Tortoise
The post-rock band that actually earned the hype. McEntire, McCombs, and a rotating crew of Chicago heavyweights building these gorgeous layered things out of vibraphone, bass, electronics, and studio tricks that make your head spin. Millions Now Living Will Never Die starts with a 20-minute track and somehow it's not long enough. TNT is the perfect record. They made the studio into an instrument before that was a cliche.
People
Started behind the drums in Bastro, ended up as one of post-rock's key architects in Tortoise. Producer, engineer, multi-instrumentalist, runs Soma Studios in Chicago. The guy who figured out how to make a rock band sound like an entire orchestra of weird.
Tortoise's other anchor alongside Bundy K. Brown and then the revolving cast. Also in Eleventh Dream Day and Brokeback. His bass playing is the bedrock of Tortoise's sound -- deep, melodic, utterly unhurried. Chicago post-rock royalty.
Tortoise's percussionist, synth tweaker, and general sonic Swiss Army knife. The guy who adds the textures and the weird little details that make a Tortoise record sound like nothing else. Multi-instrumentalist doesn't even begin to cover it.
Jazz guitarist who joined Tortoise and blew the doors wide open. His solo records are some of the best guitar music of the 21st century, full stop. The guy plays with the precision of a jazz master and the patience of someone who knows the note will come when it's ready.
One half of Tortoise's dual-drummer setup and a key reason those records feel so rhythmically alive. Also handles electronics, because in Tortoise everybody plays everything. Isotope 217 too, for when Tortoise isn't jazzy enough.
