Mountains Mountains Mountains was first released on the Catsup Plate label in 2008 in an edition of only 500 copies, and was Mountains’ first album released on a label other than the band’s Apestaartje label. The pieces were recorded during the duo’s early years, between 2005-07, demonstrating that that even at this early stage they were fully confident in thier unique use of dynamics, moving from subtle acoustic guitar and electronics to an absolutely huge wall of sound drone. Opener “The Whale Years” was recorded and improvised in 2005 in a hotel room in Georgia on a night off mid-way through their first ever US tour, while “Millions of Time” and “Hive” originally appeared on a 3” CDr sold during that same tour. “Nest” was recorded in NYC in late 2007.

Reflecting on Mountains Mountains Mountains’, Koen Holtkamp states: “One thing that strikes me on listening back 5 or so years later is both how different and similar it sounds to what we are currently doing. While these pieces are clearly more minimal and intimate on some level and our technical approach has changed somewhat, the dynamics between the acoustic and electronic elements remain fairly consistent throughout our releases. Which is something we’ve been engaged with from the beginning and part of what defines us as a band.”

The record’s artwork mirrors the band’s ability to create music that encourages active listening by acutely focusing on the details as well as the overall composition: “We made sign up sheets with instructions for people to right the word Mountains which we had by the door at a few of our shows and left in a couple record stores in NY. Each ‘signature’ is in a unique handwriting by a different person, but all writing the same word.”

Mountains Mountains Mountains is an integral part in the band’s legacy, and lends insight into the band’s development into one of the most critically regarded experimental acts of the past decade.