Steve Albini, Who Recorded Scores of Influential Records, Dies At 61

CHICAGO — Renowned Chicago recording engineer and musician Steve Albini died Tuesday at the age of 61 following a heart attack, according to staff at his Chicago studio.

Albini, whose raw production style shaped the sound of alternative rock, produced the Pixies' "Surfer Rosa" in 1988, The Breeders' "Pod" in 1990 and Nirvana's "In Utero" in 1993, among many other influential albums of the era.

Born in Southern California and raised in Montana, Albini founded the post-punk band Big Black while after coming to Chicago to study journalism at Northwestern University.

After Big Black disbanded in 1987, he briefly fronted the band Rapeman. In 1992, he formed Shellac, which had been due to release its sixth studio album next week.

In 1997, he opened his studio Electrical Audio on Belmont Avenue in Chicago, where he went on to record nearly 1,000 records and where he also resided.

Albini was an outspoken critic of the music industry and rejected royalties, preferring to be credited as an engineer rather than as a producer. His recordings aimed to capture the essence of a band's live performance, and he rejected digital recordings in favor of analog sound.

After deliberately courting controversy for years, once he became older, Albini took responsibility for his role in contributing to "edgelord" behavior.

In addition to his musical legacy, Albini was an accomplished poker player. He won two gold bracelets at the World Series of Poker and hosted a regular poker game in Chicago.