Producer, engineer and musician Steve Albini, one of the most prominent and outspoken figures in the American underground rock scene of the last 40 years, has died of a heart attack at the age of 61. The news was confirmed this morning (5/8) by a staff member at Electrical Audio, Albini's longtime Chicago recording studio.

To the wider world of rock observers, Albini will be forever revered as a producer and engineer for some of the most iconic alternative albums of all time, among them the Pixies' Surfer Rosa (1988), Nirvana's In Utero (1993) and PJ Harvey's Rid of Me (1993). His recordings were unpretentious and exacting, as Albini viewed his role merely as capturing an artist's natural sound rather than attempting to influence their style or songwriting.

Raised in Pasadena, California, and Missoula, Montana, Albini was based in the Chicago area since attending college at Northwestern University. While there he formed the noisy, confrontational rock band Big Black, which released two influential albums before disbanding in 1987.

As a performer, Albini is best known for his later work with bandmates Bob Weston and Todd Trainer in Shellac, which was formed in 1992 and had recorded and toured ever since. The group's long-in-the-works new album, To All Trains, will be released 5/17.

Shellac was also planning to perform for the 15th time at the Primavera Sound festival in Barcelona at the end of the month, an exception to their unofficial ban on playing at such events. "We've said it more than once, but it's still the case: Shellac are our canary in the mine," a representative of Primavera once declared. "The day they don't want to come is the day we're doing something wrong. In the meantime, the matte, unfiltered rock of this super-perfect trio and their free-thinking character will continue to represent us."

An avid, tournament-level poker player when not on duty in the studio, Albini had also worked with Jimmy Page and Robert Plant, The Breeders, Cheap Trick, Slint, Jawbreaker and Low, among many others.