Shellac
w/Scout Niblett
Sat–Sun Aug 27–28, Vera
Project, 7:30 pm, $10, all ages.

Few Figures on the mid-'90s indie scene were as controversial and enigmatic as Chicago-based engineer and firebrand Steve Albini. On one hand, he was perceived as a cantankerous, semi-sociopath producer who made willfully abrasive records and lashed out recklessly at anyone not following his personal punk code of ethics (his rants in the Chicago Reader are legendary). On the other, he was a gruff, methodical genius who made honestly raw records and suffered no fools, be they major-label suits or self-righteous scenesters.

The real Albini comes across as a bit of both extremes. Regardless of his faults or virtues, the bottom line is that he engineered some of the most important records of the '90s, including PJ Harvey's Rid of Me, Pixies' Surfer Rosa, and Nirvana's In Utero. He also did remarkable work with more obscure artists (such as Dutch anarchists the Ex) and helped forge the template for industrial punk with his bands Big Black and Shellac—the latter made its mark with caustic rants about the ugly side of humanity, set to the strains of Albini's signature sheet-metal-shredding sounds.

Did Shellac ever actually split or were you just on hiatus?

Our band operates in our spare time. In this way we accept that there will be periods of inactivity, sometimes long ones. As it happens, we have been finishing up an album and played some shows this winter and spring, so it's been a better than "normal" year for us, so far.

In 1994, you wrote an essay for Maximum–rocknroll ("The Problem with Music") picking apart the unfortunate fiscal realities of major-label contracts. Do you think things have gotten better or worse for young bands in the industry?

It is demonstrably easier now than ever to control every aspect of a band's career. This is great, but there is still a cultural bias toward being part of the "big leagues," and that bias is still enticing a fair number of bands into a system that will ultimately destroy them.

Tell me a little bit about working with the Ex—how did you get connected with them initially?

I was a fan long before I ever met them. They contacted Corey Rusk at Touch and Go about being their American label, and while they were in Chicago they came to the studio and subsequently made an album here. I have worked on two other albums with them and Shellac has played many shows with them. They are true heroes of mine. Touring Ethiopia, helping build entire communities, creating an orchestra... the list of things they've done and seen is incredible.

How did you feel about the resulting version of In Utero after it was remixed?

The changes made were small, ultimately, and they were done at the request of the band. I can't fault them for it. It's their record, not mine. I allow myself to have a preference for the record as it was originally made, but I don't hold any grudges. Ultimately, the record in the stores is the record the band wanted everyone to hear, and that's enough for me.

What's the single most important piece of advice you would give people wanting to teach themselves how to record bands?

Read first, then experiment. Both are important and ignoring one in favor of the other guarantees that you will waste a lot of time reinventing the wheel, or worse, reinventing a bunch of tired clichés and hack-job stuff.

If you had to choose just one record that you are the most proud of recording, what would it be?

Hmm. I really like the first couple of Jesus Lizard albums, Head and Goat, but I think that's more to do with them than anything I did. I think I did a pretty good job on all three Nina Nastasia albums. I'd rather not think about this too much, actually.