Biography
Durham, NC art-punk outfit the Nein came together in the wake of White Octave’s dissolution, a group that had included ex-Cursive guitarist Stephen Pederson. Finn Cohen handled vocals, guitar, and programming while Robert Biggers played drums and keyboards; they joined forces with bassist and graphic designer Casey Burns, broadening the sharp post-post-punk approach of their prior project through added electronic textures and stronger melodies. In spring 2003 the trio tracked its self-titled, self-released debut EP, and one song from that session, “War Is on the Stereo,” appeared on Pox World Empire’s Compulation, Vol. 1 anthology. Later the same year they cut another self-released EP, Twelve Thirteen Fourteen, which reached listeners in early 2004.
At the same time the Nein built a strong reputation onstage, both headlining and opening for acts such as the Fall. During these performances they enlisted Dale Flattum—previously of Steelpole Bathtub and Milk Cult—as an auxiliary player whose loops and samples enriched the already kinetic live sound. Cohen, Burns, and Biggers valued Flattum’s input enough to make him a permanent member. Although he did not play on the self-titled debut EP issued by Sonic Unyon—a collection drawn from the band’s earlier self-released material that also marked the first time an American act signed to the Canadian label—his presence shaped the Nein’s first full-length album, which arrived in early 2005. The next year the group put out the Transitionalisms EP, the final recording featuring Burns before his relocation to Portland, OR. Their second album, Luxury, followed in early 2007.
At the same time the Nein built a strong reputation onstage, both headlining and opening for acts such as the Fall. During these performances they enlisted Dale Flattum—previously of Steelpole Bathtub and Milk Cult—as an auxiliary player whose loops and samples enriched the already kinetic live sound. Cohen, Burns, and Biggers valued Flattum’s input enough to make him a permanent member. Although he did not play on the self-titled debut EP issued by Sonic Unyon—a collection drawn from the band’s earlier self-released material that also marked the first time an American act signed to the Canadian label—his presence shaped the Nein’s first full-length album, which arrived in early 2005. The next year the group put out the Transitionalisms EP, the final recording featuring Burns before his relocation to Portland, OR. Their second album, Luxury, followed in early 2007.
Albums
