1990s The group's origins lie in the late 1980s pairing of
Doug McCombs (bassist with
Eleventh Dream Day) and drummer
John Herndon, who initially wanted to establish themselves as a freelance
rhythm section (like
reggae legends
Sly and Robbie). The idea did not come to fruition, but their interest in grooving rhythms, as well as their recording studio knowledge led to partnerships with drummer
John McEntire and bassist
Bundy K. Brown (both formerly of
Bastro and
Gastr Del Sol) joining, followed by percussionist Dan Bitney. Though songs are credited to all the musicians, McEntire became perceived as the group's guiding force, as his contributions mainly took the form of being the recording engineer and mixer. Their first single was issued in 1993, and their self-titled debut album followed a year later. Instrumental and mostly mid-tempo,
Tortoise slowly garnered praise and attention, notably for its unusual instrumentation (two bass guitars, three percussionists switching between drums, vibraphones and marimbas). A
remix album followed,
Rhythms, Resolutions and Clusters. Also in 1996, the band contributed to the
AIDS benefit album
Offbeat: A Red Hot Soundtrip produced by the
Red Hot Organization. They released a Japanese-only compilation featuring tracks from the eponymous debut,
Rhythms, singles and compilation appearances, named ''A Digest Compendium of the Tortoise's World'' on November 21, 1996. In 1998, Tortoise released
TNT, arguably their most jazz-inflected album. Tortoise released their sixth album,
Beacons of Ancestorship, on June 23, 2009. The band toured the Midwestern US in September and October 2009, and then in Europe in November and December. The band performed at the
ATP New York 2010 music festival, which was held in Monticello, New York. In 2012, Tortoise wrote and recorded the soundtrack to
Eduardo Sánchez's
Lovely Molly, a psychological horror film partly inspired by traditional folk songs. A seventh studio album,
The Catastrophist, was released by Thrill Jockey in early 2016, preceded by the single "Gesceap".
Touch, the band's eighth studio album, was released in 2025. ==Musical style==