Albini began playing in college bands, including a short-lived "arty new wave" act called Stations that featured a drum machine. Seeing the advantage in a machine that could play incredibly fast without tiring, always kept a steady beat, and would follow commands exactly, he purchased a Roland TR-606 drum machine and began writing what would become the first Big Black songs. However, he was unable to find other musicians who could play the songs to his satisfaction, later stating in "Forced Exposure" that "I couldn't find anybody who didn't blow out of a pig's asshole." Instead, in the spring of 1981, he bought a guitar, borrowed a four-track multitrack recorder from a friend in exchange for a case of beer, and spent his spring break week recording the "Lungs" EP in his living room, handling the guitar, bass, and vocals by himself and programming the Roland TR-606 to provide the drum sound. Influenced by bands like Cabaret Voltaire, Killing Joke, and the Cure, the EP is described by "Our Band Could Be Your Life" author Michael Azerrad as "cold, dark, and resolutely unlistenable", with the lyrics describing crack addicts and child abusers, and Albini later regarded the effort as one of his few artistic regrets.