Tortoise - The Catastrophist

quite good! loving shake hands with danger

It's not the most exciting thing ever to have existed, but it's still quite nice. Will probably sound better when there's a better quality version of it available too.

this is fucking great

won some tickets for their show tomorrow, never saw them live before.

  On 2/15/2016 at 11:33 PM, Kavinsky said:

won some tickets for their show tomorrow, never saw them live before.

I've seen them twice, they're fkn awesome live!

only seen them once live, about 4-5 years ago, they were indeed awesome.

a great video of tortoise playing the full TNT album earlier this year:

This is worth another listen, ladies and gents. Very good (overlooked) album. 
 

Hoping they have something new coming soon.

I tried with this album, I really did, but couldn't get into it at all. I love all the old Tortoise stuff, but found this disappointing. the Rock On cover is good, but IMO it doesn't gel with the rest of it. I struggled a few times to get through the whole album, usually turned it off by the 6th or 7th track.

  On 9/17/2020 at 6:22 PM, zero said:

I tried with this album, I really did, but couldn't get into it at all. I love all the old Tortoise stuff, but found this disappointing. the Rock On cover is good, but IMO it doesn't gel with the rest of it. I struggled a few times to get through the whole album, usually turned it off by the 6th or 7th track.

I get it. I have some super strong memories and feelings tied into the albums from Millions to All Around You. 
 

That being said, I think the second half of this album is up there with some of their best - especially Gesceap.

  On 9/17/2020 at 6:22 PM, zero said:

I tried with this album, I really did, but couldn't get into it at all. I love all the old Tortoise stuff, but found this disappointing. the Rock On cover is good, but IMO it doesn't gel with the rest of it. I struggled a few times to get through the whole album, usually turned it off by the 6th or 7th track.

I think the album would have been more tolerable without the Rock On cover. I probably would have given it more chances.

i like it, but i too usually find myself returning to tnt or standards when i'm in a tortoise mood.

vibraphone tortoise > guitar tortoise

TNT and Standards are god level. Beacons is really good too. The Catastrophist is okay, not what I'd try to convince non Tortoise listening humans with imo. They are one of my favorite bands.

i highly recommend this 2010 live set that appearently was the starting point for the catastrophist material (DL link at the end of the blog post)

the bootleg quality is rather mediocre, but the music is absolutely stellar. i wish they would release a proper soundboard recording of this some day.

As this is becoming the de facto all-purpose Tortoise subforum, this might be a good place to ask : I’ve been bothered by the drum loop in this 2007 Jérôme Minière remix, which I’ve always felt lifted from a Tortoise track — but I just can’t track it down. I might have just dreamed it... Any idea?

Just listened to it again tonight. Maybe not the greatest Tortoise album but this remains and awesome track:

I just started digging into Tortoise's catalogue in the past year or so and am looking forward to giving these live sets a listen soon:

https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/dont-call-it-post-rock-a-deep-dive-into-tortoises-best-live-sets/

  On 2/2/2021 at 5:54 AM, AgentCooper said:

I just started digging into Tortoise's catalogue in the past year or so and am looking forward to giving these live sets a listen soon:

https://pitchfork.com/thepitch/dont-call-it-post-rock-a-deep-dive-into-tortoises-best-live-sets/

Thanks for this - I’m a huge fan. Seeing them in Chicago in ‘07 was an all time live highlight for me.

I went to see them on their 2016 tour in Antwerp, Belgium. It was a good show, but so straaange...

John Herndon was on something that night. Probably he was super drunk, cause he was waddling all over the stage. At some point he nearly fell down with his synth and all, but recovered just in time. At the end of the show he bolted out backstage, probably to puke his guts out... He did however manage to do an encore. Throughout their performance his fellow musicians looked somewhat vicariously ashamed, though they did keep their stoic cool. The audience must have felt the cringe (I know I did), but was quite forgiving overall.

Like I said, good show. Certainly money's worth.

  On 9/20/2020 at 9:54 PM, aencre said:

As this is becoming the de facto all-purpose Tortoise subforum, this might be a good place to ask : I’ve been bothered by the drum loop in this 2007 Jérôme Minière remix, which I’ve always felt lifted from a Tortoise track — but I just can’t track it down. I might have just dreamed it... Any idea?

Nothing concrete, but it sounds like early Tied & Tickled Trio to me. Maybe something off their first album?

New Tortoise pls...

HBD to this classic, 25 YO today :

  On 3/8/2023 at 1:48 PM, d-a-m-o said:

New Tortoise pls...

Two years later your wish has been granted: 

Loving the track and sounds like an album announcement is on the way.  Hope they tour as well. 

  On 3/27/2025 at 4:12 PM, AgentCooper said:

Two years later your wish has been granted: 

Loving the track and sounds like an album announcement is on the way.  Hope they tour as well. 

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Fuck yes !

  On 3/27/2025 at 5:51 PM, d-a-m-o said:

Fuck yes !

edit: like that new track a lot, nice and smooth.