Tortoise Returns With ‘Oganesson,’ 1st New Music Since 2016

Tortoise is back with their first new music since 2016. “Oganesson” heralds a larger project “to be released soon” via International Anthem/Nonesuch Records.

“Oganesson” marks Tortoise’s first new music since releasing their 2016 album The Catastrophist. Their LP prior to that was 2009’s Beacons of Ancestorship.

The highly influential Chicago-born band — Jeff Parker, Dan Bitney, Douglas McCombs, John Herndon and John McEntire — are seen as pioneers of post-rock, as a Pitchfork article detailed.

“Imagine a graphic showing all the bands the five members of Tortoise were in before they came together and then all the bands they went on to play with after. At the top of the funnel you have groups ranging from dreamy psych-rock to earthy post-punk crunch, including Eleventh Dream Day, Bastro, Slint, and the Poster Children; on the ‘post-Tortoise’ end are groups focusing on electro-jazz and twangy instrumental rock like Isotope 217, Chicago Underground, and Brokeback. In this graphic, Tortoise is the choke point, the one project that has elements of all these sounds but is never defined by nor committed to any of them. Instead, Tortoise floats free, a planchette moving over a Ouija board guided by 10 sets of fingers, where everyone watches the arrow float in one direction but no one is quite sure how it gets there or who is doing the pushing.”

Tortoise’s new track “Oganesson” was produced by the band and recorded by drummer John McEntire at 64 Sound in Los Angeles Chicago’s Electrical Audio and Flora Recording and Playback in Portland, Oregon. Dave Cooley mastered the track at Elysian Masters in L.A.

“Oganesson” has a noir feel as does its accompanying video with animation by Rob Shaw. Watch below:

Tortoise is set to perform at Big Ears Festival in Knoxville, Tennessee today (March 27) as their only 2025 appearance so far. Find info below.