Shellac frontman and legendary producer Steve Albini has died

The sad news of the death of Steve Albini, singer/songwriter for Shellac & producer of countless important independent records over the past thirty years, at the age of 61, has broken our hearts. He died of a heart attack at Electronic Audio, the recording studio he owned in Chicago.

Founder of bands such as Rapeman, Big Black and Shellac, Albini was known for his distinctive production style, characterised by rawness and energy, as he demonstrated in his work with Nirvana, Pixies, PJ Harvey, Manic Street Preachers or Mogwai, as well as La Habitación Roja, Berri Txarrak or La M.O.D.A. on a Spanish level.

Latest Shellac had announced the release of their first album in a decade, titled To All Trains (2024) and for which they were preparing a world tour that would, of course, stop at the next Primavera Sound 2024, a festival where the Chicago band has played more than 15 times.

Photo courtesy of the Primavera Sound organisers