Fireside Chat

Tortoise

Thrill Jockey, Chicago

Since the mid-90s Chicago band Tortoise have been producing albums which resolutely avoid easy classification. 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'n'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 nineties. 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 between then and their newest offering 'Beacons of Ancestorship'. It is guitarist Jeff (who joined the group after third album TNT) and founding member, bassist Doug, that we had the pleasure to hang out with for this Fireside Chat special.