Audiopile Review: NPVR was the duo of late Editions Mego founder Peter Rehberg and Nik Void of Factory Floor. ’33 34’ is a set of archival recordings made soon after the duo’s debut, ’33 33’. Both artists were extremely busy at the time, and initial plans to release these recording fell by the wayside. But now we have them, almost three years after Rehberg’s passing. It’s immediately baffling tracks this arrestingly odd were forgotten about for so long. And it’s clear that Rehberg and Void instinctively shared an eerie greyscale aesthetic. Apparently, they initially bonded over having the same modular synth case. But it’s clear that a deep attachment to the more experimental end of industrial music was what really sealed their artistic connection. Notably, Void collaborated extensively with Chris and Cosey from Throbbing Gristle. If you want to hear TG’s sonic wastelands updated for the 21st century, this is going to be an essential purchase.

NPVR is the avant garde duo made up of the late Peter Rehberg and Nik Void. Editions Mego presents their second and final release. No, this is not some kind of Beatles synthetic AI that raises the dead reconstructed recordings but rather a new album made by the humans and their machines. The initial meeting of Rehberg and Void was in London in 2016 and despite or due to their mutual awkwardness found solace and compatibility in the fact that they both had a similar electronic modular set up, along with matching cases to transport all. The idea to collaborate was an obvious and organic process as a means to connect their individual gear together and observe the outcome. The fruits of these initial experiments, recorded in London, resulted in the playful experimentation of their acclaimed 2017 release 33 33 (EMEGO 251LP). Now, Editions Mego presents the logically titled follow up, 33 34. These sessions were recorded six months after the initial recordings at Peter’s home in Vienna. This was planned out as a mirror city release to the original London recordings. The initial session of these recordings was edited by Rehberg and sent to Void to further develop. Over time the final versions were agreed on and then shelved as other outside projects took over. Following Rehberg’s untimely passing, Void had difficulty listening back to the sessions but eventually thought it fit to complete and release this album, of which even the artwork (like 33 33, an image from Zurich photographer, Georg Gatsas) had been decided upon prior to Rehberg parting ways. There is an unmistakable joy to these recordings. One encounters an enthralling exploration of their chosen machines which conveys the excitement of what can be randomly conjured when people speak through such devices. There is no grand statement or argument here, just the sheer thrill of creation and the recorded results of random encounters.