Fugazi have shared a collection of previously unreleased recordings that they produced alongside Steve Albini in late 1992.
Albini Sessions (Benefit For Letters Charity) collects 12 tracks that the band later re-recorded to appear on their 1993 album In On The Killtaker. The songs, engineered and mixed by Steve at Electrical, are exclusively available as downloads on Bandcamp, and can be listened to below.
Fugazi have released the recordings in aid of Letters Charity, a not-for-profit organisation that aims to support families experiencing poverty, which Albini and his wife, Heather Whinna, supported before the former’s passing in 2024. Purchase the release here.
A press release expands on how the recordings came about, saying: “In the fall of 1992, the members of Fugazi were deep in the process of finishing up the songs that would eventually come out as the In On The Killtaker album the following year. The band had been working on the songs for a couple of years and had gotten as far as recording a few of them at [studio] Inner Ear as well as making numerous practice recordings, but by late October they seemed to have hit a bit of a wall.
“In an attempt to shake things up, it was decided that they would take up Steve Albini’s standing invitation to do a free recording at his Electrical Audio Studio, which at the time was located in the basement of his house on North Francisco in Chicago.
“Fugazi and Steve had crossed paths numerous times over the years and had become friends and admirers of each other’s work. The band really appreciated Steve’s aesthetic, especially the early Jesus Lizard records and it seemed like the change of scenery would help them get a better perspective on the songs they had written.”
Albini Sessions (Benefit For Letters Charity) is out now.
