Tortoise

A pioneer of the post-rock movement, Tortoise is one of the leading independent, experimental and instrumental rock bands of the 1990s. Their polymorphous, free-spirited music is based on an exceptional rhythmic drive, carried by musicians who are almost all bassists and percussionists. Inspired by dub(Tortoise, 1994), electronic music (with krautrock at the forefront) and jazz(TNT, 1998), this Chicago-based collective can boast of having released an album in 1996 that marked the moment when progressive rock became post-rock. Millions Now Living Will Never Die paved the way for many other bands in the following century. The band, revolving around multi-instrumentalist John McEntire, let go of David Pajo (ex-Slint), who embarked on a solo career in 1998. After TNT (1998), Tortoise continued down a more jazz and psychedelic path with the arrival of guitarist Jeff Parker for the albums Standards (2001), It's Around You (2004), The Brave and the Bold (2006), Beacons of Ancestorship (2009) and The Catastrophist (2016). The band that has exerted its influence on the Chicago rock scene returns nine years later under the International Anthem banner and unveils the album Touch (2025).