Recording engineer and musician Steve Albini only made to 61. He died from a heart attack at his home in Chicago on May 7. He was the producer who made PJ Harvey and the Pixies sound great. He worked fast and did not care about effects. As a member of uncompromising noise bands like Big Black, Pigboy and Shellac he released a string of albums that made waves that were far bigger than the sales they generated. He hated the suits, and he suits hated him.
Nick Leet, singer and guitarist of Minneapolis based power pop band High on Stress, had a nice chat with musician, producer and engingeer Steve Albini for his Figure Eights podcast. Albini was a member of underground favourites Shellac & Big Black and has recorded some of the great albums by Nirvana, Cheap Trick, Nine Inch Nails, Page & Plant, Guided by Voices, Jawbreaker, Pixies, and PJ Harvey.
Listen to "Figure Eights (A Music Podcast) - Episode 56 Steve Albini" on Spreaker.
The Guardian spoke with Pixies frontman Black Francis and engineer/producer Steve Albini about the recording of Where Is My Mind?, a song that those day provides Francis with a nice yearly income. After the song was used for the ending scene of Fight Club it has been used countless times in commercials and what-not.
I'm not really interested in participating in mainstream culture. Participating in the mainstream music business is, to me, like getting involved in a racket. There's no way you can get involved in a racket and not someway be filthied by it.
Steve Albini
Find people who think like you and stick with them. Make only music you are passionate about. Work only with people you like and trust. Don't sign anything.
Steve Albini
Dark stuf form Australia. Post-punk trio The Time Of The Assassins travelled to the States to lay down their album Awake In Slumberland at Electrical Audio in Chicago. They got Steve Albini to handle the production and mixing. No wonder it still sounds LOUD when you turn the volume down. The Time Of The Assassins are not afraid to take the listener on an extensive tour, The Return runs for nearly 16 minutes and Mad A manages to hold your full attention for 8 minutes plus.
Awake In Slumberland will be picked up by those who are into the Sisters of Mercy in their Floodlands days and the latter day output by Siouxsie. They are on tour in the States right now. Wear black.
Live dates:Awake In Slumberland is released on Kiddiepunk Records.
» thetimeoftheassassins.com
» myspace.com/thetimeoftheassassins
Experiment in private first, so you don't make mistakes on other people's records.
Steve Albini
