Tortoise Contemplate Ancestorship at the Mohawk Wednesday

The genre-defying instrumental band Tortoise arrives in Austin on the 15th in support of their seventh proper full-length LP, the aptly-titled Beacons of Ancestorship (Thrill Jockey). It's their first new disc in five years, though its cast of five has been quite busy in other projects. They formed in 1992, a Chicago/Louisville conglomeration of rhythm players/sections brought from Bastro, Eleventh Dream Day, Precious Wax Drippings and Tar Babies. Their arsenal of instruments was always impressive - vibraphones and analog synthesizers weren't exactly on the radar of most indie bands in 1994. The fact that really, nobody has ever known what to do with Tortoise (the infamous "post-rock" tag still follows them wherever they go) has probably in part contributed to the band's longevity.

Initially, Tortoise's music centered on dubby low-end musings and dusky tones, shadowy and disembodied post-punk fragments that occasionally gave way to bright and minimalist percussion webs. Throughout, "ancestorship" has seemed in part like a trip through the band's record collection - late Canterbury outfits like National Health as well as Tiger Mountain-era Eno, Steve Reich, Kraftwerk, Tom Zé and Jorge Ben have all factored into the Tortoise cornucopia. But listening to Tortoise often strikes one as an enthusiastic homage to their equally omnivorous forebears rather than a hipper-than-thou exercise. They've backed artists as diverse as Zé, Will Oldham and tenor saxophonist Fred Anderson, and three of Tortoise's members - guitarist Jeff Parker, drummer John Herndon, and multi-instrumentalist John McEntire - have participated in Chicago jazz trumpeter/composer Rob Mazurek's Exploding Star Orchestra.

In recent years, Tortoise's music has become increasingly bright and much more song-oriented, and if they're less willfully experimental these days, it comes with the territory of tightening the overall structure which, almost two decades in, is probably a natural and positive direction. Admittedly, Beacons of Ancestorship is probably their most schizophrenic record since 1993's eponymous full-length debut, but if there is a cut-up sensibility, it isn't without clarity. It's a testament to the level of individual and combined musicianship and flexibility that the members of Tortoise are able to create and participate in such a far-reaching body of work. It will be interesting to see how they proceed through the next fifteen years. Of course, the immediate concern is at the Mohawk, and one can bet they'll both confound and make heads bob. Worried about the Dirty Projectors conflict? Don't be: Tortoise will be over with plenty of time to walk over to Red 7.

Tortoise "Prepare Your Coffin" (mp3)

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