Post-rock icons Tortoise have returned with ‘Touch’, their first studio album since 2016, now available on all platforms via International Anthem and Nonesuch Records. The album finds the quintet—Dan Bitney, John Herndon, Douglas McCombs, John McEntire, and Jeff Parker—harnessing a collectivist songwriting approach to evolve their legendary sound across Los Angeles, Portland, and Chicago. ‘Touch’ marks a notable shift toward grander gestures and “aerodynamically re-engineered” Krautrock, as heard on the lead single “Layered Presence.” The record also features the 7/4 funk experiment “Oganesson,” which helped signal the band’s recentered energy during their landmark opening night at the Big Ears Festival earlier this year.
The release is supported by a series of high-profile performances, including a sold-out three-night residency at NYC’s Bowery Ballroom and a historic collaboration with the Chicago Philharmonic at The Auditorium. These shows highlighted the band’s ability to blend pointillist spaghetti western fanfares with hand-cranked techno rave-ups in a live setting. As the band closes out 2025, they are preparing to take ‘Touch’ overseas for an extensive European tour in early 2026. The new record stands as a diverse and confounding puzzle to be savored, proving that even after a nine-year hiatus, Tortoise remains a vital and unpredictable force in the modern musical landscape.