Hey all. In a change to the usual archive process of our radio show Mornings With Darkfloor – where it’s accessible via Patreon, this time, we’re making the recording freely available.

This week’s show is bittersweet, as like many of you, I’m dealing with the death of Steve Albini. A person who has had a HUGE impact on the music many of us love. His death has hit hard, harder than I would have expected but as I wrote on Instagram, that is the power of sound I suppose. It impacts you deeper than you think. Also on that post I shared a letter Albini wrote to Nirvana ahead of his recording what would be their final album In Utero. A track from it I play towards the end of the show.

In that one letter it illustrates just how much of a don he was. With inspiring confidence in his ability and professionalism, he saw the industry for what it was and called it out. Throughout his career, not just here. Always clear in his conviction. Many could learn from his approach. Myself included.

Albini’s career of work is large, and I’ve just scratched the surface here. I hope that I’ve introduced you to some new artists and sounds, whilst reminding you of others. Big thanks out to everyone who suggested tracks.

Producing a special like this – trying to sum up the career of a musician and engineer whose work has been across so much sound that has in turn made up a chunk of my understanding and enjoyment of sound is always gonna fall short. But it has been cathartic putting this together, and broadcasting it as I have.

You could spend many hours on just one of the many, many bands he worked with. Let alone his own material as Big Black, and Shellac. And I suggest you should.

Muchlove,
Mx.

Mornings with Darkfloor airs weekly on Twitch, Thursdays at 10am BST. I also broadcast on Tuesday evening, on more of a Darkfloor Sound thing.

playlist —

The Breeders – Wait in the Car [4AD]
Meet Cute – A Simulation [Research Chemical]
Ativin – False River [Joyful Noise Recordings]
MONO – Are you there? [Temporary Residence Limited]
Godspeed You! Black Emperor – Motherfucker=Redeemer, Part 2 [Constellation]
Big Black – Tiny King of the Jews [Blast First]
Om – Meditation Is the Practice of Death [Drag City]
The Breeders – Happiness Is a Warm Gun [4AD]
Jimmy Page & Robert Plant – Walking Into Clarksdale [Mercury]
Bush – Swallowed [Interscope Records]
Shellac – Song of the Minerals [Touch and Go Records]
mclusky – Gareth Brown Says [Too Pure]
Pixies – Vamos [4AD]
The Jesus Lizard – Rabid Pigs [Touch and Go Records]
Pigface – Suck [Anagram Records]
Weedeater – Mancoon [Southern Lord]
Big Black – Dead Billy [Touch and Go Records]
Low – Transmission [Hi-Rise Recordings]
The Jon Spencer Blues Explosion – Magical Colors [Mute]
The Thing – Drop The Gun [Smalltown Superjazzz]
Manic Street Preachers – Peeled Apples [Columbia]
Nirvana – Heart-Shaped Box [Geffen Records]
Shellac – Squirrel Song [Touch and Go Records]
Big Black – Kerosene [Homestead Records]