[...] and will work with jazz keyboardist Marco Benevento in 2012. While Tortoise’s 2009 record, Beacons Of Ancestorship, found them crafting accessible textures with an intriguing use of synthesizers that actually come [...]

[...] We’ve been big fans of Tortoise here at Loud Loop Press since day one, so be sure to read our review of their newest effort and our interview with Tortoise drummer/keyboard player/other-ist John Herndon from last July. [...]

[...] I’ve stated what I like and dislike about this album at times here on the site, the fact remains, there’s still not much of anything to complain about. The album is dense and intense – there are no wasted seconds, no wasted notes, everything counts. Gone are the mallet instruments and in their place are synthesizers, lots of them, all elaborately layered creating mostly up-beat popping songs. Genres are blended and explored from hip-hop and dub to rock and pure prog.  There’s the post-rock minimalism Tortoise is known for but there’s also plenty of new and bright sounding embellishments that tell the listener the band still has much left to offer. Fans of the band will find familiarity in the odd time signatures and turn-on-a-dime changes like on the epic 8-minute, “High Class Slim Came Floatin’ In,” and on the proggy “Yinxianghechengqi”. The band purposely avoided the xylophone and vibraphone in order to not be labeled as a mallet band but also to push them into creating something exciting and challenging as well as cutting edge and unique. It took them five years between this and their last album, one can only hope it doesn’t take them that long for the next LP, but if it’s as good as Beacons it’ll be well worth the wait. [...]

[...] The group is promoting it’s latest album, the 2009 release Beacons of Ancestorship. [...]

[...] Their newest effort, Beacons Of Ancestorship, was released on June 23 and has already garnered much critical acclaim. Additionally, Tortoise is performing at Pitchfork Music Festival on Friday July 17 as part of the [...]