Pitchfork: John Loder, Founder of Southern Records, Dead at 59

John Loder, Founder of Southern Records, Dead at 59

John Loder, producer, engineer, and founding father of Southern Records and Southern Studios, passed away last weekend following complications from a brain tumor. According to a post on Loder's blog by his daughter Natasha, Loder died shortly after midnight on Saturday, August 13, in his bed at London's National Institute for Neurology, where had had spent the past week being treated for the condition. He was 59.

Launched in the mid-1980s by Loder and the pioneering anarcho-punk band Crass, the UK-based Southern Records and Southern Studios were instrumental in the spreading of the independent music gospel across the world. The label released a number of classic records on its own imprint, as well as through the many labels it distributed, including Dischord, Touch and Go, Kill Rock Stars, Crass, Southern Lord, DeSoto, and Kranky. Loder himself twiddled knobs for recordings by the Jesus and Mary Chain, Fugazi, Babes in Toyland, Shellac, Tsunami, Pixies, and many other underground staples.

Since the announcement of Loder's death, the comments section on his blog has been flooded with messages of comfort and support, many from indie rock luminaries. "John was a hero and mentor to me," wrote Steve Albini. "He was one of the great men: One who made greatness possible for others. I owe him a debt I can never repay, and I am having a hard time envisioning the world without him." Cory Rusk of Touch and Go wrote, "I know he directly made a positive difference in the lives of hundreds of people, and indirectly he made a positive difference in the lives of thousands more. He always had a sparkle in his eye that betrayed his zest for whatever he was working on, regardless of how serious or how frivolous it may have been. There's nobody in the world that can replace John."