Steve Albini, underground music icon and indie champion, dies at 61

Steve Albini (Pasadena, 1962 – Chicago, 2024), legendary figure in the US underground scene, has died of a heart attack at age 61. Born in California to a family of Turin immigrants, he moved to Chicago to study music journalism and became a key figure in the local punk hardcore scene. In 1982 he formed Big Black, a band that left two milestones: 'Atomizer' and 'Songs About Fucking'. He later founded Rapeman and the longer-lived Shellac, whose final album 'To All Trains' was set for release on May 17. As a producer and audio engineer, Albini worked on iconic records including Pixies' 'Surfer Rosa' (1988), PJ Harvey's 'Rid of Me' (1993), and Nirvana's 'In Utero' (1993). His extensive list of collaborators includes Slint, SunnO))), Fugazi, Mogwai, Neurosis, The Jesus Lizard, Melt Banana, and Italian bands Zu and Uzeda. Known for his combative, countercultural stance defending intellectual honesty and non-commercial music, Albini's death leaves a deafening void in contemporary culture.