Tortoise - Touch

After nine years of silence, Tortoise return with Touch, an album of wordless mini-dramas full of cinematic tension — all shadowy roads, noir cityscapes, and atmospheric mystery. Despite the band now living in three different cities, Touchemerges as one of their most cohesive works, shaped by remote idea-trading, patient experimentation, and the deep trust built over three decades together.

True to Tortoise’s legacy, the record is a meticulous maze of interlocking rhythms, layered percussion, and lush, shifting textures. The band’s collective process — often slow, sometimes torturous — leads to bold reinventions, like the rebuilt opener “Vexations.” Across the album, multiple drummers, mallets, guitars, synths, and carefully sculpted noise create the dynamic tension that stands in for a singer’s voice.

Touch expands Tortoise’s signature sound while honoring the exploratory spirit of Millions Now Living…, TNT, and Standards. It’s patient, intricate, and vividly cinematic — proof that even as the band adapts to new ways of working, their ability to craft immersive instrumental worlds remains unmatched.