So much love, love, love for Steve. Utterly heartbreaking news. I’m distraught. Xxx

I am sad

We are all fortunate to have been alive and paying attention during Albini's 61 years. An immense force for good.

Salut Steve Albini. You are one of the realest motherfuckers I have ever known of.

= Justin

When you meet people who you only know through their art, especially someone whose art you respect and admire, that can be a weird experience. But every time I interacted with Steve, my god, he was just the warmest and kindest person. As many have said, he's the reason all of us know each other, in some way or another, in real life or as a network of somewhat like-minded, kind-spirited people. My sincere condolences to those who were close to him. The world is a better place for his having been in it in so many ways.

Also, any version of Billiard Player's Song that Shellac ever played live is a real contender for best song ever to exist, on this planet or elsewhere.

godspeed.

Just checking in to pay my respects to a great man.

Last time Shellac played Brisbane my wife and I were fortunate enough to have dinner with FM Steve, we will always cherish the banter and the way he was genuinely interested in our crappy little town and it's goings on. Mrs Speedie left the house this morning with tears welled up in her eyes. As others have said, he was one of the most considered, and considerate people I have ever met.

Fly high good sir, I hope you're fleecing BRW for all he's got up there.

Salut.

i’ve made this a sticky as I expect a lot of people will want to post their thoughts.

lots of old faces just registered. i look forward to reading all of this thread on another day.

^ Thanks Andy, I also look forward to reading this thread in upcoming days.

I've posted a few times already in this thread but wanted to put together a more proper response.
 
This all seems like a cruel joke. My band booked time at EA to record with Steve in 2021, a bucket list item we decided to do after my dad died unexpectedly of a heart attack (something I'm clearly not over because I seem to mention it a lot on here). And now it's happened to Steve.

Anyway, staying positive..

I didn't know Steve, aside from the two days we spent with him in the studio.

Steve's mannerisms in the studio were so great, funny, and very accommodating to an amateur band that had never been in a studio before.

It was such a great experience and I'm so glad we did it. I'm so glad that Steve and EA made it a possibility for us to do it.

I love so much of the music that Steve has made or recorded.

I love Steve, EA, and the PRF.

I'm devastated that Steve is no longer with us.

My heart goes out to all of you.

Jason

EDIT: read this back and deleted some stuff that detracted from the intent of my message

As an artist and public person, Steve was incredibly inspiring to a weird, angry Evangelical teen logging on to the forums from suburban Portland in 2004. His connection to independent Christian music through bands like Danielson and ZAO offered a Jesus-sanctioned escape from a very sheltered culture, like peering through a keyhole into a room full of ugly, fascinating paintings. Later, when I wanted to learn about home recording, he made me feel like shit for owning a computer, then distilled a year of intermediate physics into a two paragraph post on this very forum. Like a lot of people here, I wonder if I ever would have picked up a microphone if not for his declarative, informative writing made available free of charge.

As a guy in a room, he was very kind to me, enjoyed telling music stories and exuded patience as I excitedly babbled nonsense about recording my acoustic guitar. I ran into him a few more times and the last time I saw him, he was walking into a Jewel aka the people's grocery store, surely stopping in for the ingredients to a Michelin-star meal. Rest in peace.

1. this years BBQ needs to make the Earth tremble from joy/celebration.

2. Back in the day we all got together and organized a Silkworm Tribute show at The Empty Bottle. Should we try to something similar for Steve, a celebration or something? Raise some money for EA or make sure the 24 hour Letters to Santa stuff gets some $$$. In crisis I just want to problem solve and help and ideas are just rattling around my brain.

Just wanted to add that this news made me glad I have taken steps to get healthier - cutting my drinking and cautiously getting back into exercise - and I hope maybe some other folks can use it as inspiration as well. It'd be a worthy tribute for a guy who was all about the community.