Experimental guitarist Koen Holtkamp began his solo work with the formation of his label, apestaartje, while attending the Art Institute of Chicago in the late '90s. Holtkamp's work with heavily processed guitars and layers of textural sound began around this time with solo project Aero, using his label to release albums in 2001 and 2003. Around 2005, Holtkamp relocated to Brooklyn, where he began focusing on Mountains, the drone project he'd begun with apestaartje co-founder Brendon Anderegg. The band released its first self-titled album on its own label in 2005, with subsequent releases following on better-known indies such as Catsup Plate and eventually Thrill Jockey. Holtkamp issued his first solo work under his own name with Field Rituals, offered up on U.K. ambient label Type. ~ Fred Thomas