There’s something about waiting for a new Tortoise album that feels different than waiting for most other bands. Maybe it’s because I’ve been doing it since 1996, when Millions Now Living Will Never Die became my obsession.
Almost nine years have passed since their last album. And now, on October 24, 2025, that wait finally ends with Touch, arriving via International Anthem and Nonesuch Records. No more Thrill Jockey? It appears not…
The First Signs
Back in March, Tortoise dropped “Oganesson,” their first new music since 2016. I was sitting at my desk, scrolling through music news, when suddenly the new song appeared in an email from International Anthem.
About a month later, they followed up with the Oganesson Remixes EP, featuring reworks from Saul Williams, Patrick Carney from The Black Keys, Broken Social Scene, and Makaya McCraven. Each one offered a different perspective on the original, making the wait for the full album even more exciting.
What We’re Getting on October 24th
Touch is ten tracks, and the tracklist tells a story.
What I’ve heard so far is that “Touch” embodies something bigger. More Krautrock, some electronic elements, and arrangements that somehow sound exactly like Tortoise even when they’re pulling from completely different music styles. John McEntire recorded and mixed everything at 64 Sound in LA, and mixed it all at Soma Music Studios. Dave Cooley mastered it at Elysian Masters.
Why This Band Still Matters to Me
I’ve been a Tortoise nerd since 1996. I own all their albums, remixes, 45s, the whole thing. I’ve seen them live three times—once at the Somerville Theatre in May 2001, and twice at The Middle East in Cambridge back in 1997 and 1998. Each show revealed something new about how these five musicians communicate with each other on stage.
Jeff Parker, Dan Bitney, Douglas McCombs, John Herndon, and John McEntire—these are players who understand that the collective matters more than any individual contribution. Parker’s solo work is brilliant on its own, and McCombs’ bass playing has influenced countless musicians, but when they come together as Tortoise, something else happens. That’s what makes this band so special. You can hear it in their music, and you can feel it when you see them live.
Looking Ahead to November 15
The album will be released on October 24 in LP, CD, and digital download formats. However, I’m already thinking ahead to November 15, when I’ll be at Bowery Ballroom in New York City for the second of three back to back to back shows.
Tortoise announced a series of special shows this fall, starting with a performance in Los Angeles on October 18, followed by Austin and Marfa, Texas. On November 11, they’re doing something I never thought I’d see—performing with the Chicago Philharmonic. Tortoise with a full orchestra? That’s going to be something… and then they come to the Bowery Ballroom in New York City
Bowery Ballroom is a great-sounding venue in the Lower East Side. You’re close enough to see everything. With Tortoise, that matters. You want to watch McEntire’s drumming, see Herndon work his percussion magic, observe Parker’s delightful guitar sounds, watch multi-instrumentalist Bitney run around, and see McCombs anchoring it all with his signature bass sound. These are five multi-instrumentalists who operate with a connection that stems from decades of playing together.
I have no idea what the setlist will look like. Obviously, there will be new material from Touch, but will they dig into Millions Now Living Will Never Die? Pull something from TNT or Standards?
There’s a thread that runs through everything I love about music: it’s about preservation and appreciation. Whether it’s caring for vinyl, tracking down rare pressings, or attending a show to see a band that has been making incredible music for three decades, it’s about recognizing when something matters and making sure it continues. It’s important.
Tortoise has released eight albums since 1994, but their influence is everywhere. They helped define what came to be known as “post-rock,” although they never fit comfortably into any single category. They proved that instrumental music could be as emotionally vibrant and engaging as anything.
October 24 can’t come soon enough. And November 15 at Bowery Ballroom? I’ve been waiting nine years for this… See you there.
Thanks for reading. - JB