Torsion Music
1993
I just recently pulled out Tortoise's first album and was reminded of how amazing this band was back in the day. This is their very first record, released on (if I remember right) Jesus Lizard bassist David Sims' Torsion Music in 1993. These guys get an unfair shake from a lot of folks these days. But they deserve, in the words of John Fahey, neither "the credit nor the blame" for the deluge to tepid "post-rock" that followed in their wake. Fact is, when these first couple of records showed up there was nothing else like it going on. I mean, there were touchstones for sure- Faust, Liquid Liquid, fIREHOSE, African Head Charge, CAN, etc.- but from the beginning they were able to incorporate a wide range of influences without being beholden to any set style or paradigm. At this point though, they're still a band finding their voice and, as such, this record, upbeat and almost outright funky, is unlike anything else in their catalog.
