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It's fascinating how in certain genres producers have elevated themselves, rightly in my opinion, to positions that are almost equal to the artists they're reco

It's fascinating how in certain genres producers have elevated themselves, rightly in my opinion, to positions that are almost equal to the artists they're recording. In pop and hip-hop, people really care about who produced what, often because the producer has an enormous role in the overall sound of the music. Those producers would probably disagree with Albini right away. It's less a thing when you're dealing with a band or people who play an instrument, but I can also think of some metal producers who have very distinct sounds and who usually leave an "imprint" on the recording (Colin Marston and Kurt Ballou for examples). Albini, though, seemed to really believe that his role was to just be a kind of neutral technician, manning the switches and ensuring the band and their music gets on the record through a series of indifferent tubes with no other input. Outside of his position on royalties, he was one of the best and harshest critics of the music industry: https://thebaffler.com/salvos/the-problem-with-music https://thebaffler.com/salvos/the-problem-with-music

breput 2y ago
He actually came around later in life on being the harshest critic and also addressed the "producer role" in this[0] article: "As he kept working, making hundreds of records across many more sessions, Albini became more comfortable stepping aside. Experiences like the Plant and Page record reminded him he was just a cog, there to enable someone else’s expression. These days, once Albini has agreed to record an artist, he begins by asking them to state their expectations, what bands they’re into, how they’d like to sound, how they’ve been disappointed in previous sessions. (The process is not unlike starting with a new therapist.)" [0] https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/aug/15/the-evolution-of-steve-albini-if-the-dumbest-person-is-on-your-side-youre-on-the-wrong-side https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/aug/15/the-evolution-...
leetcrew 2y ago
steve certainly didn't hold back his contempt for the concept of a "producer", but I don't read him as disagreeing they have significant influence over the finished product. if anything, that's the core of his objection: someone other than "the artist" diluting the work, and hence why he asked to be credited as "recording engineer", if at all. the irony is that, despite his insistent denial, everyone else seems to think there is a signature "albini sound". what has changed since he wrote that piece is that the concept of "the artist" has been heavily blurred by mainstream music that predominantly features synthesized instruments. if I'm singing words written by one person to a melody written by second over a track composed of thousands of different samples sent through various filters by a third, who is "the artist"?
adw 2y ago
Those (hip-hop) producers are musician-songwriters. They’re more in the Brill Building/Phil Spector mode. Steve Albini recorded the songs you brought in with you. Just a different thing.

breput 2y ago

He actually came around later in life on being the harshest critic and also addressed the "producer role" in this[0] article: "As he kept working, making hundreds of records across many more sessions, Albini became more comfortable stepping aside. Experiences like the Plant and Page record reminded him he was just a cog, there to enable someone else’s expression. These days, once Albini has agreed to record an artist, he begins by asking them to state their expectations, what bands they’re into, how they’d like to sound, how they’ve been disappointed in previous sessions. (The process is not unlike starting with a new therapist.)" [0] https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/aug/15/the-evolution-of-steve-albini-if-the-dumbest-person-is-on-your-side-youre-on-the-wrong-side https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/aug/15/the-evolution-...

leetcrew 2y ago

steve certainly didn't hold back his contempt for the concept of a "producer", but I don't read him as disagreeing they have significant influence over the finished product. if anything, that's the core of his objection: someone other than "the artist" diluting the work, and hence why he asked to be credited as "recording engineer", if at all. the irony is that, despite his insistent denial, everyone else seems to think there is a signature "albini sound". what has changed since he wrote that piece is that the concept of "the artist" has been heavily blurred by mainstream music that predominantly features synthesized instruments. if I'm singing words written by one person to a melody written by second over a track composed of thousands of different samples sent through various filters by a third, who is "the artist"?

adw 2y ago

Those (hip-hop) producers are musician-songwriters. They’re more in the Brill Building/Phil Spector mode. Steve Albini recorded the songs you brought in with you. Just a different thing.