Tortoise Release “Works and Days,” Third Single from ‘Touch’
Tortoise, photo by Heather Cantrell
Tortoise have released “Works and Days,” previewing Touch, their first new album in nine years. Set for release via International Anthem and Nonesuch Records on Oct. 24, the revered Chicago post-rock ensemble’s first full-length offering since 2016’s The Catastrophist reunites bandmates Dan Bitney, John Herndon, Douglas McCombs, John McEntire and Jeff Parker from their independent careers to reveal how their shared perspective has evolved after nearly a decade apart. The project’s third advance offering is a shimmering web of bright percussion, ambling guitar and enticing, light synthesizer lines. Listen here.
Touch is the result of Tortoise’s concerted efforts to reconnect and rekindle their creative collectivity. The album’s production diverged meaningfully from the intimate, free associative process that thrived in Tortoise’s shared loft space in the ‘90s; now spread between Los Angeles, Portland, Ore. and their Chicago hometown, the bandmates co-wrote all of the tracks together, then recorded their parts from their respective cities. These parts were brought together with production and mixing from McEntire and sealed with final mastering by storied engineer Dave Cooley.
Despite their years apart and physical distance, the magnetic, many-sided sound of the new material is proof positive that the band’s unrestrained collaboration is alive and well. Loops of tumbling drums and a deep, ionized low-end on “Layered Presence” distantly recall their early triumphs, then build to an angular peak with synthetic harpsichord and guitar bolts. “Organesson” is a dense arrangement of percussion and inviting strums, and, as ever, an implacable alloy of atmospheric jazz, krautrock, dub, dismantled techno and other loose ends.
Touch is available to pre-order and pre-save now. With today’s single, the band announced a global listening event, with more than 150 independent record stores worldwide hosting advance listening parties on Saturday, Oct. 18; find the full list of participating locations at intlanthem.com.
