RIP to our friend Steve Albini. Steve was, in his own way, unfailingly magnanimous and kind. His humility was a constant. He was a leader, in many ways, and he was an all-around nice guy. He will be deeply missed. We are infinitely fortunate for having known him culturally and, amazingly, in person. Slint would not be the same without him.”
Bob Mould: “Thank you for building the magnificent sound cathedral called Electrical Audio. Thank you for the constant reminders of how to navigate our music business. Thank you for the empanadas and our conversations. My deepest condolences to Heather, the Electrical staff, and the Shellac folks.”
Mission Of Burma: “People come and go, but there was no one quite like Steve Albini. I keep hoping the news is false. I just thought he would always be there, keeping us wised up ‘n pissed off. A fucking giant.”
David Gedge (The Weddding Present): “I’m deeply saddened to hear the news of Steve Albini’s passing. Steve was a real gift to music and helped both The Wedding Present and Cinerama develop our sound and transform our identity. He was also a genuine person and a complete pleasure to be around.”
Ginger Wildheart: “I wouldn’t be the person I am now without Steve Albini. I used to try to sing like him, I even tried to adopt his ‘no love songs’ policy at the start. Big Black were/are huge for me. The world will miss his uncompromising stance on art and commerce. We lost a beautiful original.”
Vernon Reid (Living Colour): “Steve Albini was alive on Monday. Let that sink in. We weren’t friends. We never met. I respected his work ethic. No compromises No regrets.”
Elijah Wood: “Ugh man, a heartbreaking loss of a legend. Love to his family and innumerable colleagues. Farewell, Steve Albini.”
Rough Trade Records: “Musician, studio engineer and the mastermind behind some of rock’s greatest albums. A hero to us all. Thank you for setting the standard so high. RIP Steve Albini. Deeply missed, forever loved.”
Metro Club, Chicago: “We’re deeply saddened to hear of Steve Albini’s passing and keep his family in our hearts. Thank you for all that you contributed to punk rock in our town and the reverberations of creativity you brought forth, felt the world over.”
Sleaford Mods: “Rest easy Steve Albini. A nice man, a good punk rocker and poker face eternal. Rest up geezer. Sleafords.”
David Grubbs: “In shock at Steve Albini’s sudden passing. Such a brilliant, infinitely generous person, absolutely one-of-a-kind, and so inspiring to see him change over time and own up to things he outgrew. I met Steve when I was a junior in high school, and not only did Big Black slay me but I’m especially grateful for all of the time spent with him in conversation, and for all I learned recording with him with Bastro, Gastr del Sol, the Red Krayola, Palace, Tony Conrad. So much meaningful time spent together. I’m really at a loss for words… awful.”
Jarvis Cocker: “Working with Steve Albini was an education in many ways: the technical aspects of recording sound, for sure – but also lessons in how to live & work at making music without being destroyed by the Music Business. He was a unique individual. My thoughts are with those close to him.”
Mary Anne Hobbs (DJ): “RIP Steve Albini. The world loses a visionary human being.”
Charles Peterson (Photographer): Shocked and saddened to hear of the sudden death of Steve Albini today at the age of 61 of a heart attack in his studio. Anyone who knows anything about music in the eighties and nineties doesn’t need to be told what he accomplished and stood for. R.I.P.”
Chat Pile: “No singular artist’s body of work has had an impact on me more than that of Steve Albini. Incredibly thankful that the world had him while it did, we’re all better off because of it. RIP.”
Amanda Palmer: “I’m gutted to hear about the sudden death of the iconic punk musician and engineer/producer Steve Albini…heart attack, he was only 61. He was a master of sonic economy and had such incredible ethics about keeping sound simple and bullshit-free; he knew how to get songs into your heart via your ears. We had our squabbles (famously around my Kickstarter) but we’d made our peace. A lot of what those squabbles taught me, in the end, was about how much punk is lost in semantics. Sometimes “DIY” absolutely doesn’t mean “Do It Yourself”, it means “Do It With Whoever is Around”, and I sometimes think that Steve and I were just a quarter-turn away from one another.”
Gavin Rossdale: “I’m sat here in total shock at the passing of my excellent friend Steve Albini. I can’t wrap my head around this huge loss. I love Steve. I love Heather, his equally brilliant wife. Shellac has always been my favourite band. One I’d choose to see over anyone. I’ve seen them as many times as possible but perhaps flying to Belfast to see them in Northern Ireland at some point was a highlight.”
Edwyn Collins: “Steve Albini, terrible news. He was the same as me about analogue, tape, recorded sound, – passionate. So sorry to his family.”
Wax Trax Records: “We are devastated to learn of the passing of underground legend Steve Albini. He is survived by over 2000 records that he worked on in some way or another. We love Steve’s own music just as we love so many of the records he recorded and produced.”
J.G. Thirwell: “Gutted to hear about the death of the brilliant engineer / musician Steve Albini (1962-2024). The guy behind Big Black, Rapeman and Shellac. The guy behind the board on Nirvana’s In Utero, Pixies’ Surfer Rosa, PJ Harvey’s Rid of Me, Dirty Three’s Ocean Songs, Jesus Lizard and many many more. Rest in Power, Albini.”
Michael Azerrad (Author): I don’t know what to say about Steve Albini’s passing. He had a brilliant mind, was a great artist and underwent the most remarkable and inspiring personal transformation. I can’t believe he’s gone.”
Fred Armisen: “I love Steve so much. We said it more often to each other in recent years. I’m so glad I got to tell him. He was so funny, all the time… I always loved hearing him say ‘I don’t care.’ He was such a good friend to me, endlessly. I admired his work ethic and his warmth. And his opinions on national flags. On everything.”
Fucked Up: “You hated our band and made fun of us while we were recording at your studio, but you stood for something honest and fair in music and tried to make it a better place in everything you did and there will never be another one like you.”
Mute Records: “We are shocked and saddened to hear of the death of Steve Albini, a wonderful man with revolutionary ideas on how music should sound, both as a musician and a producer.”
Aiden Moffat (Arab Strap): “With his own singular bands and countless engineering credits, there’s no name that appears throughout my record collection more than Steve Albini; his influence still informs how I make and release music today. 61 is no fucking age at all. RIP indeed.”
Benefits: “An immense inspiration as a musician, artist and producer who somehow became a source of encouragement and support to us. A genius. Rest easy Steve Albini.”
Byron Coley: “Holy shit. Steve Albini is gone. Was just emailing him yesterday. One of the great minds of his generation. What a fucking loss.”
Riot Fest: “RIP Steve Albini. This fucking sucks.”
Robin Rimbaud (Scanner): “Truly shocking. Bidding farewell to Steve Albini (1962-2024), the fiercely independent and inspirational music producer, provocateur and poker champion. What a loss!”
The Cribs: “The greatest to ever do it. We know that, and have always felt deeply proud and grateful to have worked with him. I’m sure Steve would be cringing reading this. But it’s all true. Just a great, great man.”
KEN Mode: “I don’t know if I can fully put into words what Steve Albini meant to us, as an artist, producer, and a person. I’ve never had a “famous” musician die that also slept for two weeks at my parents’ house. This one has a special sting to it. It was a dream come true getting to make a record with you. RIP to an absolute legend.”
The Lovely Eggs: “Have just no idea what to say here. Completely shocked at the passing of Steve Albini. A true DIY authentic spirit who took no crap. An inspiring engineer who was never sucked in by the bullshit of the music industry. Our thoughts are with his family, friends and band.”
HEALTH: “A unique and caustic voice marooned in a sea of generic shit. Perfect parts Irritable and irritating. There won’t be another. RIP Steve Albini.”
The Toadies: “We are devastated at the news of Steve Albini’s passing. We just recorded with him at Electrical Audio less than a month ago (a lifelong dream come true). Still in shock. RIP Steve.”
Erol Alkan: “Steve Albini will always be one of my favourite engineers / record makers. Not just in the sound he produced but also his approach and ethos was always inspiring and deeply rooted in what I love about alternative culture. I grew up loving some of those Big Black singles as I immersed myself in independent music.
“Like many of us, I was obsessed with the sound of those Pixies records and In Utero and later Journal For Plague Lovers by Manic Street Preachers. Hearing about his success as a poker player and winning a million was also mind-blowing. I never met him but watched countless YouTube videos of him talking about making records, and his approach delivered with his wit stuck to me like glue.
“My sincerest condolences to his family and friends. 61 is no age to go.”
Fear Factory: “R.I.P. Steve Albini. The legendary producer, songwriter and musician has passed away. His band Big Black was a big influence on us in the early stages of our careers.”
Violent Femmes: “Bad day for recording. ET Thorngren and Steve Albini in one day. Two very influential and innovative engineers. I did not know Steve but he was a provocateur and made some great recordings. His ideas are also worth investigating.”
Hugh Cornwall: “Steve Albini was a lovely guy, incredibly gifted in the recording studio, and a major loss to our music world. It was a privilege to work with him on Totem & Taboo.”
Luke Haines: “I’m in total shock about Steve Albini. Steve was my friend and the best recording engineer ever. He was, a sweet guy. The obits will use words like ‘ornery…’ Many of the obits will be written by cowards and ‘lackeys.’ He’d like me saying that.”
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