For decades, Steve Albini made noise — unforgettable, uncompromising, and deeply influential noise. Whether he was fronting Shellac or Big Black, or behind the boards shaping iconic records like Nirvana’s In Utero, PJ Harvey’s Rid of Me, or the Pixies’ Surfer Rosa, Albini didn’t just record music — he reshaped its possibilities. Now, a year after his sudden passing in May 2024 at age 61, fans have a rare chance to bring home a piece of his world.
A new website, Steve Albini’s Closet, launched in May 2025, is offering a curated treasure trove of Albini’s personal collection. Administered by music writer and former Forced Exposure editor Byron Coley, the sale features everything from books, tapes, singles, and LPs to zines, shirts, posters, original art, and curious oddities labeled “enthusiasms” and “mysterious bargains.” Each item comes with a certificate of authenticity signed by Coley himself.
No algorithm. No theme. No grand design. Just an ever-unfolding, weekly stream of weird, wild, and wonderfully obscure stuff — straight from the home of a fiercely independent music legend. Around 100 to 200 new items will be added to the site every Friday for the next year, with proceeds supporting Albini’s estate.
There are roughly 4,000 items waiting their turn, sitting quietly in stacks and corners — much like Albini’s own approach to fame. This is a slow-motion unveiling of a mind that collected not for clout, but out of passion. Passion for sound, for scenes, for the overlooked and the undervalued.
Albini preferred the term engineer over producer. He didn’t believe in polish for polish’s sake. He believed in authenticity, ethics, and helping artists make the record they wanted to make. That same spirit runs through this project: raw, real, and reverent. For fans, collectors, and musicians alike, Steve Albini’s Closet isn’t just a merch table — it’s a time capsule from one of music’s most principled and fascinating figures.