Mountains

The ambient/experimental rock duo Mountains, now based in Brooklyn, first came together in Chicago through the work of Brendon Anderegg and Koen Holtkamp. Acquainted since middle school, the pair launched their own imprint, Apestaartje, in 1999 while enrolled at the Art Institute of Chicago. The label initially hosted their joint and solo recordings before expanding to include live appearances. Mountains issued two experimental ambient albums on Apestaartje that recalled the work of Fennesz, Brian Eno, and Popol Vuh, then moved to New York City in 2008 to begin their next project. The sessions produced Choral, an ethereal hybrid of electronic and acoustic instrumentation captured live with only a small handful of overdubs; Thrill Jockey released the album in 2009. Seeking a wider sonic range for the follow-up, the duo booked time in a full studio during 2010, resulting in Air Museum, which appeared on Thrill Jockey in 2011. Departing from the hyper-prolific release patterns favored by many peers, Mountains spent extended periods constructing their 2013 full-length Centralia, shaping its dense songs layer by layer and refining the material over many months.