''Tortoise'' is the debut
studio album
An album is a collection of audio recordings (e.g., music) issued on a medium such as compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl (record), audio tape (like 8-track cartridge, 8-track or Cassette tape, cassette), or digital distribution, dig ...
by American
post-rock
Post-rock is a subgenre of experimental rock that emphasizes Texture (music), texture, atmosphere, and non-traditional song structures over conventional rock techniques. Post-rock artists often combine rock instrumentation and rock stylings wit ...
band
Tortoise
Tortoises ( ) are reptiles of the family Testudinidae of the order Testudines (Latin for "tortoise"). Like other turtles, tortoises have a shell to protect from predation and other threats. The shell in tortoises is generally hard, and like o ...
. It was released in 1994 via
Thrill Jockey
Thrill Jockey is an American independent record label established by former Atlantic Records A&R representative Bettina Richards and based in Chicago.
History
Richards started the label in 1992 with $35,000 of family and personal capital, while ...
. It received positive reviews from critics.
By March 1998, ''Tortoise'' had sold 35,000 copies (8,000 LPs and 27,000 CDs).
Reception
''
Trouser Press
''Trouser Press'' was a rock and roll magazine started in New York in 1974 as a mimeographed fanzine by editor/publisher Ira Robbins, fellow fan of the Who, Dave Schulps, and Karen Rose under the name "Trans-Oceanic Trouser Press" (a reference ...
'' noted that "the beckoning warmth of the gently shifting rhythms ... make it easy to forget that there's nary a whit of guitar and only the briefest whiff of standard-issue keyboards in play." In his review for
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
, Glenn Swan writes that Tortoise "share equal responsibility and trust in each other, pouring out a thick stew of meditative grooves, light production experiments, and rusty guitar-string ambience -- the likes of which have rarely sounded so approachable, but this is not to say the album is a sellout leap into commercialism. There are a couple head scratchers and murky moments that fail to make much of an impact, but the quintet have spun such a rich web of mood and personality that any fall from grace barely changes altitude".
Track listing
Personnel
Credits for ''Tortoise'' adapted from album liner notes.
Tortoise
*Dan Bitney
*
Bundy K. Brown
*
John Herndon
John Herndon (born April 9, 1966) is an American musician and artist. Based in Chicago, he was a founding member of the post-rock band Tortoise, where he plays drums and percussion.
Herndon also works as a producer for instrumental hip hop unde ...
*
Douglas McCombs
Douglas McCombs is an American musician who plays bass and guitar with the instrumental rock band Tortoise and leads the instrumental band Brokeback. He is also the longtime bassist for the rock band Eleventh Dream Day. In 1997, he formed Pullma ...
*
John McEntire
John McEntire (born April 9, 1970) is an American recording engineer, producer, drummer, and multi-instrumentalist, based in Chicago, Illinois. He is a member of both Tortoise and the Sea and Cake.
Early life
McEntire was born on April 9, 1970 ...
Production
*Bundy K. Brown – recording (assistant), mixing (assistant)
*John McEntire – recording, mixing
*Tortoise – arrangement, production
Artwork and design
*
Sam Prekop
Sam Prekop (born October 18, 1964) is an American musician in the band The Sea and Cake. He also has released five solo albums.
Early life
Prekop was born in London, but grew up in Chicago. He studied at the Kansas City Art Institute.
Career ...
– cover design
References
{{Authority control
1994 debut albums
Tortoise (band) albums
Thrill Jockey albums