J.P. Shilo is actually the birth name of former Hungry Ghosts member John Brooks. An Australian slowcore instrumental group similar to fellow Australian group the Dirty Three, Hungry Ghosts broke up following the release of their debut album, Alone, Alone (which was produced by Sonic Youth's Steve Shelley and put out on his Smells Like imprint), in 2000. The breakup hit Brooks hard, and he reverted to the name J.P. Shilo, then essentially withdrew from the music scene, emerging several years later studying Tibetan Buddhism at the Tara Institute in Melbourne.