Before we begin our newsletter, we must take a moment to remember Steve Albini, a titan of underground music creation who suddenly and shockingly passed away earlier this week. Steve's influence on the world of sound that we love here at Strictly Discs is truly immeasurable; the number of artists who came into contact with him is uncountable, and they all have their own unique anecdote to share about him: a piece of advice, a funny prank, a withering bit of criticism, or a gracious gesture of kindness. There will be an outpouring of such tales over the coming days and weeks, and we are looking forward to hearing them all.

In his bands Big Black and Shellac, through his production work for big-name artists like the Pixies, Nirvana, the Breeders, Low, Superchunk and PJ Harvey, and also with his tireless, often anonymous efforts for lesser-known artists at his studio Electrical Audio, Albini established a signature sound. It could be raw to the bone, close to grating at times, stripped of fancy effects and overdubs, but it was always a true and honest representation of an artist's expression. For instance, it's unlikely that any other engineer could have captured the paint-peeling immediacy of Nirvana's "Scentless Apprentice" like Steve. When Jason Molina and an eight-piece version of Songs:Ohia entered Electrical to record the undisputed masterpiece that is "Farewell Transmission", how many other engineers could have gotten it right on the first take?

More than merely establishing a sound, Albini helped foster a culture of aggressively independent, staunchly DIY ethics that spread outwardly through the Chicago music scene and beyond. His was a dedication to straight-talk backed up by action, an egalitarian sense of inclusion that kept artist, engineer, and record label on the same level, with no one party exploiting the other, and a promise to deliver consistent work that met the highest possible standard of quality. He made a name for himself early on as a provocateur unwilling to sanitize his art to avoid offending people; towards the end of his life, he adopted a new sincerity and a willingness to critique these problematic former selves. These attitudes influenced independent record stores a great deal throughout the 80s and 90s and up to the present day, and it's hard to imagine shops like ours succeeding without people like Steve at the other end of the process, keeping the torch lit. The world won't be the same without him, which is the absolute last thing he would want us to say, so we will just keep the records playing. Thanks Steve. The new Shellac album comes out next week and we will have copies.