Weird Recording Techniques Only Steve Albini Used

The Steve Albini Story. This week, we're doing a deep dive into the life and career of Steve Albini, the legendary producer, engineer, and musician who has left an indelible mark on the world of rock music. From his punk rock roots in Big Black and Shellac to his groundbreaking work with the Pixies, Nirvana, and countless other iconic bands, we'll explore the uncompromising vision and innovative techniques that have made Albini a true icon of the music industry. Kindly like and subscribe - it really helps this channel a lot. I do appreciate it!
#stevealbini #behindthemusic #truestory #producer #engineer #musician #punk #industrial #noiserock #bigblack #shellac #nirvana #inutero #pixies #surferrosa #electricalaudio #recording #analog #raw #uncompromising #chicagopunk #touchandgorecords

[@teddyfurstman1997]

RIP Steve Albini. He is a true legend in Rock Music.

[@TedDiabetes]

Fun Fact: Big Black's last show took place at the Georgetown Steam Plant in Seattle, which was and still remains on Boeing Field. In a symbolic gesture of finality, the band smashed all their gear. After the show, some kid walked up to Albini holding the broken neck of his guitar and asked, "Hey, can I have this?" He said sure, he had no use for it anymore. That kid turned out to be a 20 year old Kurt Cobain.

[@guitarmeetsscience]

Now THAT Is a fun fact!!!! Thanks for sharing that- talk about coming back full circle!

[@TedDiabetes]

@guitarmeetsscience really love your channel, man. Keep up the great work!

[@guitarmeetsscience]

@TedDiabetes that really makes my day Ted! I really appreciate it man!! 🙏

[@stevenhenry5267]

Not sure if this story is true.....

[@TedDiabetes]

@@stevenhenry5267 what's with the crickets? Did your trolling attempt fall flat?

[@hellraizer322]

Love Albini's focus on capturing the band's energy. RIP Steve Albini.

[@0421072]

Scott Burns also never took points or royalties from albums. He was just stoked to work with bands he was a fan of.

[@guitarmeetsscience]

We're talking guys with true integrity - something rare in the music industry for sure.

[@eversosleight]

Had In Utero back in the day and was my favorite Nirvana album. I would learn Steve produced it years later and now that he's gone (RIP), working back through his work has been very rewarding! Especially fond of Breeders Pod and Shellac! Great coverage and retrospect!

[@guitarmeetsscience]

Albini was brilliant.... Simply by making sure the record sounded like the band envisioned it. Thank you so much!!!

[@drownthepoor]

I have Nirvana's entire catalog(I think), and that includes the Albini mixes of In Utero. For many of the songs I prefer his original mix, but on some the released version. There are many bands where I'll prefer the demo version of a song, or even the EP version over the final cuts. It's important to actually have the songs because Spotify often won't.

[@mantax55]

I’m surprised PJ Harvey’s Rid of Me wasn’t included in more detail as I feel it really shows the sound of Albini. Great dynamics and isn’t tampered by the mastering of the time.

[@runeemrick]

For those interested, Neurosis recorded exclusively at E.A.R.

[@aminahmed2220]

What a fantastic video have a wonderful day Jimmy ❤❤❤❤❤❤😊😊😊😊😊😊

[@guitarmeetsscience]

Thank you Amin, your kind words are appreciated my friend 🙏 🤘😎🤘🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸

[@MIXMD-qq4vh]

RIP Steve Albini, you are still alive in our hearts!!!🤘

[@BataraKado]

"im a plane" - steve albini.

[@guitarmeetsscience]

🤘🤘

[@steenbeanl7170]

A huge loss to us all., 🙏❤️ This was very informative, so much I didn’t know, thank you!

[@guitarmeetsscience]

Hey Steenbean. A lot of us were shocked by his sudden passing. Thank you so much for checking it out. I still think of those death metal smoothies 🤘😎🤘🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@stephangraham8578]

Yes, the Ramones, Brains, etc... But I remember him always talking about the far-out avantgarde and noise that was around at the time. We'd never heard any of that stuff until Albini started talking about it.

[@wormskull2454]

HIS H.S. WAS NAMED “HELLGATE HIGH SCHOOL”?! FUCKIN A!

[@guitarmeetsscience]

😆😆😆😆yep!!!

[@billyhughes9776]

I became of fan of Steve when I started to get into recording/mixing seriously. Never listened to his bands, but, over the years he became a big inspiration on how to capture sound properly and treat artists/bands with respect. Huge loss -- back to the Universe Steve. It's better with you.

[@guitarmeetsscience]

It's cool that you were able to get some inspiration from him. Steve had a really cool outlook on things, and the way he treated bands was awesome. Thanks for sharing that!

[@blackfishgaming7145]

Thank goodness I got to see Shellac last year. 😢

[@guitarmeetsscience]

That is awesome that you got to see them live!

[@1blindbunny]

This is an awesome video thank you for making this.

[@guitarmeetsscience]

Thank you so much! I really appreciate it blindbunny!!! 🐇

[@joninterglad]

Thanks for posting this. I have friends who were friends with him in Chicago but he was kind of off my radar. He was very talented and made some great work.

[@guitarmeetsscience]

Thank you! That is cool, he was such an interesting guy. I'm sure your friends have some pretty cool stories!

[@dls3939]

iT does break my heart a bit that this man wont be around to use his magic wand anymore, thank god for all the music left behind

[@guitarmeetsscience]

Same here - he was the one guy who acted like a buffer between the band and the label making sure the band got the sound that they were looking for. He was a true warrior in the music industry.

[@floydlay9189]

Brilliant content,,thank you so much for enlightening me!

[@guitarmeetsscience]

Thank you kindly Floyd!!!

[@Microtonal_Cats]

There's some good info here that I didn't know. But the writing for the voiceover sounds like it was written for VH1 "Behind the Music." Also calls him a "producer" a number of times, he always preferred "Engineer."

[@guitarmeetsscience]

Thanks so much. Yes I do sometimes fall a bit into that style, I watched the series so much early on so I guess it crept in. One thing I didn't outline enough was the fact that he always preferred to be more known as an engineer. But I always saw that as the brilliance in what he did... It was as if he was a buffer between the label and the band. They needed a producer, so he stepped in - and then he'd turn around and essentially whisper to the band "however you want it to sound let me get you there". No doubt he will come up again and when he does I will definitely pound those points home a bit more. Thanks for your honest comment I appreciate it!

[@bentol86]

Interesting stuff!

[@guitarmeetsscience]

Thanks Ben!!

[@sstaners1234]

He was the first man to ever hear In Utero and it’s B sides before everyone else.

[@guitarmeetsscience]

Absolutely - I never thought about it like that. You nailed it!

[@maynardjohnson3313]

Wul dang, I just started watching his stuff. Rock on.

[@guitarmeetsscience]

Thank you Maynard! Rock on man 🤘😎🤘

[@MP-db9sw]

Love this

[@guitarmeetsscience]

Thanks! 🙏

[@matthewsommerville88]

A friend interned for him when we were in our 20’s. Said he was awesome and really weird. He made him a lot of coffee lol

[@guitarmeetsscience]

Haha I can see that - as a matter of fact there's a video out of him making coffee that his buddy brought to him from Vietnam. The beans were fermented in the civet cat's gut, and of course pooped out of the cat. He brewed some up and offered some to the cameraman lol

[@nomadic626]

WTF? First time hearing this as i ran into this video just to hear about the legend as i work. RIP Steve Albini Legend!

[@guitarmeetsscience]

Oh man I'm sorry to be the one that broke the news. Steve contributed so much to the music community. RIP

[@daviemcf]

Great video on this guy Jimmy, have a great week.🙏👍👍like 15.

[@guitarmeetsscience]

Thanks Davie!!! Have a great one 🤘😎🤘🎸🎸🎸🎸🎸

[@amos660]

grazie fratello.

[@guitarmeetsscience]

🙏 much appreciated my friend

[@brainrottedindividual]

RIP Steve

[@NelsonVelazquez]

There's a lot of Romanticism about his approach to recording. Was it different than the slick records that were being made at the time? Yes but the way this video makes it sound like he had a detailed plan. Not to take away from the results, the work ethic, or the impact that he had on Independent music as a whole, I just find the descriptions being given here as very otherworldly.

[@guitarmeetsscience]

Thanks for that feedback. It's more of a matter of perspective for me. I didn't see it as necessarily a detailed plan, but his mindset about supporting and reinforcing the band's vision when they stepped into the studio was a standout among other producers. He was more of a glorified engineer - but that was what Nirvana needed at the time. So there were matched up perfectly. And of course with him being this way with other groups as well allowed them to translate their sound live better to an album. That's what stands out about Steve Albini.

[@hermano8160]

Well, though In Utero is my favourite Nirvana album and I love Albini's drum recording sound, Nirvana didn't become a worldwide hit with Albini. And the 'hits' from In Utero aren't even Albini mixes (All Apologies, Heart-Shaped Box). So, to always bring up Nirvana when people talk about Steve Albini these days doesn't really tell a good story about how insanely unique Albini's sound was. Just listen to the first few bars of 'Where is My Mind' by Pixies, or the last Shellac album 'To All Trains'. That is as close as you can record the real sound of a drum set.

[@guitarmeetsscience]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. Throughout the video I pretty much echoed pretty much everything you were saying here... I even talked about the fact that those songs were remixed, covered Shellac in detail and also the pixies.

[@vegardyrnes1793]

Tnx!

[@guitarmeetsscience]

🤘🤘

[@manfromuranus]

His HIgh School was called HELLGATE, lol. Makes sense

[@guitarmeetsscience]

Hahahaha

[@jeffTcorbin81]

I had no idea Albini had died until i reached the end of this video. Holy Shit!! I'm devastated! Does anyone else feel that real, authentic (non-corporate) Rock n Roll is now officially dead? Its not too late. You and I can actually make a difference. Everybody reading this with a son or daughter or nephew or niece or grandchild or even someone who lives next door to a kid or whatever.. Right now, stop whatever you are doing, go to a guitar store, and BUY THAT KID A GUITAR!! If you are broke, save a little and buy a cheap one. If you can afford 2 or 3. DO IT!! This might sound silly. But doing nothing and just allowing rock n roll to flop around on the deck like a dying fish, to me, seems unimaginable. Buying a kid a guitar will never guarantee any one result or outcome. What putting a guitar into the hands of a kid does guarantee is it gives them a very special tool that provides them the opportunity to have a positive creative outlet to uniquely express themselves and in doing so it can open up some very interesting avenues where very strong lifelong bonds and connections can be made and a great opportunity to meet, interact with and form bonds with other artists, musicians, and influences. Its when this "flower" finally blooms (as i just did my very best to describe) and the crust fractures and falls from the eye and the world opens up with a fresh new clarity and perspective. And it is usually at about this moment where what at first seem to be normal typical everyday occurrences can be sometimes looked back at as moments that changed the world. Like the day Mick Jagger and Keith Richards first met at a train station. Or the Day Lennon and McCartney first shook hands. Or when Steve Albini had his ah ha moment as shared in this video. Now you do not have to be a fan of the Beatles or Stones to appreciate the significance of all the things that historically had to happen a certain way in order for Mick and Keef to both be on that platform at the same moment. My point is...Rock n Roll (in general) is sadly breathing its dying breaths. And there really is not much we individually can do to change that. But if everybody reading bought a guitar (or bass, or drums?) for their kid(s) or young relative. It would not only be an amazing gift and give em something positive to focus on ...etc.etc.etc.... But it would greatly increase the chances of a "world changing" moment to happen. Think of what our world would be like if there never was a little Richard, chuck berry, or Elvis, or the Beatles, or the Who, Or Clapton, or Creedence, Or Hendrix, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Or Black Sabbath or the Ramones, Or the Clash, or any of the bands that followed in their footsteps. Are you aware that today, the average 12 year old is completely oblivious to likely every band and artist I just listed. There are a few rare exceptions where a kid will be familiar with a few on the list, due to their parents or maybe an older sibling. (and my hat's off to you amazing parents who teach your kids about music!) But today its kinda crazy to think more kids can sing you a full Cardi B song than can recite 1 line from any hendrix song. (I am not here to talk down on nor have i heard enough to even be able to judge Cardi B's music or lyrics. I am against censorship for music, no exceptions) But i think teaching the next generation, while they are young, about music and the significance of when it was released. I remember being completely fascinated when my parents told me about the civil rights movement and how so much great music not only served as a sort of soundtrack to those times but some music even helped shape the times or at the very least help people cope with or help guide them through those times.Art imitating life and life imitating art. Is that even a thing anymore? I agree there are many more important things our kids need to learn before Frank Zappa. (Well...at least three things. 1. Do not eat "NOT FOOD" 2. Never talk to strangers. 3. Do not hit your sister. 4. Frank Zappa!......yeah, I might have left something out...But that seems about right!! But in all seriousness...The simple act of buying a guitar for a kid seems like one small gesture. But it literally has the potential to change the world in countless ways. But aside from dreaming of being compared to Lennon or Jagger or any other aspirations of being a "success" whatever that means. Those things should not be the goal. Happiness is the goal. I gave examples of lennon meeting mccartney because that moment they met directly led to a collaboration that touched many lives. And that is what scares me most about the absence of rock n roll music. I look at the world today and more importantly the people around the world today and I see a lot of chaos, not just in the physical visual feed we all have access to on YT or TV. But also an overall chaotic form of mental deterioration that is slowly taking hold of most of us if not all by now. I see so much tribalism and group think and people blindly choosing to dismiss, belittle, ignore or even dehumanize anyone who deviates even slightly from their own political beliefs. I have never thought about this until i started this paragraph. Could the lack of rock n roll music today be at least a little bit responsible for so many people suddenly forgetting how to accept, be open minded to and look forward discussing other people's ideas and opinions that are different than our own. I think music has a much stronger influence on the way we think, act & behave. At least more than most of us would ever guess. One way to find out is for everyone here to tell everyone you know to buy a guitar for a kid. Then meet me back here in 20 years and we can then see if it made any difference. I never met Albini and I don't claim to have known the man.I have watched maybe a couple dozen videos and interviews and learned a lot from the wisdom he shared, Mostly to do with studio gear and techniques for recording instruments and speakers with microphones and phase relationships and other studio related tips he seemed to always be happy to share. I always respected that about him. He did not ever seem to hold out with his valuable information looking to profit from it. He shared all of that stuff out of the love of the music and in wanting to encourage as many people as he could to try this music thing whether its performing, producing, engineering. I believe he wanted the world to profit from an instance of lets say the next Hendrix was motivated to get a guitar directly because of something he saw in an Albini video. Or maybe the future world's most talented mixing engineer taking an interest in mixing after watching an Albini video. Its like he was making those videos in which he would be giving away his secrets for free with the hopes of the entire world profiting from his efforts. I see some similarities in Albini's generosity with his information and videos as I see in the idea for everyone to buy a guitar for a kid. Its about using your resources whether it be time, money or whatever. investing those resources into an idea or tool or in this case a guitar. And then putting that idea or tool or Guitar into the hands of someone who will not just recognize value in that idea, tool or guitar. But possibly find a way to increase the value. Hendrix is an excellent example of this. He completely changed how people played, even the best guitarists of the time had to rethink their whole approach to the instrument after Hendrix hit the scene. His influence was on everybody that owned a guitar. Plus he influenced an extremely large number of people to get their first guitar. That was a pretty monumental shake up if you think about it. But today we can say, yes, that was Jimi Hendrix, of course he made such an impact on so many lives. But it technically was not Jimi who was responsible for starting that domino effect. He played a role but did not set it off. His father Al Hendrix is the one that triggered that first domino. The one little action of buying his son a guitar directly resulted in a snowball effect that brought on unimaginable changes that it is entirely possible that some of which we are yet to witness (i hope). Getting back to Albini, I think he would probably think this a good idea. The reason I have shared this idea is because the moment I heard that Steve Albini had died, I couldn't help but sense that the future we are headed towards is all doom and gloom vibes and stagnant and the more I think about it the more I dread waking up to a world where nobody has ever heard of George Harrison or Lou Reed or even Elvis Presley. Or where you might see someone wearing a Nirvana shirt but they had no idea it was even a band. Take a good look around. That day has already arrived! Are you ok with that? No? You wish there was something you could do? Buy a kid a guitar. Don't wait for a birthday or christmas. Do it today! If they ask why. Tell them about how awesome a person Steve Albini was and tell them something like "I am getting you a guitar today because I know you will be just as awesome as Steve Albini, maybe more. Lets make this happen and in 10 -15 years maybe we can sit back, turn on the radio and there might actually still be a classic rock station. Or maybe the classic rock station will only play music by people rapping about their genitals. I've typed way too much.. i give up R.I.P. Steve Albini JtC

[@paulthepainter2366]

It hit me hard as well

[@drownthepoor]

Listening to metalcore/hardcore since I was a kid, there were several bands whose first album blew me away such as Norma Jean and The Chariot. I would hate their follow-up albums, but not because of the music. It was the way it was recorded/produced that made it so offensive to my ears. This led me to learn more about how they were recorded, and in both bands a "live room" was used for the first albums. That term led me to Albini who I was already familiar with from Pixies/Nirvana notes, but he gave me a true appreciation of an engineer vs a producer. Kurt Ballou of Converge operates God City Studio, and he's very sought-after in the production of heavy music. He mentions Albini, and also follows the ethos of trying to capture the band's live sound as accurately as possible. It's served him VERY well. I don't think Albini's method is always correct, but it's something that's not often enough practiced. The producer can be like another member of the band, or they can be an engineer. Steve was a great engineer, and I'm sorry to hear he has passed. Rest in peace, Steve. Thanks for all the sounds.

[@guitarmeetsscience]

Absolutely one excellent breakdown of your experience listening to Steve's work. I really enjoyed reading this - and it drives it home the impact that he had in terms of capturing the true essence of the bands that he recorded. Thank you for that I really appreciate it!

[@drownthepoor]

@@guitarmeetsscience Thank you for this video. I opened it as a tab several days ago not realizing that Albini had passed. When I read it that immediately made me think to go back and watch your video. But great work.

[@guitarmeetsscience]

Goodness - I'm sorry to have had to break the news in this indirect fashion. When I read he had passed I was pretty shocked that's why I switched gears and decided to cover him. It forces me to do a deep dive - and it turns out he was a really cool guy. He really cared about the bands he worked with. Such a huge loss to the music community.

[@DSPsWifesBf]

Steve Albini isn’t my dad.

[@paulthepainter2366]

Without proof there's a non zero chance he's your father

[@DSPsWifesBf]

@@paulthepainter2366 Steve Albini is my dad.

[@guitarmeetsscience]

Really he is your dad?

[@DSPsWifesBf]

@@guitarmeetsscience nah,

[@PontiacS.]

Punk "Poineer"??!!?!?! You CLEARLY don't know anything about "Punk". He was FAR from a "Pioneer".

[@guitarmeetsscience]

Well then you clearly don't know what a pioneer means

[@ohforthelove74]

Hates capitalism while standing in a studio that costs millions. Mmmmkay

[@guitarmeetsscience]

If you're thinking of the studio on the thumbnail, I actually put that behind him. His actual studio is pretty subdued. There are people working in multi-million-dollar Amazon warehouses that also hate capitalism.

[@paulthepainter2366]

​@@guitarmeetsscienceexcellent point

[@kendalton6794]

He earned that shit. Working for for free doesn’t make you punk.

[@Tyrannosaurine]

Why do you have to be the way you are? Please stop.

[@larryjohnson9737]

Hates capitalism, but, charged $100k up front. smdh

[@stonedape2406]

That isn't capitalism tho.....

[@saxwastaken]

He also didn't take any royalties. Dude needs to fucking eat somehow. It's $100k that goes not only into paying himself, but also the other people working at his studio AND the studio itself.

[@eancurtis9333]

Capitalism is the the free markets the exchange of goods and services..we are all capitalist when we go to the market the gas station etc ...unless we want the government telling us what to buy ???

[@buddhull]

Did you really take the opportunity to criticize Steve for charging Geffen Records $100k (a bargain for them) and not the band’s cut in points?

[@buddhull]

You sure must hate Rick Rubin!

[@limisee]

rest in peace Steve Albini🙏❤️