Albini is and interesting guy, very eloquent, but also inconsequential and illogical in a lot of regards (for example his reasoning for still using analogue tape, that it would be most likely to survive a nuclear war and still be able to be used with the equipment that is left afterwards).

Albini loves to paint himself as different. A lot of it is, maybe unintentionally, geared towards making his side of the job simpler, while also feeding the ego of his clients, making all the creativity about them, which bands of course love. Credits where credits are due, that's pretty smart.

> Most contemporary engineers and producers see a record as a “project,” and the band as only one element of the project. [...] My approach is exactly the opposite. I consider the band the most important thing"

There is nothing oppositional about this statement. A record is by all worldly definitions a project and most producers would still agree that the band is the most important element of that project.

> I do not want and will not take a royalty on any record I record. No points. Period. I think paying a royalty to a producer or engineer is ethically indefensible.

Royalties for producers are like buying stock in a band. The producers gives money (offered as production time), and gets shares in return. Just like stock, it makes projects possible that otherwise wouldn't be. That's a good thing. It's also immensely smart for the band, because obviously not everyone is as great a guy as Albini is, and having your producer have financial motivation to make sure the record succeeds (which you don't have to have when being paid flat) is a sensible thing to want for a working band in their producers.

FWIW, the way that Albini describes his work I completely agree with his no-royalties stance, but only in regards to himself: If your thing is making a big show out of how you are not getting involved in things, you best stay a hired hand. Turns out tho, a lot of bands actually want a producer that helps decide. It's kinda what you go into the studio for now. Everyone chump can mic up an amp well enough.

> I would like to be paid like a plumber: I do the job and you pay me what it's worth. [...] Whatever. I trust you guys to be fair to me and I know you must be familiar with what a regular industry goon would want.

Well, Albini, that is exactly not how a plumber gets paid. As a plumber you will be able and expected to to produce a detailed offer and not make their clients guess a number.

Pay-what-you-want is a cop-out for people in power, just like job descriptions without salary (ranges) are a copout. Yeah, you have an idea of what you want. Stop making it awkward for the other party. Speak the fuck up.

> I, however, already have more work than I can handle

Nobody in this industry does it without an ego and a varying measure of arrogance (since nobody in music can give you any answers but as a maker you have to believe you do know better). That ego is dependent on people wanting to work with you, and that is dependent on the people you worked with. Past clients predict future clients. Nobody wants to work with shit clients in the future but that is what will happen when the stream of good clients ebbs. Best case Albini was being dishonest to himself. But probably just boasting.