Post-Rock, Experimental, Jazz Fusion | Formed 1990

Chicago's Tortoise pioneered post-rock, creating genre-agnostic instrumental music that influenced indie rock, jazz, electronic, and experimental scenes globally. Formed by bassist Doug McCombs and drummer John Herndon, the group expanded to include Dan Bitney, John McEntire, and jazz guitarist Jeff Parker, creating an all-instrumental approach blending krautrock, dub, minimalism, electronica, and jazz. Their 1996 landmark Millions Now Living Will Never Die, featuring the 20-minute "Djed", established their reputation for extended compositions with multiple dynamic and textural shifts.

TNT (1998) marked their most jazz-inflected work, recorded over ten months with Parker's guitar now central to the sound. Releasing just seven albums since 1993, Tortoise evolved intuitively across Standards (2001), It's All Around You (2004), and The Catastrophist (2016), which introduced vocals for the first time. Members' side projects include Isotope 217, The Sea and Cake, and Chicago Underground, whilst McEntire has produced Stereolab, Wilco, and numerous others. Their influence extends far beyond post-rock, shaping contemporary approaches to improvisation, texture, and genre-blending composition.