Chicago band Tortoise have been producing albums which resolutely avoid easy classification from the beginning. You might pin a label on a track or two but any attempt to apply one across an entire album is never going to work. Taking influences from punk, rock & roll, krautrock, dub, avant-garde jazz, classical minimalism, ambient and space music, film music, and British electronica, Tortoise have had a journey and a half since their conception in the mid-'90s. Although the group’s unique vision is to an extent the creation of drummer and master producer John McEntire, most of the other members are well-connected producers and/or participants in Chicago’s fraternal indie rock community, which consists of numerous side projects and ongoing bands. After debuting in 1993 with several singles and an LP, Tortoise’s underground prestige has continued into the 21st century, evolving with every album.
