Tortoise (band)

Tortoise
Tortoise playing at the Pritzker Pavilion in Chicago, August 2008
Background information
Origin	Chicago, Illinois, United States
Genres	Post-rock, experimental rock, progressive rock, instrumental rock, jazz fusion, electronica, minimalism
Years active	1990–present
Labels	Thrill Jockey, Warp, City Slang, Domino
Associated acts	Bastro, The Sea And Cake, Bonnie "Prince" Billy, Eleventh Dream Day, Poster Children, Slint, The For Carnation, Brokeback, Isotope 217, Zwan, Beck
Website	trts.com
Members	Dan Bitney Doug McCombs Jeff Parker John Herndon John McEntire
Past members	Bundy K. Brown David Pajo

Tortoise is an American post-rock band formed in Chicago, Illinois, United States, in 1990.

Tortoise's almost entirely instrumental music defies easy categorization, and the group gained significant attention from their early career. The members have roots in Chicago's fertile music scene, playing in various indie rock and punk groups. Tortoise was among the first American indie rock bands to incorporate styles closer to Krautrock, dub, minimalist music, electronica and various jazz styles, rather than the standard rock and roll and punk that had dominated indie rock for years.

Some have cited Tortoise as being one of the prime forces behind the development and popularity of the post-rock movement. Others have compared their music to the progressive rock of Yes.

Other groups related to Tortoise include The Sea and Cake, Brokeback, Slint, Isotope 217, Chicago Odense Ensemble, Tar Babies, and the Chicago Underground Duo. Tortoise records on the Thrill Jockey label.

The group's origins lie in the late 1980s pairing of Doug McCombs (bassist with Eleventh Dream Day) and drummer John Herndon, who imagined themselves as a freelance rhythm section (like reggae legends Sly and Robbie). That idea never saw fruition, but their interest in grooving rhythms and recording studio trickery led to partnerships with drummer John McEntire and bassist Bundy K. Brown (both formerly of Bastro) joining, followed by percussionist Dan Bitney. Though songs are credited to all the musicians, McEntire quickly became perceived as, if not the acknowledged leader, the group's guiding force. In reality his extra contributions mainly took the form of being the recording engineer and mixer.