Tortoise – TNT
When Jeff Parker, guitarist of influential Chicago band Tortoise, joined us this past summer for a dedicated listening session, it was clear that his musical influences ran deep and eclectic. Selections included De La Soul’s Stakes is High, The Rubáiyát Of Dorothy Ashby, Masabumi Kikuchi’s Susto, and Ghost Town DJ’s “My Boo.” It comes as no surprise then that when Parker joined Tortoise in 1996, the group underwent a transformation in their sound. TNT saw the post-rock group move towards jazz, kraut, and avant-garde while also utilizing modern studio techniques the band developed while working on remix projects. The result was one of the best albums of 1998 and a defining 90’s classic where computer music met instrumental avant-garde.
Recommended – Full Listen
A1 TNT
A2 Swung From The Gutters
A3 Ten-Day Interval
B1 I Set My Face To The Hillside
B2 The Equator
B3 A Simple Way To Go Faster Than Light That Does Not Work
C1 The Suspension Bridge At Iguazú Falls
C2 Four-Day Interval
C3 In Sarah, Mencken, Christ, And Beethoven There Were Women And Men
D1 Almost Always Is Nearly Enough
D2 Jetty
D3 Everglade
Band [Tortoise Is] – Dan Bitney, David Pajo, Douglas McCombs, Jeff Parker, John Herndon, John McEntire
Bassoon – Caitlin Horsmon
Cello – Popahna Brandes
Composed By – Tortoise
Cornet – Rob Mazurek
Layout [Layout Assistance] – Sheila Sachs
Mastered By – Roger Seibel
Performer – Tortoise
Performer [With Help From] – Caitlin Horsmon, Julie Liu, Popahna Brandes, Rob Mazurek, Sara P. Smith
Programmed By [Additional Programming] – Dan Bitney, John Herndon
Recorded By, Edited By, Mixed By – John McEntire
Sleeve [Sleeve Design], Design [Sleeve Design] – Tortoise
Trombone – Sara P. Smith
Violin – Julie Liu