Some news take us by surprise. Steve Albini unexpected death yesterday was one of them. Maverick studio engineer and recorder, master of poker, inspiration.
I’ve interviewed Steve a couple of times for print Mondo and Público. I still remember the Mondo one. It was done by email and it had a good deal of Steve Albini the cartoon character. Lots of f words and other less than stellar language. The interview in itself was very good.When I was asked if I could arrange an interview for Público my reply was “I’ll ask. But if he (Steve) starts being rude, I’ll say this interview ends here”. There was no rudeness. Steve was drinking tea in his kitchen and was a perfect gentleman.
So far, one of my two of my radio shows fully dedicated to someone also on the other side of things was The Steve Albini edition.
Of late friends and I had been talking about Steve Albini. His recordings, his work, his high standards. But also how he managed to talk in layperson language and didn’t shy from taking another engineer with him of he deemed necessary. I quite like this podcast interview about the Manic Street Preachers’ Journal For Plagued Lovers. In fact, I was listening to it before my first rehearsal with Grupo Operário do Ruído (Workers Noise Group), less than a month ago. It has to be The Universe. https://www.buzzsprout.com/450409/14899
And, of course, there is the (in)famous The Problem With Music Text written in 1993 that remains as relevant as by then https://thebaffler.com/salvos/the-problem-with-musicShellac have a new album To All Trains coming out on the 17t.h. Along with all the other music played, created and recorded by Steve is will be part of his legacy and inspiration to many of us.
Rest in Power, Steve. And in poker.
Mondo Bizarre Magazine 