ALBINI INTERVIEW

So yeah, I went to Sacramento to listen / chat to my heros.  And chat I did.  So to cynically cash in on this, here’s a rough version of my chat with Albini.

Me - (ice breaking comment as I point a camera in his face) Hey Steve would you mind saying ‘Kill him, fucking kill him’ into my camera please.

Albini - Kill him (pointing at me) fucking kill him.

Me - Thanks.

a minute later

Me - So you were saying you’re $500,000 in debt.  How long will it take to pay that off?

Albini - Well it doesn’t really matter how much debt you’re in, just as long as you can keep up the payments.  In about 10 years I’ll own the building outright. 

Steve Albini - So you come all the way from Ireland

Me - Yep, I’m the stupid fucker

Steve Albini - You got balls of iron!

Me - So I’ve kind of been fucked in at the deep end of the digital versus analog recording debate.  Me just having bought a digital 16-track portable studio thing, one those yamaha things.

Albini - Yes, don’t get me wrong.  They can be a useful musicians tool.  But I just think that they’re not appropriate for making records.

Me - Well I think that it opens new doors for the recording process.  In Limerick I can now record bands in their own rehearsal space, in an environment where they’re comfortable, not the cold surroundings of a studio that they don’t know.

Albini - Yes, that can be very useful, but I don’t think they’ll ever replace recording studios.

Me - Yeah, everything I’ve recorded in a shed, sounds like it’s been recorded in a shed.

Albini - Right.

Conclusion of chat.

Yes in a perfect world, maybe analog tape machines and sound treated rooms is the way to go.  But I don’t have the time or money to invest in a set-up like that.  I’d rather push ahead with recording as many bands who are ready to record now while I have the energy and motivation and while they are around.  Better than not recording just because I’m not committing them to the ideal medium.  A sketch is better than no picture at all. 

At the conference we sat and listened to endless lines of geeks talk about analog and 24-bit 96-K digital recordings, X1 speed CD burning, mastering engineers working at $75 per hour, and all the rest.  Then at the end J Robbins pipes up and says that Zen Arcade by Husker Du, a decidedly imperfectly recorded album, is what rocked his world from day one.  Albini seconds this sentiment.  Others join in to end up at the point that ‘if it doesn’t happen in front of the mics, then it doesn’t matter what medium it’s going onto.’

It’s all about the performance.