Iain Burgess

Iain Burgess
Background information
Birth name Iain Burgess
Born November 24, 1953(1953-11-24)
Weymouth, Dorset, England
Died February 11, 2010(2010-02-11) (aged 56)
France
Genres alternative rock
Occupations Record producer and audio engineer
Years active 1980-2010
Associated acts Big Black, Naked Raygun, The Effigies, Get Smart!, Ministry, Pegboy, Poster Children, Bhopal Stiffs, the Cows, the Didjits, Breaking Circus, Jawbox

Iain Burgess (November 24, 1953 - February 11, 2010) was a British record producer and audio engineer. He helped define the sound of the Chicago post-punk music scene in the 1980s and early '90s,[1] working with a number of key underground bands, including Big Black, Naked Raygun, The Effigies, Get Smart!, Ministry, Bloodsport, Pegboy, Poster Children, and Bhopal Stiffs.[2][3]

A native of Weymouth, Dorset, England, Burgess defined a “Chicago sound”, described by the Chicago Tribune as "built on no-nonsense elements: powerhouse drumming, prominent bass lines, bold guitars that split the difference between anthemic and anarchic";[2] the Chicago Sun-Times described it as a "massive, crunching, live-and-in-your-face sound".[4] It was a sound that influenced Burgess' friend and student, Steve Albini.

Burgess also worked with the Defoliants, Heavy Manners, the Cows, the Didjits, Breaking Circus, Jawbox, Papier Tigre and many others.[4] Burgess moved to Europe in the early ‘90s, working at Black Box, his own recording studio in rural France.[5]

Burgess died in France on February 11, 2010 of a pulmonary embolism, a complication of pancreatic and liver cancer.[2]

References

  1. ^ Jenkins, Mark (August 4, 1993). "Adventures in - And Out - Of Guyville". Washington Post. http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost/access/72177911.html?dids=72177911:72177911&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Aug+04%2C+1993&author=Mark+Jenkins&pub=The+Washington+Post+%28pre-1997+Fulltext%29&desc=Adventures+in+-+And+Out+-+Of+Guyville&pqatl=google. 
  2. ^ a b c Kot, Greg (February 12, 2010). "Iain Burgess dead; produced key Chicago underground bands". Chicago Tribune. http://leisureblogs.chicagotribune.com/turn_it_up/2010/02/iain-burgess-dead-produced-key-chicago-underground-bands.html. 
  3. ^ Kot, Greg (January 21, 1991). "A guitarist's gambit John Haggerty forges ahead with an old standby". Chicago Tribune. http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/24751705.html?dids=24751705:24751705&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Jan+24%2C+1991&author=Greg+Kot%2C+Rock+music+critic.&pub=Chicago+Tribune+%28pre-1997+Fulltext%29&desc=A+guitarist%27s+gambit+John+Haggerty+forges+ahead+with+an+old+standby&pqatl=google. 
  4. ^ a b DeRogatis, Jim (February 12, 2010). "R.I.P., Iain Burgess, a key architect of the Chicago punk sound". Chicago Sun-Times. http://blogs.suntimes.com/derogatis/2010/02/rip_iain_burgess_a_key_archite.html. 
  5. ^ Best, David (January 5, 1990). "Building on success Chicago's top rock producer is bound for Europe". Chicago Tribune. http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/chicagotribune/access/57816297.html?dids=57816297:57816297&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Jan+05%2C+1990&author=David+Best&pub=Chicago+Tribune+%28pre-1997+Fulltext%29&desc=Building+on+success+Chicago%27s+top+rock+producer+is+bound+for+Europe&pqatl=google. 

External links

Official website