Millions Now Living Will Never Die

So glad to rediscover this after many years. I listened to Tortoise a bit when I was a University Student, but not with a lot of attention. I's a musical journey with lots of different moments and paths that I enjoyied explore.

Один из самых любимых пост-рок альбомов. Для меня тут нет проходных моментов, а последний трек так вообще в моем списке фаворитов за все время.

15 minutes into the first track, loving the hypnotic sounds that harken to StereoLab but remain their own. Some bits hinted at Primus/Les Claypool. Some were more jazz influenced. Fits into the world of "Knitting Factory Jazz" in my lexicon. Adding to my list of things to go back to, and I'll look for their vinyl. Ends with a call back to Wandering Star from Portishead. This brought me joy.

Oh this is cool start. Yeah, this first track is wild. 15 minutes in and I kind of wanted to start again before it ended. Track 2 keeps it up. Especially in that second half. I wish I had heard of this sooner. It would have been perfect for my long walks home in the late 1990s. Good album name, good album art, a river of instrumentation.

Exceptional album

Yay! This was on my "to listen" list, and this was a great excuse to hear it! Really cool music, weird but melodic, and I wouldn't bat an eyelid if it came out last week :)

I was introduced to this album via a post-rock playlist on Tidal a few weeks before this generated, so it was great to get a chance to dig further into the album. This band is a great discovery for me, surprised I hadn't listened to them before since I am a big fan of a lot of their contemporaries. I love everything about this album really, especially the variety and experimentation. I've since bought this album and TNT, so can't really give it less than 5 stars!

4 plus 1 star to counter haters.

amazing.

Never heard of this album or even the band. This is also the first time I’ve avoided all reviews before I listened so I could really have my own experience. Regarding the album -- I love this. It set a fabulous chill vibe and mood I'd love to explore again and again. This is getting me at the right time. It brought me into its little world and took me on a fun ride. I'll add it to my collection and will happily revisit more in the future. A fun new discovery and an instant 5 for me.

Loved this. Nice find!

Tense dissonance, a thrumming ambience suggesting something's off, expressive and restrained guitars that are at once vaguely punk and darkly jazzy, meditative and absorbing but disquieting.

All time low key genius shit

Definitely New to me! Enjoyed this very much!! Ended up listening to a second album and then another similar artist after.

You had me at post-rock

**In-Depth Review: *Millions Now Living Will Never Die* by Tortoise** Released in 1996, *Millions Now Living Will Never Die* is Tortoise’s second studio album and a landmark in the post-rock genre. It’s a meticulously crafted, entirely instrumental record that blends dub, jazz, krautrock, and minimalist electronic music into a cohesive and immersive sonic journey. The album is widely regarded as a foundational text of post-rock, influencing countless bands including Explosions in the Sky, Mogwai, and even Radiohead. --- ### 🎼 **Music & Composition** The album opens with **“Djed”**, a 21-minute suite that is often cited as a post-rock manifesto. It begins with a hypnotic, motorik groove and gradually morphs through dub, ambient, and minimalist phases, using xylophones, analog synths, and glitchy electronics. The track is a masterclass in structure and pacing, shifting moods and textures without ever losing its internal logic. It’s patient, immersive, and rewards close listening. Tracks like **“Glass Museum”** and **“The Taut and Tame”** showcase Tortoise’s ability to balance organic instrumentation with electronic experimentation. The former builds from a contemplative, oceanic calm into a galloping rhythm, while the latter features sharp guitar riffs and jazzy percussion, creating a tension that’s both cerebral and visceral . **“Dear Grandma and Grandpa”** and **“Along the Banks of Rivers”** close the album with ambient introspection and cinematic melancholy, the latter evoking Morricone-esque soundscapes . --- ### 🎛️ **Production & Sound Design** Produced by John McEntire, the album is a benchmark in studio craftsmanship. It employs analog instruments and dub-influenced production techniques—echo, reverb, and space—that give the record a tactile, immersive quality. The mixing is spacious and layered, allowing each instrument to breathe while contributing to a unified atmosphere. The use of mallet percussion, analog synths, and subtle electronic glitches gives the album a timeless, otherworldly feel . --- ### 🧠 **Themes & Interpretation** Though entirely instrumental, the album conveys themes of **transition, memory, and impermanence**. The title itself, *Millions Now Living Will Never Die*, is taken from a Jehovah’s Witnesses pamphlet, suggesting a kind of eternal optimism or existential irony. The music mirrors this ambiguity—serene yet unsettling, mechanical yet emotional. It invites the listener to project their own narrative onto its shifting sonic landscapes . --- ### 🌐 **Influence & Legacy** This album is arguably the first in the genre to feature a 20+ minute post-rock epic, predating similar efforts by Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Sigur Rós. It helped define the post-rock aesthetic: using rock instrumentation for non-rock purposes, emphasizing texture, rhythm, and atmosphere over melody and vocals. Its influence can be heard in everything from Stereolab’s *Dots and Loops* (produced by McEntire) to Radiohead’s *Kid A* . --- ### ✅ **Pros** - **Innovative Structure**: Especially “Djed,” which is a genre-defining epic. - **Rich Production**: Dub effects, analog warmth, and layered textures. - **Genre Fusion**: Seamlessly blends jazz, krautrock, dub, and electronic music. - **Emotional Depth**: Despite being instrumental, it evokes strong moods and imagery. - **Influence**: A cornerstone of post-rock, inspiring a generation of musicians. --- ### ❌ **Cons** - **No Vocals**: May alienate listeners who prefer lyrical content or vocal hooks. - **Demands Patience**: The slow-burning, minimalist approach can feel inaccessible or “background”-like without focused listening. - **Inconsistent Pacing**: Some tracks like “A Survey” are seen as meandering or less essential compared to the album’s highs . --- ### 🎧 **Final Verdict** *Millions Now Living Will Never Die* is not just an album—it’s an experience. It’s a sonic labyrinth that reveals more with each listen, rewarding those who surrender to its pace and atmosphere. While it may not be for everyone, its place in music history is undeniable. Tortoise didn’t just make a record—they helped shape a genre. > **Recommended for fans of**: Talk Talk, Brian Eno, Slint, Stereolab, early electronic minimalism, and atmospheric instrumental music. – A landmark of experimental music and a must-hear for anyone interested in the evolution of post-rock.

I'd never heard of Tortoise and was completely unprepared for it. I really like it! It's apparently postrock, which is a genre I don't know a lot about. I genuinely don't have anything bad to say about this. I like the variety, the soundscapes are broad and complex, and I'll definitely explore more of both their work and other postrock works.

Class

Interwsting instrumental

Instrumental albums are already dope as hell, but this one bangs. Don’t know how I’ve never listened to these guys before

Holy shit. I spent the 90s working at a record store. How did I miss this band? This is one of the biggest surprises I've had with this project. Top notch album.

Enjoyed this, first time of hearing - now part of my ambient collection. Reminded me a bit of Portishead without the vocals.

cloud watching music <3

That was awesome.

This is exactly what I came to this project for. A seminal band from a genre I enjoy but haven't fully explored. Loved it, one of my favorite discoveries of the project. 5/5

Excellent extension and progression from their debut. I really enjoy the flow of this album and the wide net of musical styles explored. MNLWND succeeds in taking chances and manages to be very consistent.

Honestly surprised at the low score for this. I guess I'm the odd man out for liking chill instrumental post rock.

What?!?!?? Another post-rock album! I'm really surprised, and, as a fan of the genre, I've never actually listened to Tortoise before. This is excellent. They kind of nail all the things that I love about the genre. Slow musical development that makes you feel really familiar with the ideas/motifs/melodies, so that even the slightest of changes is noticeable and impactful. The synth work is honestly pretty incredible. It's deep and varied, but I never feel like it's trying to out-do the guitars or drums. It's obviously given the limelight when it's carrying the melody, but it also tastefully takes the backseat when adding embellishments. I love this, but I'm not going to fault you if you don't. It's pretty different than a lot of other styles of much you'd listen to in the US. I'm also not really sure if it deserves to be in this book. I'd have to see what he said about it in the actual book. Favorite Song(s): Djed, The Taut and Tame, Along the Banks of Rivers

I don’t care if it’s the best vibe in the world, I’ll never get behind a 20 min song. That said it was a very good vibe.

This has been on my "to listen" list for a while now, and I'm glad this made me get around to it. Tortoise are an instrumental post rock group, featuring members of a variety of bands, covering a lot of ground (most notably to me, David Pajo of Slint is here). In short, this is fantastic, Millions Now Living Will Never Die is a particularly engaging post rock album with sort of indie sensibilities. And they play in a very particular palette, with traditional rock instruments, as well as vibraphones, marimbas, more bass guitars than can be typically expected, and all sort of interesting electronics. A lot is incorporated, and the result is honestly kind of otherworldly, there is some psych, space rock, ambient, glitch, and even a little hip hop influence here and there. In an awfully bold move, the first song here is Djed, a sprawling, 20 minute long epic. It has a really interesting way of progressing, where glitches tear the instrumental swells apart, and abstract synth drones serve as the rhythmic center of new swells. It is a remarkably brisk, engaging 20 minutes with some really intense and beautiful moments. And the rest of this album is no afterthought. Glass Museum is ethereal and gorgeous, The Taut And Tame taps into some really abstract, driving rhythms, and Along The Banks of Rivers taps into something intense, and western-esque: all are incredible tracks. The two shorter tracks here are also pretty great, not the showpieces that everything else is, but still great. On an instrumental album like this, it makes sense that these littler tracks would still be detailed and engaging. For what it is, this is pretty much perfect, I loved it from start to end, and intend to put it in my regular rotation.

That was a nice pull. Mellow and chill, makes for nice ambient music.

Really enjoyed this. Some very nice ambient work, will definitely revisit

Love this. TNT was my first intro to Tortoise and is still my fave, but I’d be happy with this as the alternative any day.

Really nice. Layered, "transporting," lots of great moments.

An excellent band's best album. I hadn't listened to this for a while, and it's almost perfect.

Wow, dit is echt origineel. Krautrock, jazz, rock, echt geweldig!

Kid: Mum, can we have Godspeed You! Black Emperor? Mum: no, we have Godspeed You! Black Emperor at home. Kid: that's ok, Godspeed You! Black Emperor are such an amazing band, that even a slightly worse version of them is still some of the most amazing music I have ever heard.

very cool

Bloody excellent

this was exceptional. almost ambient at times, almost industrial at times. very musical without sounding very instrumental if that makes sense. i had no expectations going in but they were blown out of the water

Very good, rather like some Mogwai.

All vibes, super chill

Solid, no vocals very chill post rock

Immaculate album, I enjoyed every second of this listen. Djed was an epic by itself, and every song had its own unique vibe. 9.5/10, definitely would listen again

Wow. Just wow.

Dormito per 3/4 di album, ma gran bei pisoloni Would sleep again

Less a language and more a way of just being in the universe.

wonderful shimmering, shifting, evolving, driving music - this works both as a main listen, and also as music in the background.

Love it

This is so cool!! I’ve always heard how cool they were but just never listened. My mistake! Djed is a 20 minute song and is too short, or actually, just perfect!

A perfect example of a really creative band taking influence from a wide range of artists, and creating something excellent from it. The 20 minute opener is truly special, and the rest is just as moving.

Hell yeah. Perfect for every chill moment.

There's a lot going on here and I think I enjoy most of it. It's a sort of liminal album, existing in the space between genres. I can definitely see myself listening again, and exploring Tortoise more.

mindblowing

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.

Beautifully cinematic yet tight ambient-ish album.

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

It took me a while to decide how many stars, but at the end of the day this allowed me to discover TNT, Djed is a great track, Tortoise are my new favorite band and I think all of this deserves a 5

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

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.

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.

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

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 didn’t expect to love this but I did. It sounded so current that I had to double check the release date.

Lowkey nice

A unique band with a style that is all their own. The word that comes to mind is "deconstructurist," as they strip songs down to components and arrange them in new and often unsettling ways. The openingvtrack, "Djed," is a perfect example of this. Not quite electronic, jazz, or rock, it's not easily defined. As an influential Chicago band, I can hear how Jeff Tweedy and Co. borrowed some of this approach for the Wilco album Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

I was surprised how much this jam album held my attention. Especially the 20 minute opener it flows by pretty seamlessly and has a curiosity that kept me entertained. Absolutely loved the cowboy western feel of “Along the Banks of Rivers” I was really trying hard to figure out what worked for me on this tape and what didn’t on the jazz album and really couldn’t find anything just vibes I guess. ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

A nice ez listening album

Omg I loved the tortoise album TNT but had forgotten about it!! This is the kinda thing you wanna listen to with headphones.

I really enjoyed this album, pretty much all the way through. I’d put it on the top of my list of post rock albums I’ve ever heard. It has a lot of moments that go beyond the bounds of the typical shoegaze (which is just a fancier way of saying that there’s some energetic sections in the music). And I appreciate that.

Okay, another great ambient album. Djed really took me on a journey, and frankly, this whole exercise is taking me on a journey through which I reimagine my understanding of music.

4.5–never heard of them before this and loved it!

Intriguing and relaxing but also recklessly verges into background music.

Started off kinda meh for me- didnt love the first 20 minute song but it got better and actually kinda dug it by the end. Wouldnt listen again and still probably doesnt deserve a spot on the list but i did enjoy it

Me gustó, no se si repetiría, tiene un mood muy especial. Nota: 3.7

I really enjoyed the chilled out atmosphere on this, especially Djed in how it weaved in and out.

охуеть наконец-то нормальный пост рок который я еще не слышал

Djed - transy, so minimal. It was hypnotic and dreamy, the repetitive lines didn't get as boring as I thought they would, lots of catchy ideas. The glitchy section caught me off guard. Feels like an eery waiting room underwater. The drums were standout on this track I think. Glass museum - instantly a breath of fresh air. Finally left the waiting room. The xylophone? Is a really nice touch. Jazzy breaks. Xylophone is generally amazing on this upbeat proggy track. Fast, slow, fast slow. A survey - love an isolated baseline, and chirping crickets? Why not. Da da da da da da da da da. Taut and tame: Groovy as hell, the xylophone keyboard effect is addictive and adds a colourful bounce to the guitar drum relationship. Dear grandma and grandpa: Chill nice, kinda forgettable. Along the banks of the river: Same old same old. Good.

The secret to making me care about instrumental post-rock has always been to make it Neu!

Ret fantastisk instrumentalmusik!

Pretty cool. Lots of good moments, and a few tracks are genuinely beautiful. Hypnotic, transporting, and clearly very intelligent. Not all of it lands ("Djed" is kind of a slog by my money) but I was not mad at this. Fave tracks: - Glass Museum - The Taut and Tame - Along the Banks of Rivers Edit: after a relisten, I'm gonna be more generous. This really is pretty damn gorgeous. And while Djed isn't my favorite, it's surprisingly listenable for a 20 minute long track. This is super creative.

Where have you been all my life? Very glad I heard this.

Listening to this album made me discover a deep-appreciation for post rock and the allowance it can give the listener to imagine/paint whatever picture the music take them. I lean towards the camp of people who are actively conscious of the music over lyrics and the meaning/story they tell. Music first, lyrics second. Of course there isn't any lyrics present—or meaning to derive from the non-existent lyrics—in any of the tracks so it's all instrumentals and the feeling they evoke. Tortoise does this excellently. Djed was an Experience and The Taut and Tame is addicting. If there's anything worth praising Tortoise for, it's the curiosity and drive to explore more of the post-rock genre. I'm not completely new to post-rock (psychedelia is one of it's many origins) but listening to this piece makes me want to engage more with the genre. Godspeed You! Black Emperor is a band I've been exploring recently and now I'm as driven as ever to explore them and many other post-rock artists. Not every track was a hit for me but the majority we (more importantly the 20 minute track thankfully). I definitely see myself returning to this album in the future which is rare for most albums. T3: The Taut and Tame, Djed, Glass Museum

Starting off way more interesting than I was expecting. Themes develop and then drift off as a new one comes in. Good background music for doing house chores. If I still sat around doing bongs and thinking I was deep this would be on repeat.

WOW, this is a great one!

Ayooo that part at 13:55 part of Djed was very unexpected Makes sense that one of the guys from Slint was in this band after Slint

Had this in a backlog and was putting it off because of the not great average rating but I actually really enjoyed it. Great atmosphere and textures without getting so minimal that nothing is happening and it's boring. If I had to complain I would say the first half is stronger Highlights: A Survey, Djed, Glass Museum

Way better than I had expected. Also, the first two minutes of Djed acted as a white noise generator and soothed my crying baby so two thumbs up from me

3.5/5 https://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/tortoise/millions-now-living-will-never-die/ This will get the benefit of the doubt with a rounding up, because I did find it an interesting, if somewhat uneven album. I tend to like post-rock, but this is a bit more experimental than the post-rock albums I usually listen to. It doesn't have the big outbreaks like a Mogwai or Explosions in the Sky, or the beautiful vocals of Sigur Ros, or the more cinematic feel of Swans or GY!BE, so there is slightly less that makes it stand out for me. Still, I like it, and I'll try to give it another go in the future.

Pretty cool ambient album. Will be spinning this again.

Very unusual but I didn't hate it! In fact I sort of liked it.

I wanna rate this so hard.

Encore un album avec un premier son qui dure 20 minutes !? C'était super

Desk music, krautock

Really interesting ambient sounds, makes for a great atmospheric background while working/etc.

very cinematic and catchy.

If progressive rock in a linear journey than this is an open world adventure. The instrumentals slide, bounce, and skate in so many different directions that are consistently interesting. I like the vibes. Favorites were Djed, Glass Museum, and Along The Banks Of Rivers.

Very cool album. I like that it's entirely instrumental. Lots of sweet sounds in the mix that come together in an eclectic way. It's interesting that the album name comes from a Jehovah's Witness slogan that references the coming of Armageddon and the eternal life that would be granted to the people of that faith when the world ended (that's my understanding of it after a few mins of research, at least). Honestly it's kind of a cool phrase. I like the album art too.

This was great. it was layered and ambitious and interesting. i liked the vibe and will listen again.

Interesting album, neat sound

Mielenkiintoinen levy. 3,5/5.

intro was really interesting and felt like 6 different songs, i loved the texture of this especially, might use this album as background noise for chilling...

This band's sound is a synthesis of so many different things, like 70s jazz fusion and minimalism and like Internet 1.0 dial-up sounds (??) and Louisville post-hardcore and Chicago pastiche-y technical whisper-y post-rock(??) but it all becomes this one thing that is so recognizably theirs. I love this album but their real masterpiece is TNT, which I absolutely adore.

Really futuristic and funky album, surprised I liked it as much as I did considering it was instrumental

I like this. It's unlike anything else on this list. It's noisy without losing musicality.

A fairly good example of the Post-Rock genre. The 21-minute opener 'Djed' could be seen as the centrepiece of the album, but for me the real highlights were 'Glass Museum' which has a sense of scale and grandeur befitting of the title, and the slightly more frenetic 'The Taut and the Tame' which reminds me of contemporaries Stereolab. Overall I enjoyed it enough for a 4.

𝘔𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘕𝘰𝘸 𝘓𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘞𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘕𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘋𝘪𝘦 is one of those albums that makes me wish there were more post-rock records in 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. Bands like Godspeed You! Black Emperor, Mogwai, MONO, or Explosions in the Sky all have albums that would be worth hearing before you die, and Tortoise show another side of what post-rock can be. What I like most about this album is how patient it is. Rather than building toward huge climaxes, Tortoise focus on atmosphere, texture, and subtle changes. At times it feels closer to ambient music than rock, which gives the album a calm, almost hypnotic quality. It’s not the most dramatic post-rock album I’ve heard, but it’s one of the most immersive. The longer it goes on, the more its mood starts to work on me, and by the end I’m completely absorbed in its world.

Enjoyed this. Experimental, instrumental music.

Really enjoyed this. A nice listen late at night

This is wayy underrated over here, it has no business being below a 3.0, so i'm for sure going to rate it a 4. I can hear a lot of what would become math rock in this one. For being essentially a pioneer of post-rock, this is a must listen, and it is a blast. I had the melodies stuck in my head for quite a while. I enjoyed my time with it. Not too long at all in my opinion

instrumental, algunas muy lentas

Oh yes, I am the audience for post rock. And no Godspeed on this list, so one must make do. Man, I really like this. Don’t think I heard it before. Still lament the absence of GY!BE. I mean they’re on the supplemental list. Probably one of the earliest additions. I find other post rock lovers are as obsessive music fans as I am, and often much more “discerning.” I mean I am here for ALOT. But yes, this too. Odd synths included. It’s a solid 4. I am sure I will listen again. Boolean: yes, very glad to have heard before I die. But would like to ALSO hear MORE post rock

Here for this background jams. What's another word for atmospheric? Overused word. Anyway, pleasant surprise. 4/5

3.7 Rather enjoyed that. Never heard this (or of this) before, but it seemed to fuse and blend lots of genres and artists I admire. Good atmosphere. Not really one to extract individual songs, works best as a set.

Post rock? That I’ve not heard before? Excellent. And it was.

Pretty great post-rock. This won’t appeal to everyone and that’s fine. It works for me. Djed is one of those modern day standards that still sounds exciting and immersive. Not a bad track here. Hope TNT is also included.

Really glad I put this on as an earphones-listen as I think this would have passed me by if it was just on while doing other stuff. Hard to say whether I will come back to this one, but as an instrumental atmospheric album I found this quite impressive.

Pretty great, the kinda stuff I like hearing on this project

Didn't think I'd ever heard of Tortoise or heard the music, but tracks two and three were definitely familiar. An interesting trip in post rock and I'm sure I hear echoes of it in things that came later.

This is the kind of discovery I came here for.

Rating: 4.7/5 Short Review: Patient, hypnotic, and quietly futuristic. It builds atmosphere through repetition and texture instead of big emotional gestures. Feels like thought itself slowly unfolding. Favorite Track: “Djed.” A massive slow-burn that somehow keeps reshaping itself without breaking the mood. You drift inside it instead of just listening to it.

This felt right in a serene Sunday morning.

The first song, Djed, had some weird moments. Otherwise, I was very into this album!

ok i loved this...i felt like i was in a parody cop show, solving silly crimes...

Liked it way more than I thought I would. Really interesting combination of math rock and ambient sounds.

really solid

Interesting without being too repetitive on the samples used. This is cool.

Bold. Big, long opening track. Loads of off-grooves and strange textures. Very different to the usual. TNT is better, but this is very good.

Пост рок весь похож, но эти ребята вроде бы как одни из пионеров.

Pleasant. Relaxing. Reminds me of when I started messing around with music.

Extremely happy to see this one turn up – heard lots of good reports, though never got around to listening before now. First impressions are very positive, and two spins in and I’m really enjoying the mix of electronica, dub and Café Exil-style Eurocentricity. It all feels very ‘70s, cultured and old, but weirdly contemporary. A real find! 9/10

Djed Along the Banks of Rivers

We played this to death when it came and even went to see them live though my mate left as they sounded too much like the album!! Not heard it a long while so interested to see how it sounds now.

It makes me very happy to see this album, or any Tortoise album, made the list! Such a great super band. The metaphysical soundtrack for a beautiful movie never written. Unique songwriting approaches, significant noise, haunting textures, rhythmic intrigue. I just love what they do. And having seen them perform this and other albums live, I love the way they do it. This is the state of the art for some subcategory of modern jazz.

Wonderful ambient/instrumental record with lots of character and interesting sounds. A pleasant listening experience. I’m looking forward to more Tortoise.

Me gusto el concepto del álbum

Arrancamos semana completa con una desconocida de un género a explorar como es el post-rock. Full ambiental. Ideal para días nublados o mañanas tranquilas. Gustó. Sobre todo, la canción que arranca el álbum. Nos vemos mañana, nuevamente con semana corta.

This was a cool vibe

Great album with dream like feel to it. Only thing from making this 5/5 was the first song. It didn't hit me atleast on this first listening, but I will have to see what I say about it after another listening or two. Best track was A Survey.

One of the first records in post-rock genre. You can feel punk influence. I like it!

The first track is one of my favorite tunes of the 1990s. Deeeeep bass I could listen to all day. Cavernous.

So glad there were no lyrics because this was a GREAT instrumental album

very enjoyable

Some music is a matter of taste and Tortoise is definitely that. But I love everything about it. Two basses, xylophones, meandering compositions, the drumming, it's all great. It's just art, don't overthink it.

This was a good surprise. I have never heard of them before. Perfect for my work mix.

Very impressive instrumentation, atmosphere, and songwriting on this album. Shout out David Pajo. 8/10

Love that it Tjed opens and lays out the plan. The bass and drum solid says it all straight out. Subtle, inventive, intriguing, I'm out of adjectives. Love this.

Oh man I loved this! Was not familiar with the band or the individual members but reading about them they certainly have put in some work. I've been in a real Sigur Ros/Jonsi mood since returning from Reykjavik and Tortoise easily slips into my current state of mind.

7.5/10

Very good breakfast music with the girls, never heard before

It might be slightly odd that one track is more than half the album, but it's a sprawling epic so go on then. The flip side can feel patchy by comparison but by no means an afterthought.

Never gonna be my favorite post rock classic but I appreciate it for its idiosyncrasies and lower stakes.

First time listening to this band, maybe the best background music yet, lots of crazy textures and sounds.

I’m not sure how I feel about this album. I enjoyed it but I think the album can challenge you because it seems like there isn’t a destination and just a journey. It’s a decent journey. The people play extremely well and know where they’re going it’s just not exciting along the way.

I get the impression thar 1001 albums does not choose a band's best albums but has a preference towards early/imfluential albums. So instead of TNT or standards, we get Millions Now Living ...

I enjoyed this more than I expected.

A pretty good instrumental chill album.

This is a great vibe! I've listened to it before, but it's been a while. This and the next one , TNT, are just great background/focus albums. There are some albums on this list that I've said are good for background music and most of them are Just that. But this holds up under active listening, too. The music is great, intricate and experimental, and always solidly done. It's one of those that I won't really point at a particular song because I just think of the whole thing as one listen. Even the way it's set up promotes that "whole album" listen vibe because the first song meanders and changes and sounds like different songs just as much as the others that are individually named do. Great album. Worth listening to and being on the list. But I can't see giving it a 5 either. I like everything about it, but if it hadn't popped up, I don't know that it has made such an impression on me that I'd have remembered to come back to it. Did it change music and influence dozens of bands? I don't really think so. So, it's great, but not historically noteworthy or groundbreaking. Going with the 4!

8/10

I liked the sounds, very experimental but it made me want to buy a synthesizer!

I went into this album without any knowledge of the group or the recording and it blew me away. It's not surprising that David Pajo was involved in this because the production and style reminds me a lot of his work in other bands. It's a terrific record that extends rock in a new and interesting way.

None of these songs will be added to a playlist, but I found this album immensely satisfying. So chirpy and bouncy, but with this heavy undertone. I can easily focus whilst this is on, and have it guide my thoughts

I think this is my introduction to post-rock? Or at the very least, this is the first time it clicked with me. To draw a dartboard comparison, some aspect of this album reminded me of the Minecraft soundtrack, which is weird to say but I think it rings true. There are defined melodies here, something that is much appreciated when I listen to these experimental leaning albums. Even more so, this album almost feels like jazz, only swapping out a few instruments for ones more often found in rock music. It's a bit repetitive and freeform at times, but for what it is I think it does a really nice job at not overstaying its welcome and presenting appealing musical ideas. Highlight: The Taut and Tame Lowlight: Dear Grandma and Grandpa

Sinceramente muito inspirador!!

i was gonna say that this album would be dope asl with some vocals, but actually im glad they just let the instruments breathe. insanely good production and atmosphere. this was such a sick listen cool asf

Сложно не воспринимать пост-рок не как фоновую музыку, особенно если вообще нет вокала. Но тут ещё и краут-рок затесался

Мало знаком с пост-роком, как таковым, только очень поверхностно. Соответственно, фанатом не являюсь и мало что по-настоящему оценил. И ожидал, что это будет примерно то же самое, с поправкой на более раннюю эпоху. В целом, так и получилось, но само качество музыки меня приятно удивило. Зачастую альбомы надоедают к концу, здесь же наоборот, сначала было скучновато, и я уже думал, что весь альбом окажется пустым фоновым эмбиентом, но где-то с середины Djed вдруг начались интересные (для 90х) эксперименты со звуком, а следующие более короткие треки и вовсе зацепили приятными мелодиями и нестандартными размерами. В итоге даже не хотелось, чтобы альбом заканчивался. Да, это все еще фоновая музыка, но в то же время и нечто большее. С пост-роком вообще зачастую сложно что-то объяснить и проанализировать - тебя либо цепляет, либо не цепляет. В меня попало, даже интересно послушать что еще есть у этих ребят.

Нот май тайп оф шит. Не знала о них до этого и вряд ли включу еще раз. Нормик, но без вокала утомительно.

Лучшая песня: Glass Museum Худшая: Djed Нормальный пост-рок, ничего сверхъестественного. Те же Bark Psychosis были раньше, но звучат поинтереснее. Не знаю, почему именно этот альбом был выбран среди миллиона подобных пластинок. Ждём Godspeed You! Black Emperor?

Неплохой построк, но я люблю более мрачный и тяжелый. Топ трек - glass museum

Haven't listened to this one in years. Used to have this in heavy rotation back in the early 2000s. I actually like all of the songs on this record better than "Djed;" having been in many an aimless jam session, I recognize the signs, and "Djed" really should've been edited down a bit more. The transitions are excellent, but there is just too much fat on this for me. The rest of the record is brilliant though. "Glass Museum" and "Along the Banks of the Rivers" are both full of beautiful moments. FOUR STARS

I enjoyed this more than I expected to. It was ambient and I found myself thinking that I couldn't picture them at a concert, but it was well built. I really liked it on headphones.

Post rock. Would have to listen more to properly rate

Idk why but this kicked my ADHD's ass. Enjoyed overall and will probably listen again when I have to do something I've been procrastinating.

David Pajo i see you ! really nice loved it

Math-y Metal-y. Pretty good!

Interesting arrangements and sonic landscapes. Chilled.

New to me and pleasantly surprising. Worth your time.

Très bonne surprise!!

Chill, bit tripy. The first song has a funny break i thought the connection is breaking

I had been meaning to explore Tortoise more for a long time now. Really glad this album was served up. I'm a sucker for this style. Post-rock, art rock, somewhat experimental. I'll agree with the one reviewer who said that that track order should have been a bit different. That's first song is a bit overly ambitious to kickoff an album and should have been at the end. It's a bit different from typical post-rock in that if doesn't follow that formula of soft melody that builds to a great crescendo that is then deconstructed. I'm looking forward to my next listen of this one for sure.

got excited to see it's only 6 tracks before i realized the first track is like 20+ minutes. i'm willing to keep an open mind tho Djed - 3/5 Glass Museum - 5/5 A Survey - 2/5 The Taut and Tame - 4/5 Dear Grandma and Grandpa - 2/5 Along the Banks of Rivers - 5/5 Average score: 3.5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ based on the length of the first track, i was ready to give this 1 star and keep it pushing. boy was i wrong i think my enjoyment of this album is a bit mixed, of course, but i think there's quite a bit to appreciate about it too. it's experimental for sure, but not in an off-putting way like some others i've heard; it's actually quite soothing and meditative i definitely never would've seeked this out on my own, but for once, i can say i'm glad the author put me on to this. for that, i'll generously round my scoring up this time

Sleeper hit.

Really moving stuff

I’ve had to listen to this a couple of times to get the hang of it. It’s not exactly catchy. More like Brian Eno ambient mixed with Steve Reich rhythms and David Lynch moodiness. In fact, it could be a soundtrack album. You won’t leave it humming a tune necessarily, but it’s intriguing.

Really enjoyed this, added to the listening roster. Great early post rock.

Rewards patience in a similar way to Philip Glass

It really is amazing that I have never heard of this band, I can hear there influence or so many artists I am a huge fan of. If you are into varied textures and non standard song structures this one might be for you!

За гурт чув, але ніколи не слухав до цього. Сподобався пост-рок заміс з ф'юженом. Особливо, коли в більш джеззі моменти уходить, то чудовий взагалі. Буду ще слухати далі, є потенціал на 5.

Дуже люблю цей гурт, а Millions Now Living Will Never Die є на вінілі в мене. Такого пост-рока треба більше, не тупориле псевдодраматичне тремоло, а вигадлива, технічна інструментальна музика з прекрасною атмосферою.

Digga an sich echt cool höre ich mir sage irgendwann nichmal an im gym kann man sich das nur bei bestem willen nicht geben gerade am leg day

A lot to unpack in a single evening of listening. Loads of ideas and noise, arty, cinema style, picture painting, but not particularly enjoyable at first listen. I imagine this will need multiple goes to get into.

Seemed a bit post-rock, which in general I like. Some of it strayed into prog/jazz sounds, which I am less keen on. Overall positive though.

I'd never heard of Tortoise, but this mellow, instrumental album impressed me.

I've been getting into post rock more and more so this is a sweet spot for me. Solid album and I will look into these guys more down the road.

Great instrumental rock album Standout song Djed

All-instrumental band Tortoise may be from Chicago but their music has clear antecedents in German rock bands from the 70's like Neu! and Can, as is most evident on the opening track, the 20-minute epic "Djed". Other influences like Eno, King Crimson and Steve Reich can be heard on this record, but it does maintain its own idiosyncratic identity, which is especially on display in the lyrical guitar melodies and lush textures heard in the tracks on side two. The record does drag in a couple of spots and there are a few less-than-stellar tracks but for the most part this album works well as a cohesive whole.

Progish background music. Pretty at times and melodic, and then deconstructed. Not really what I needed today, but knowing this exists might help in the future. That first song, though... man... everyone says it's long, and that's both a warning and a blessing. It's pretty, but LONG and repetitive. My Rating: 4/5

A good respite from the usual, I greatly prefer this to the electronic music on the list. Musician making music.

Utterly delicious instrumental post rock, dripping with ideas, melody, intrigue, and subtlety. The opening track fills all of side one and threatens to dominate the album with its delicate balance between scripted perfection and loose jam. Successful and captivating as it remains across its 20+ mins, it can’t dominate when side two packs just as much joy into briefer segments. They went on to make at least 2 better albums than Millions…, but this set very high bar for expectations.

Very interesting and experimental rock album. It falls under the Post-Rock genre but, because it was still early in the movement's history, it is not plagued by the Godspeed You! Black Emperor-aping crescendocore structure that has became so prevalent during the 00's. Tortoise's following album, TNT, is also great and quite different from this one. Key tracks: Djed The Taut and the Tame

Really cool instrumentation and production

A really fascinating album, I actually really enjoyed it. I want to give it another listen soon, it’s so weird and jazzy. Four for now, but I might switch it to a five.

3.5

3.5

Not my favourite post-rock, but still very enjoyable. 4 stars

I have a couple of Tortoise albums in my library, so I kind of knew what to expect here. This is the critically acclaimed second album that for some reason I'd not played before. The long opening track reminds me strongly of the German rock of the mid 1970s - I suppose it has that 'motorik' feel typical of Harmonia, Neu! and maybe Can and the like. Then it sort of expands out.

I remember seeing this cover when digging through albums at the store back in the day. I've never heard it. So far, it is an extremely chill album. Man, that first song messed me up about 14 minutes in. Oh, I'm digging the flow of the 2nd track! Actually, all the remaining tracks, as well. How did I miss this album in the 90's?? I'll now listen to the rest of their catalog. This album bounces around from ambient to math rock to trip hop and is delightful. Worthy of a 4, for sure.

Really enjoyed my first listen of this album

I died a little inside when I saw this started with a 20 minute instrumental but Djed builds on itself in interesting ways. I didn't love the glitch section around 14 minutes in but the drums that followed after make up for it. Mostly. What it reminds me of, surprisingly, is Akira Yamaoka. Glass Museum and A Survey and Along the Banks of Rivers have that melancholy guitar you'd hear on something like End of Small Sanctuary or Promise. Back half of the album is stronger / more of what I like but this is a great album to listen to in its entirety added to collection

How did I not know about these guys ? This is exactly my kind of music ! It’s a beautiful, meditative album full of haunting loops and melodies, and it absolutely does not deserve such a low global rating. The album constantly experiments with a wide range of sounds and styles without ever losing its cohesiveness or intensity. There’s clearly a lot of different influences here, from krautrock to jazz, minimalism and early 90s electronica / IDM ; but they all blend together quite well, and the album never feels bloated or overstuffed. Tortoise managed to keep things simple and straighforward, even in their more experimental pieces. That being said – and that’s my only gripe with this album – I feel a bit uncomfortable about a few songs, and mainly the opening track : as great as it is, Djed takes the "influence" aspect dangerously close to plagiarism territory. The first half of the song is a very obvious NEU imitation, right down to the tonality and rythm of their first album, while the second half is closely modelled on Philip Glass' Qatsi period. It sometimes feels like the band is just trying to showcase their imitation skills, and it makes for an album that sounds a bit rehashed or derivative. Fortunately that's not the case for every song ; tracks like Glass Museum or Along the Banks of Rivers feel more organic and natural. A hard choice between a 4 and a 5*. Ultimately I’ll go with a 4* because they copied a bit too much, and invented too little in my humble opinion... but I’m definitely getting the rest of their discography ! 8/10

No dignity No GPT Happily surprised by this album. Apparently it’s categorized as post rock. So maybe that explains hahaha. However I’m a fan of long tunes, over 15 min. Back then electronic music was emerging as something that would be long lasting. So, in that album I enjoyed the long construction. I also enjoyed how they work on sound itself, and make imperfections part of the whole production (cf. Matthew Herbert in electronic music, about « mistakes » and it eponymous album). Personally I would have enjoyed some more groovy harmonics , or at least more deepening in that matter. There was space for it, even while keeping the « rough » feeling and giving all its space to the drums and the bass. All in all, it made me want to dig more that band, and discover their 2025 just released album. 14/20

Djed // Glass Museum // 3.5/5

Post-rock is so cool. It's not for everyone, but it's absolutely for me, which is all that matters. Admittedly this isn't my favorite post-rock album, but it's not bad at all. Millions Now Living Will Never Die is a pretty cool album. It's a fully instrumental album, but the textures of the music and the high quality of the compositions make for an engaging album. I think the bass work especially is perfect for the music. The songs are interesting. "Djed" is the mandatory "long-ass-song" of the post-rock album, and it's great. It really does feel like a musical journey of sorts. "Glass Museum" is also super cool. The lack of vocals is something that I'm fine with. It allows the atmospheric nature of the music to really shine. Here's the thing with the post-rock representation on this list. I don't think any of the post-rock albums included on the list are bad. The Sigur Rós album, Spiderland, and this are all excellent, though I do find this to be my least favorite of the three. However, I feel like there are some glaring omissions from the scene that probably should've been included over this album. That's not to say that I want this to be removed. This is among the more influential post-rock albums in general. However, if you give me the choice between this and an album like Lift Your Skinny Fists Like Antennas To Heaven by Godspeed You! Black Emperor, I'm picking Godspeed over this just about every time. Both bands can coexist, obviously, but I'm just saying that if I had to pick one over the other (which I wouldn't), I wouldn't choose this one. Still, while I can't call this the best post-rock album of all time, it's still a great album that proves that I really am a big fan of the genre, aren't I? High 4/5.

Surprisingly pleasant instrumental group. I let this album run on into the next release on Spotify by accident. I felt this one was fine but I think TNT actually agreed more with me.

Moody and experimental. The tracks do seem to drag on a bit.

I dug this pretty well, and I think it's got room to grow on me. "Djed" has a bit of a NEU! thing going on that I appreciate, and I really didn't mind the length at all (that's what she said). "Glass Museum" and "The Taut and Tame" also stood out to me on first listen. It tailed off a bit for me in the final two tracks, but I'm interested to revisit this one and see if I can sink my teeth into it even more. 3.5/5

I seriously didn’t expect to like this album as much as I did. Over the weekend I ended up listening to it a few times. “Glass Museum” with that vibraphone? Totally love it!

This was a perfect listen for some quiet time and I’ve already added to a playlist for the future. Captivating, atmospheric instrumental tracks. Listened to it all through twice. NOTE: I’m still not sure if it was the digital version I listened to or part of the song but at 13:56 on the first track there was what sounded like drops and garbles.

Worth a few re-listens! I enjoy this more than most of the newer, more spa-friendly post-rock bands. Never heard of them before.

Chill, instrumental. You know I love those vibes

Sweeping instrumentals, Avant Garde, mutating melodies, bass-heavy, post-rock, tracks ranging from 20 minutes to 2 minutes in duration. Yes, I am here for this music. Never heard of Tortoise before, but after my first listen-through, I instantly categorised them on my internal music shelf as sitting somewhere between Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Mogwai. That's hallowed ground.

3,5

i recently had to look after a tortoise for about a week, she was kind of prickly, but very cool, steady and decisive. so basically Tortoise picked their name well

Enjoyed this way more than i thought i would

Solid.jamz

An excellent addition to the post-rock genre. It's a slow burn - make sure you're listening attentively.

This is how you do chilled jazzy ambient tunes. Great stuff.

I actually really kinda liked this. I usually am quite negative toward these super long post rock songs with no vocals that go on forever but this one had enough to me that I enjoyed it. Good background music in a non derogatory way. 8/10

Finally one that I fully enjoyed!

It was good concentration music , I don’t usually like instrumental stuff but it was good

Incredible sounds on this album. Manages to be super relaxed while also being esoteric and off kilter at the same time

Pretty good one, good rainy day vibe Will I listen to again: 73%

Wonderful listen! All the twists and turns in Djed, the minimalist electronic sound and is great and then it just jumps at you with some great free jazz and post rock. Great stuff 7/10 Favorite tracks- “Djed” “The Taut and Tame”

This is great backgroundy/ambient stuff. My wife thinks I’m crazy.

Little weird

Don't know the rest of their stuff very well but I've always liked this one

How haven't I heard this before? I enjoyed it

I've always had a soft spot for Tortoise. They're not the kind of band you'd get stuck in your head and there are no obvious singles anywhere in sight. But it's great background music when you need to get some work done. I don't want to sell them short though, because there's actually a lot going on here. Tortoise were pioneers of post-rock, blending electronic music, jazz, and krautrock. The band members are all multi-instrumentalists, with none of them specializing in any in particular. This allows them to switch around instruments at a whim, often mid-song. Their instrumental rock isn't hindered by needs for hooks or confined structures of songs. The band members all have other projects, so Tortoise remains a place of freedom to experiment as they please. Future post-rock bands like Godspeed You! Black Emperor had the road opened to them by the early work of Tortoise and others. The music may be too complex to hum along to exactly, but you can either analyze it or let it wash over you. For what they do, Tortoise are one of the best.

Gentle and beautiful

Enjoyed this a fair amount, the last 5 tracks especially had this sorta deconstructed vibe to them, focusing on particular sounds and kinda droning them along… light 4

Tortoise was one of those bands i always felt like i was supposed to like but never knew why and guess what... i do like them... so take that!

Yo solía pensar que el post rock era otra cosa, pero ya que a esto le han puesto esta etiqueta me lo voy a creer. Este disco me da más vibras a un ambient rock y a electronic jazz que a otra cosa, pero etiquetas aparte, me parece un álbum muy conseguido. Un sonido sofisticado, muy bien producido y solo apto para paladares eclécticos y open minded. Habilidad infinita para crear atmósferas y estados de ánimo nada convencionales.

This was great, the vibes were awesome and I’m gonna look into Tortoise more, : )

This was an introduction to Tortoise for me, and I’m glad this album is on the list because I really enjoyed it. They remind me a lot of Do Make Say Think, a band I discovered on accident when Amazon sent me the wrong vinyl record one time and I got their You You’re A History In Rust record instead, which I kept after looking it up and discovering that it’s well regarded. I loved that album and this Tortoise album (released a decade before YYAHIR) reminds me a lot of it. This is an all instrumental album that doesn’t serve well as background music because it demands your attention. The music shifts within a song, and different instruments take lead in interesting ways throughout. Without digging into the band for timing reasons, they sound like they have a bass player, guitar player, percussionist, and a fourth member who I can only describe as “weird sound guy” whose job it is to make interesting sounds from things that are not instruments. I don’t know how right I am about this, but I like the approach if it’s true.