The iconic American post-hardcore band has released unheard versions of tracks from its third album, “In On the Kill Taker” (1993), recorded and mixed in 1992 by the legendary Steve Albini.
On Friday, March 6, Dischord Records – Fugazi’s historic label, which has issued all of its albums since Repeater in 1990 – announced the release of previously unreleased tracks from a 1992 session with the late Steve Albini at Electrical Studios in Chicago. These are public-to-the-public unfamiliar versions of songs from In On the Kill Taker (1993), Fugazi’s third album. The band had begun recording the album with Steve Albini, a legendary producer of 1990s rock. Not satisfied with the result, Ian MacKaye’s crew ultimately finished the record with producer Ted Niceley. The label announced that all proceeds from Bandcamp sales would be donated to the Letters Charity, an organization in which Steve Albini had been involved toward the end of his life.
A Raw Sound
Steve Albini was a major figure, but above all an uncompromising force in American indie rock. A musician, sound engineer and producer, he was known for his sonic ruthlessness and his refusal to compromise with the music industry. Albini defined the 1980s and 1990s with his bands Big Black and Shellac, as well as with his numerous contributions as a producer for artists such as PJ Harvey, the Pixies, or Nirvana. Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain band, not satisfied with Albini’s work on In Utero (1993), had entrusted the mix to another engineer (Steve Albini’s versions, including a striking one of Heart-Shaped Box, are today available).
The “Albini sound” is recognized for its raw edge, with an obsession for fidelity to the original captured sound, with very little processing, most often recorded in analog. Steve Albini died at the age of 61 in his Chicago studio.
Fugazi Albini is available on Bandcamp.
