Legendary producer Steve Albini has passed away at the age of 61

Few names in the recording industry have been as impactful and divisive as that of Steve Albini. Sadly, the musician, producer, and journalist passed away this week at the age of 61.

Indie rock music in the late 80’s and early 90’s owes a massive debt of gratitude to the production and engineering techniques of Steve Albini. After falling in love with music thanks to early punk records by the likes of The Ramones, Devo, and The Sex Pistols, he moved from California to Illinois for college, where he immersed himself in the underground Chicago music scene and began to make a name for himself as well. Throughout the ’80s, he played with two of his own bands, Big Black and the unfortunately named but shortlived project, Rapeman.

During this time, Albini also began to produce and engineer albums for a variety of indie acts, working on iconic albums by the Pixies and The Jesus Lizard. This strong resume eventually earned him the job of recording Nirvana’s third album, In Utero. Following the success of Nevermind, the group wanted to return to their more indie rock roots and felt that Albini could achieve their desired sound. Despite some disagreements over the final mix, the album did create a less traditional-sounding major label record for the group.

While he was sought out for his distinct engineering ability, Steve Albini also had deep-seated reservations regarding the music industry and how it treated artists. He often refused to accept royalty payments on albums he produced, most famously accepting a flat $100,000 fee from Nirvana instead of earning future royalties which would have netted him much more income.

In later years, Albini continued his work in the studio while dedicating time to his music project, Shellac. The group was gearing up to release its new album this year, and Steve Albini’s first recording since 2014 when he tragically passed away from a heart attack while at his Chicago studio, Electrical Audio.

We here at We Rave You send our thoughts and condolences to Steve Albini’s family and friends as we remember an audio legend and his groundbreaking work.