Cait Stoddard May 9th, 2024 - 2:24 PM
According to nme.com, artist PJ Harvey has paid tribute to the late record producer Steve Albini by stating “He changed the course of my life.” Harvey and Albini worked together on creating her second studio LP, 1993’s Rid Of Me. The singer chose to work with Albini after admiring his distinctively raw recordings of bands like Pixies, Slint, The Breeders and The Jesus Lizard.
Meeting Steve Albini and working with him changed the course of my life. He taught me so much about music, and life. Steve was a great friend – wise, kind and generous. I am so grateful.
My thoughts are with him and his family and friends as we suffer his loss. pic.twitter.com/t5EMOO3v8v
— PJ Harvey (@PJHarveyUK) May 9, 2024
Albini was the mastermind behind Nirvana‘s In Utero and Manic Street Preachers‘s Journal For Plague Lover. The producer died on May 8 of a heart attack while at Electronic Audio . His death was confirmed by the studio’s staff members.
Steve Albini. pic.twitter.com/DzYjvJykdx
— Nirvana (@Nirvana) May 9, 2024
According to brooklynvegan.com, Sonic Youth’s Thurston Moore posted a lengthy and moving tribute to the late Albini on social media: “Like the music he adored and devoted his life to – punk and experimental action, suspect and resistant to any semblance of exploitation – Steve Albini was a person of passion and contradiction. He seemed to have a bemused realization of his own staunch judgement towards factionalism, us versus them, the capitalist colonization agenda of the recording industry coexisting with the socialist minded independent music world.”
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Thurston’s former Sonic Youth bandmate Lee Ranaldo also shared a tribute, writing, “I note the passing of old friend Steve Albini – certainly gone too soon. Our bands met up in the mid-80s and paths crossed frequently since. Some years back Steve made+gifted us the Sonic Sixteen – a modified Strat copy with 16 high E strings (or-whatever note(s) one wished!), and penis-inlaid headstock. So Steve. Very sad news today.”
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According to NME, while speaking in an interview with BBC 6 Music’s Matt Everitt in 2015, Dave Grohl said that despite being well aware of his reputation, the first time he ever met the legendary producer was during the recording sessions for their 1993 record.
“He was the smartest, most cynical producer/music critic/band leader/pundit, everyone was scared of him. Then you see pictures of him and he just looks like this skinny little guy. He’s just smarter and funnier and better at everything than everyone else in the world.” said Grohl.
Also rock band The Breeders went on social media to pay tribute to Albini: “The Breeders are mourning the sudden passing of Steve Albini. He built worlds. Britt, Tanya, Josephine, Kim, Kelley, Jim, Mando, Jose and Richard.”
The Breeders are mourning the sudden passing of Steve Albini. He built worlds.
Britt, Tanya, Josephine, Kim, Kelley, Jim, Mando, Jose and Richard. pic.twitter.com/GE3ZuFB1zM
— theBreeders (@thebreeders) May 8, 2024
