Summary: Founded back in 1990, the band innovated with a studio-touched blend of jazz and rock, lighting the touchpaper for very American take on the post-rock sound that was bubbling up on both sides of the Atlantic. Less indebted to hardcore than Slint and not as esoteric as Bark Psychosis or Talk Talk, Tortoise’s sound was mired in prog rock, but saw the band implement elements from a wide variety of genres – from IDM to avant-psych and beyond – as they tracked through their estimable catalogue of albums, EPs and collaborations. The band’s guitarist Jeff Parker put together Tortoise’s first FACT mix, and almost expectedly it’s an urgent blend of boundary-pushing jazz, dub, post-punk, rap, ambient and just about everything in between. Where else would you expect to find Giorgio Moroder, J Dilla, Madlib, Brian Eno and Sun Ra sharing a bed? Tortoise’s brand new album The Catastrophist is out now on Thrill Jockey, and the band are currently on an extensive tour of the US.
