PJ Harvey joined the chorus of musicians paying tribute to the late Steve Albini on May 9. Albini, the legendary recording engineer who passed yesterday at the age of 61, recorded Harvey's second album, Rid of Me, which has since come to be regarded as one of the landmark rock records of the 1990s.
On Instagram, Harvey posted a picture of the 1993 album's back cover, offering some brief words of tribute in the caption.
"Meeting Steve Albini and working with him changed the course of my life," Harvey wrote. "He taught me so much about music, and life. Steve was a great friend - wise, kind and generous. I am so grateful.
"My thoughts are with him and his family and friends as we suffer his loss."
Albini, who recorded a bevy of influential albums with the Pixies, the Breeders, Nirvana, Jawbreaker and countless others, was preparing to release a new record with his band, Shellac, when he suffered a heart attack.
Albini died of a heart attack on May 8.
Nirvana's official social media account acknowledged his passing by posting a famous letter Albini wrote to the band prior to agreeing to work on their final studio album, In Utero. In it, the always-outspoken Albini explains the governing philosophy behind his studio work -- perhaps best summed up in the letter's closing line, "If a record takes more than a week to make, somebody's f--king up" -- as well as his unusual refusal to accept any future cut of the royalties for any album he produced, preferring to simply be paid upfront for his services "like a plumber: I do the job, and you pay me what I'm worth."
Plenty of Albini's most famous collaborators acknowledged his passing yesterday. Pixies posted a picture of the engineer to their Instagram account. Cloud Nothings, who worked with Albini on their 2012 record Attack on Memory, left the following statement:
"Steve touched countless lives and changed mine and many others for the better," the band said in a tweet. "A genuine, singular, principled person. spent the last 40 years helping people make art. there's no reason for him to be gone and the world is less interesting without him. just a really sad day."
Nirvana's social media account posted a famous letter Albini wrote the band prior to working with them.
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Tributes were also forthcoming from figures outside the music world.
"Ugh man, a heartbreaking loss of a legend," actor Elijah Wood said in a tweet. "Love to his family and innumerable colleagues."
Comedian Marc Maron posted a tribute to the producer, as well.
"The great Steve Albini has died," Maron said. "He engineered some of the greatest albums of all time. Here’s our 2015 talk in remembrance. Rest in heavy peace, Steve.
Comedian and drummer Fred Armisen posted a lengthy note about Albini to Instagram
"I love Steve so much. We said it more often to each other in recent years. I’m so glad I got to tell him," he said. "He was such a good friend to me, endlessly. I admired his work ethic and his warmth… I’m really going to miss him. It’s a heavy loss."
