Durham, NC's art-punk project the Nein formed after the breakup of White Octave, which also featured former Cursive member Stephen Pederson. Vocalist/guitarist/programmer Finn Cohen and drummer/keyboardist Robert Biggers teamed up with bassist/graphic designer Casey Burns and expanded the angular post-post-punk of their previous band with more electronic and melodic elements. The trio recorded its self-titled, self-released debut EP in spring 2003; one of the EP's tracks, "War Is on the Stereo," was featured on Pox World Empire's Compulation, Vol. 1 collection. Late that year, they returned to the studio and recorded another self-released EP, Twelve Thirteen Fourteen, which the band issued in early 2004.