Chris Rosenau picked up the electric guitar as a teenager. His only formal training consisted of two weeks of private lessons, at which point he simply began to play along with records by Led Zeppelin, the Cult, and Metallica and dived into the world of high-school rock bands. He went through everything between alternative rock and heavy metal, adding influences from folk guitarists like Harry Chapin, speed metalists Slayer, dreamy alt-rockers Gastr del Sol, and free improv legend Derek Bailey along the way. Worker by day, Chris Rosenau has been involved in an increasing number of projects by night (Telecognac, Pele, Vermont) and learned the tricks of the trade in engineering recording sessions.
In 1999, Jon Mueller formed the label Crouton, and since then Rosenau has appeared on many of its releases, exploring more experimental paths on guitar (electric or acoustic) and electronics. Now he co-directs the label.