Millions Now Living Will Never Die

A lot of people remember the experience of plugging in a casio keyboard for the first time and wanting to try out all the presets and features all at once. Most of us don't try to call that an album though.

Really surprising. Never heard of this band before. It's instrumental, something that wouldn't have spoken to me much when I was younger, but I find it excellent now. So much variety and interesting textural and atmospheric sounds. A deep surprise I'll probably find myself listening to again in the near future and maybe explore the band's other work. Djed is the 20min experimental, progressive wild ride that reminds me of Fear of a Blank Planet yet even better strung together. Just awesome find.

Yo La Tengo meets ambient no vocals

tortoise is one of the seminal bands in postrock. this is a must listen album for anyone that likes complex, yet gentle long form songs. in the vein of do make say think, explosions in the sky, godspeed you! black emperor

This album is great. Purely instrumental with a really engaging, low-key, atmospheric sound. 'Along the Banks of the River' has been my favourite so far. 4 stars, easy.

"Millions Now Living Will Never Die" is not only a very good album, but it also a very important album - as a genre defining record in the post rock genre. Everything that would become a staple for this style is here, specially the focus on textures and timbre in the place of common rock structures like riffs and chords. It's as if rock and roll was becoming free jazz. "Djed" is a 20 minute masterpiece that shows how well Tortoise work together as a band, crafting songs together to create minimalistic sounds, beautiful to the years. In this record, however, they still sound a little crude and it's their next record (1998's TNT) that would show what they were really capable of.

Beautiful as an instrumental album. Great as background. The first track "Djed" is 21 minute opus that goes in several different directions.

Djed alone is worth the price of admission, which it should be as roughly half the run time of this album. What a cool, eccentric, moody assortment.

Wow! This is an album out of nowhere for me, but it rocks! I could have predicted a lot of the shade being thrown its way in the reviews but it's really cool and quirky. An experience as much as anything, the opening 21 min track bending and winding its way through the soundscape.

Very cool atmospheric Math Rock. Will definitely be adding this to my “background music while I work” collection.

Essential Post-Rock album. Opening song Djed spans from electronic buzzing to more rhythmic grooves and driving bass. Pulling in an electric sounding key and devolving into more electronic sound it is the highlight of the album. Halfway through the song it opens into a mix of traditional open guitar and electronic sounds and a xylophone. Background, foreground or whenever you listen to it, it can be on constant repeat.

Unusual instrumentals... Can't imagine picking it up to play as an album but still was interesting background filler

Why was this even on the list. Pretty weak.

Krautrock, IDM, Minimalism, and ambient blended expertly…and that’s just the first track. Millions Now Living Will Never Die is one of the best records of the 90’s.

The opening track had me instantly excited and intrigued about this group I’ve never heard of. It was an incredible musical journey that was full of little surprises. The rest of the album did not disappoint. I was having some trouble categorizing it in my head (Is this jazz? Lite rock? Progressive rock? ). Whatever it is, I love the use of the vibraphone. I love the occasional squeak of the guitar string. These helped make this album a lot warmer and human than one might expect from something so modern. Excellent!

Centered around a twenty minute opening salvo that combines glitchy electronica, ECM jazz and muted post-rock, Millions Now Living Will Never Die sees Tortoise take their place amongst the ever changing landscape of alternative rock (or whatever remained of it) and forging fertile ground in the process.

Millions Living Will Never Die I’m sure I’ve heard the name Tortoise but I don’t think I know anything about them. My assumption is that they are a kind of grunge alt rock band? The first track was a bit of a surprise on that basis though, and I absolutely loved it, the first 10 minutes kind of reminiscent of Neu! with its motorik rhythm, mesmeric bass line and keyboard lines, before becoming slightly more abstract and ethereal, and then heading off into more of a textured sound collage, before circling back to the feel of the first part. Great track. Glass Museum feels rather prosaic in comparison, although it is pleasant enough it doesn’t create a particularly interesting atmosphere. A Survey however is great, again very krautrock with it’s mesmeric simplicity. The Taut and Tame is a bit of a grower, the persistent riff and the rhythm pattern in the middle section are pleasingly steady. Dear Grandma and Grandpa feels a lot like some of the Neu! Album tracks, the occasional fluttering rhythm and dubby bass giving it a gentle calming atmosphere, before segueing into the excellent Along the Banks of Rivers with its cinematic sounding guitar and jazzy organ creating a dreamy, woozy ambience and a great end to the album. I really enjoyed this, particularly after expecting something more grungy, it was great to get something so interesting and immersive, encompassing those Eno and Krautrock influences, and Djed really is a corker. It’s a solid, high 4 and will definitely go on my list of work/focus albums. 🐢🐢🐢🐢 Playlist submission: Djed

Surprisingly enjoyable

Very slow, and kind of monotonous, yet also kind of dreamy. Would put something like this on a sleep playlist. Best: Glass Museum Worst: Djed 2.5 stars

mindblowing

i love you post-rock

One of the best albums of all time

This feels like the direct predecesor to Explosions in the Sky and I love it so much. Pitch perfect.

never heard of these before but love this. I have started to delve into the back catalogue to see what else is in there .

What a masterpiece. I was questioning whether I was going to even like this, but over the course of the 20 minute opener it slowly started winning me over, and throughout the album won me over more and more, and when the final track starts it was settled. Love the marimba incorporation as well

Really enjoyed this one. I used to listen to ambient music a lot when studying (and still do for working). The likes of American Analog Set, Röyksopp, Goddamn Electric Bill etc. got me through more all-night essay writing than I care to remember.

Great- five star

Very chill, perfect for early morning work background music or late night chill mode. Some might not like it or find it boring if you want something with high energy.

There's no reason I should like this at all. And yet I do. Immensely.

cool

It's been way too long since I listened to Tortoise. Perfect post rock noise scapes that grate and entice. This album is sloppy at times which threw me a little as I am more familiar with TNT which has laser sharp precision. I wonder if they are fans of Barry Adamson's Moss Side stories or maybe they share the same influences. Either way both Millions and that record share a muddy dirge that feels like the sound is smothering me.

5/5 AWESOME

Gear: DCA ÆON 2 Noire Artwork: 🐟🖼️ Mix: Feine Sahne Fischfilet mit besonders solidem Fundament Musik: Post Rock Monument Wertung: 🐟🐟🐟🐟(🐟)/5

Over the past 15 years I've listened to a little Tortoise off and on (mainly TNT). Never a deep dive, but they always stand out as a band worth noting. I'm happy to sit with this album. Oh... I'm 100% into this. I'll probably spend all day listening to related Chicago indie and jazz. Stuff like The Sea and Cake, Brokeback, Isotope 217, Chicago Underground [duo, trio or whatever], plus whatever Rob Mazurek is up to nowadays

This might be my coolest find in this project. Djed on it's own is already a complete journey and they just keep going. It gives me that rare sense of wonder.

Essential, seminal post rock album, so influential on so much amazing shit, another easy 5. The club is on fire this week!

Nothing like any other post rock album I've heard, which is exactly what the genre should be going for at all times. Score is reflecting where it'll be in like half a year most likely.

Wow. This is a fantastic album.

My go-to album for calming my brain. Djed is perhaps my favorite song ever.

This is such a good headphones album - I walked my dog while listening to the opener, the 21 minute long "Djed". It was so hypnotizing that I kept my headphones in and took in the rest of the album on my couch. The combination of really driving almost punk drums, with textural guitar and bass, playful and jazzy xylophone, and electronic atmospherics made for a uniquely cool listening experience. Loved it!

These are exactly the kind of albums I was hoping to discover through this list

First ever listen to these guys, love this album.

I found this one so interesting, and I think I probably played it every day for 2 weeks before deciding how to rate it. So much going on - bass harmonics - well all the bass playing, drummer going wild, melody just wandering around aimlessly and then coming together. Loved it, will check out their other work.

Halfway between Mogwai and Boards of Canada, but with its own jazz thing going on. Another one I should have been listening to at the time.

An enthralling piece of sonic doom ambience.

along the banks of rivers

I had this album for 20 years in my collection and heard eventualy a little bit of it. Now I'm exited to recover ist again. It's excellent.

Excellent

Went in with an open mind knowing nothing about this, but I’d be lying if I didn’t feel some slight dread seeing that 20 minute opening track, especially since I knew NOTHING about what was ahead of me. But this is fucking amazing, scratched an itch that I didn’t realise was there. This album placed me in a state of total, dreamy euphoria throughout the entire 43 minutes. Extremely calming, gorgeous instrumentals, I actually needed this today.. I don’t really know what else to say, out of all the albums I’ve had from this project so far, this one is my favourite. 5/5

5/5. A really great post-rock album, slow-moving and hesitant without ever feeling boring. The best song is the first 20-minute long Djed but the second side of small ideas is also great. They all feel urgent yet basking in their patience hoping the audience will relax with them, and if you do allow yourself to calm down, your experience will be heightened. Although I wouldn't say I would enjoy this all the time, this was one I couldn't really find fault in.

21 minute 90s alternative song - sign me up. I'm all about this nonsense. 10 stars. millions/5

Descent album solid 5

Hard to believe it is almost 30 years ago this was released. I liked it then and I like it now. Favourite song: Djed, of course.

I hadn't listened to any Tortoise in a long while, but this is still a great album. They have this unique sound that I absolutely love.

Very interesting. This is ostensibly music for the head, as opposed to the heart, yet in its unhurried deconstruction of rock music, it can be quite beautiful. First track 'Djed' sets the scene, dissonance morphing into some pretty cool Krautrock before twisting into yet another sound pretzel - a recurrent theme throughout. Sometimes these shapes are ugly, but always stimulating. And that's not to say that this is a difficult listen; far from it. 'Glass Museum' has a dreamlike quality to it, whilst closer 'Along the Banks of Rivers' could be the dust-spattered soundtrack to a spaghetti western showdown. So - an album that privileges texture and tonality above all the usual business of rock music. It could have been a mess. Instead, it's a triumph.

Listen again!

Something about the sounds on the song "The Taut and The Tame" remind me of Land of the Lost, specifically the 70s tv version since that's the only one I've seen. There's also something dark and mysterious about the final song on the album that I'm really into. I'm very much into this album.

Djed was such a nice track..

I forgot how much I loved Tortoise. TNT was on pretty frequent rotation for me back in high school and early college, but I never got around to their other stuff. I'm happy this led me here!

Quite a trip of an album, and honestly surprised by the atmosphere on display.

I'm not normally one for superlatives but this was a masterpiece

I've heard of Tortoise! It was good, would listen to again for sure.

A genuine discovery! I enjoyed this so much

Probably my favorite album by Tortoise this is a masterpiece!

This album is one of the most important works of post rock. It experiments with sounds and musical textures in an almost meditative intentional way that allows songs to build, simmer, and dissolve in their own timing. The instrumentation and genre hopping feel like this is almost like a musical laboratory.

во первых очень красивая обложка, вау сам альбом тоже классный мне понравился

10/10 this album has nearly everything I’m a total sucker for complete perfection from beginning to end

It’s really good

Great for listening in one go. Driving music. I like the erratic changes, harmony and flow, as well as variety of instruments and rhythms

Ik hou van post-rock. Dus ook dit album was zeer welkom. Lekker instrumentaal, en net vreemd genoeg dat het goed is

Amazing experience, will definitely listen many times again. Great opus.

Peaceful, exciting, and delightfully complex. I'm glad learned about this band, they provide Can levels of bliss. "The Taut and Tame" blew me away.

Big fan of post-rock and this didn’t disappoint

I loved this when it first came out. This was innovative post rock and turned my head (slowly, like a tortoise) Still enjoy hearing this from start to finish. Still sounds fresh and innovative. Brilliant

A post-rock classic

Right up my alley

Heel speciale instrumentale muziek. Rustig maar intrigerend.

Great, experimental, easy going, never boring.

Really interesting textures and ideas coming together - thought provoking instrument music, great for reading and chilling

ethereal, clean, coming of age, both hard and soft, fantastically 90s (cool album name too x)

Yay! Alex Talbot

I dig it. It's very hard for me to put into words what I got out of the album but I think it's fairly representative of what this album achieves. There's just loads of good composition, arrangement, choice of instrumentation, and it all creates a really wonderful texture for my brain to get lost into. Lots of mental images, feelings, the kind of abstract things you might feel that you know would be unbelievably contrived to try to articulate. Will probably revisit this album as well as the rest of the Tortoise discography. I'm genuinely surprised I didn't discover and adore this album in high school, it would have been right up my alley. I guess this is post rock? The thing that really strikes me is the obvious krautrock influence, and I fucking love that genre of music. It's what immediately pulled me into the album. Good post rock is usually devoid of obvious, masturbatory build up and crescendos behind walls and walls of reverb and delay as a lazy attempt to create some kind of effective aesthetic and feeling of catharsis. This is a fine example of how to make stunning post rock without those cliche's. I wish I had better words to describe. There are a plethora of moments in this album that really get me into the moment and I'm in that holy trance of jam. There are a lot of unexpected left turns and stylistic choices but they don't clash at all, it never feels inconsistent. Tons of variety. I love this album actually.

Lofi classic

Easy 5 stars for me. Like the "Lo Fi Hiphop" youtube channel, with a bit more experimentation and daring. I loved all the surprising twists and turns this instrumental odyssey took.

This is my kind of album. Really digging it.

Disco relax

probably my favorite Tortoise album.

I'd heard of this but not listened to it before. It grew on me as I listened. When it came to "Along The Banks ... " I realized I'd heard this track before. Good focus music.

Never heard v much enjoyed will listen again

Dans la mouvance de la musique progressive, à l'effet quasi méditatif.

Overall: 7/10 I'm glad I got to experience this. It's very heavy on atmosphere and I find the compositions to be (mostly) relaxing and beautiful. It's not something I see myself listening to on a constant basis, but it's definitely worth your time and it makes me excited for more post rock to pop up. Fav Song: Glass Museum Least Fav Song: Dear Grandma and Grandpa

Ai että, post-rokkia. Maukasta ja tunnelmallista, aika kokeellistakin. Parhaat: Djed, Glass Museum, Along the Banks of Rivers

Interesting album. Post-rock? But having a lot of other influences as well

Some odd tracks but overall ver cool

For an instrumental album, I was surprised at how engaging it was. The band meshes and plays well together. Personal enjoyment: 4/5 Relevance to this list: 5/5

Can’t believe this came out in the 90s, so many sounds you’d expect to hear today

A fascinating instrumental album with a well-defined vibe of mystery and strong musicianship. Post-rock can look difficult to get into but in my limited experience it’s a pretty strong genre, and this album reinforced that for me. Best song: Djed

Really enjoyed this one. Kind of a Russian Circles meets Explosions in the Sky but with a mid 90s indie flair.

A meandering slog of nothing (affectionately) This is what Mike Oldfield would make if he were a computer science major with vague left-wing revolutionary philosophies in the late '90s

honestly rocks. what i'd want to hear in a glass museum