RIP Iain Burgess

Just found out that Iain Burgess died yesterday morning. I’m a big fan of music from the Chicago area, and Iain is a giant part of that. He engineered many of the albums I highly admire, and his loss is great.

Here is what Steve Albini had to say (from the Electrical Audio Forum)

Iain fell ill after a trip to Florida to visit his family and had to be hospitalized, where his condition worsened and he died Thursday morning. Although he had Pancreatic and Liver cancer, his death was ultimately caused by a pulmonary embolism as a complication of the cancer.

I went to Black Box, the beautiful studio he built in the French countryside in January, and while he was sick, he was in good spirits and essentially the same guy we’ve always known. From the conversation I had with Dave Odlum, who works and lives at Black Box, the doctors said every indication was that Iain’s passing was peaceful.

There will be a funeral service on Friday, February 19.

Iain was a dear friend and mentor, and I consider him responsible for a good many of the best things that have ever happened to me. As is the case when someone important dies, I find it hard to imagine the world without him. Black Box survives as a testament and monument to Iain’s imagination and perseverance. It’s in the running for the best place on earth to make a record.

Requiescat in pace Iain.

If you’re unfamiliar with Iain’s work, he recorded some great bands.. Big Black, Poster Children, Naked Raygun, Ministry just to name a few