Steve Albini, the legendary and prolific producer, engineer, and musician responsible for some of the most influential rock albums in music history, has died. He was 61.
News was confirmed by various media outlets on Wednesday (May 8) afternoon, including Pitchfork and Consequence. Reports indicate that Albini died of a heart attack.
In addition to his own work in bands like Big Black and Shellac, Albini was behind the board as producer — or “engineer,” as he preferred to be cited — for records like Nirvana’s In Utero, PJ Harvey’s Rid of Me, and Pixies’ Surfer Rosa. He continued to operate out of his Electrical Audio studio in Chicago, and in addition to countless others, on the local front he engineered Boston band Sunshine Riot’s 2023 EP Loud, Bright and Violent.
His 1994 essay The Problem With Music is one of the more influential writings on the recording industry of our time. Albini will be missed.
RIP.