Tortoise (US) , We Save Strawberries

什麼是後搖滾？
芝加哥傳奇樂團 Tortoise 首度來台！

Tortoise：後搖滾真諦
Text：袁智聰

多年來，若然要我說明甚麼是「後搖滾」 Post-Rock，我都會引用由 John McEntire 領軍的美國芝加哥樂團 Tortoise 來作舉例。

Tortoise 並不算是後搖滾的先鋒，但卻肯定是90年代最具代表性與指標性的後搖滾名團。他們得以把 Krautrock、Jazz、Electronica、Dub、Minimalist Music 等流派/元素共冶一爐的樂風，還有樂團帶來的雙鼓手演出、樂曲用上 Vibraphone 或貝斯作主奏、以錄音室作為樂器的實驗製作，正是履行著抗衡搖滾建制的意義、突破搖滾樂的框架，創造出一種不受搖滾樂形式所羈絆的器樂搖滾風格。比起後來那些純粹以吉他作主導、甚至已走向公式化的後搖滾樂團，毋庸置疑當年Tortoise是來得更具破格精神與前瞻性，從他們身上全然可以體現到後搖滾音樂之真諦。

認識了 Tortoise，還會因而認識到他們的龐大家族： Slint、Gastr del Sol、5 Style、Eleventh Dream day、Directions in Music、The Sea and Cake、Brokeback、Papa M、Isotope 217、Chicago Underground Duo/Trio 等。

忘不了在1996年聽到其第2張專輯《Millions Now Living Will Never Die》以及當中長達20分鐘的一曲〈Djed〉那驚世駭俗的震撼性嶄新音樂體驗。更忘不了，是他們的首張同名專輯《Tortoise》為發表於1994年——故在今年，已是專輯面世的20週年紀念呢。

特別共演：草莓救星 We Save Strawberries
簡單的來說草莓救星，反核 / Psychhead / 本人愛搞笑 / 其實是嬉皮。
1998年成立至今，內心卻柔軟又脆弱，但為了生存，只好盡可能地，讓自己長出最美麗外表。第三張全新專輯錄製中。

Tortoise's almost entirely instrumental music defies easy categorization, and the group gained significant attention from their early career. The members have roots in Chicago's fertile music scene, playing in various indie rock and punk groups. Tortoise was among the first American indie rock bands to incorporate styles closer to Krautrock, dub, minimalist music, electronica and various jazz styles, rather than the standard rock and roll and punk that had dominated indie rock for years.

Some have cited Tortoise as being one of the prime forces behind the development and popularity of the post-rock movement. Others, however, have characterised Tortoise's music as being heavily indebted to progressive rock.

Other groups related to Tortoise include The Sea and Cake, Brokeback, Slint, Isotope 217, Chicago Odense Ensemble and the Chicago Underground Duo. Tortoise records on the Thrill Jockey label.