Touch

 

After almost ten years, Tortoise have recently returned with a new album. I've been a fan of this music collective ever since I saw them live 30 years ago. I was fascinated by how perfectly this instrumental band managed to integrate contradictory styles such as krautrock, dub, electronica, and even jazz into a homogeneous sound.

I admit that I lost sight of them in recent years, but with their current album Touch, they are more present than before. The influence of krautrock is unmistakable on many songs. At its best, you could be forgiven for thinking that Neu! had released a new, contemporary album. Motor-driven beats, sparkling guitar riffs, and a touch of synth are the defining elements of their sound. It's good to know they're still around.