American producer and musician Steve Albini, best known for his work on Nirvana’s In Utero album, died at the age of 61 in his recording studio.
As announced this Wednesday by the specialized media Pitchfork with information from his studio staff, Albini suffered cardiac arrest.
The producer, born in Pasadena (California), led underground rock bands such as Shellac and Big Black. The latter was what launched him to fame in the 1980s.
His title of “legend” was earned mainly for producing iconic albums in rock history such as Surfer Rosa (1988) by the Pixies, which is commonly considered one of the most influential rock albums in history.
The experimental, lo-fi sound that Albini achieved with the Boston band was one of the biggest inspirations for Kurt Cobain in the creation of the album Nevermind (1991) and one of the reasons why he would sign the producer on his next project, In Uterus.
With titles like Pennyroyal Tea and Heart-Shaped Box and a harsh sound, In Utero became the number 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart.
Albini is also responsible for albums such as Rid of Me, by PJ Harvey, and Walking Into Clarksdale, by former Led Zeppelin members Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, and the list of artists he worked with also includes The Breeders, The Jesus Lizard or Mclusky.
His death occurred just a week before the release of Shellac’s first album in ten years, titled To All Trains, scheduled for May 17.
Primavera Sound has mourned the death of Albini on social media, where he had performed with Shellac on 15 occasions and was also scheduled to do so at this year’s edition.
“We are speechless,” begins the festival’s writing. “We have lost a music legend, but above all a friend. To a member of our family. “And now what are we going to do without you, Steve?” the text continues.
“After performing in 15 editions of the festival, it is very difficult for us to imagine a Primavera Sound without him because no band explains it to us better than Shellac. All our love for his family and friends”, concludes the contest, which will begin this coming May 29 in Barcelona.
