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Sign (Autechre album)

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Sign
Studio album by
Autechre
Released8 October 2020 (2020-10-08)
Recorded2018 – 2020[1]
Genre
Length65:33 (Standard)
71:47 (Japanese Edition)
LabelWarp
Producer
  • Rob Brown
  • Sean Booth
Autechre chronology
NTS Sessions 1–4
(2018) 		Sign
(2020) 		Plus
(2020)

Sign (often stylized as SIGN) is the fourteenth studio album by British electronic music duo Autechre. It was announced on 2 September 2020 and was released on 16 October 2020 through Warp Records.[2][3] The artwork for the release was created by The Designers Republic.[4] Critics responded positively to the album, and noted the album's more accessible direction compared to the duo's previous works.[5][6] Plus, a companion album to Sign, was released without announcement twelve days later.[7]

Background

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Autechre recorded the tracks that ended up on Sign between 2018 and 2019,[8] with production ultimately finishing in February 2020.[1] In an interview with the duo, Rob Brown stated that the album's title was "an initialization, but we don’t want to tell anybody what it stands for." Sean Booth stated that much of the album's creation was "all over the place" and that the duo usually work better with "as little direction as possible".[8] Booth also stated that the duo didn't share tracks with each other for almost a year.

Both Sign and its companion album Plus were teased prior to release through a series of live mix sessions on the streaming service Mixlr that took place during early 2020.[9] The album was officially announced for release on 2 September 2020, where the cover art was also shared.[10]

Composition

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"esc desc"
The fourth track on the album
Problems playing this file? See media help.

Sign has been described as experimental,[11] IDM,[12] electronic,[13] and abstract.[14] Critics wrote that the composition of Sign was a lot more accessible in comparison to the duo's previous projects such as NTS Sessions 1–4 and elseq 1–5.[6] Simon Whight of Inverted Audio discussed tracks such as "F7", "th red a" and "gr4" and said they contained "brassy, glassy tones".[14] Whight also wrote that tracks such as "si00" and "au14" were similar to "the sort of material that spun Radiohead away from stadium anthems post OK Computer." Philip Sherburne of Pitchfork commented that the track "esc desc" was "slow and stately" and that the track contained "layered synths slipping between consonance and dissonance".[15] Sherburne also discussed tracks such as "psin AM", noting that its "sullen synths" call back to Boards of Canada's Hi Scores EP. He also pointed out "Metaz form8", calling it "the album’s gorgeous ambient centerpiece".

Daryl Keating of Exclaim! wrote that Sign featured a more "stripped back" structure, more so than their previous projects.[6] Keating also commented that the duo "largely jettisoned the beats on Sign," but noting that they hadn't gone "fully ambient either". Writing for The Guardian, Tayyab Amin wrote that the melodies on Sign took prominence during the album, and that it was a "dense and viscous record with synthetic textures that hold great depth".[13] Ollie Rankine of Loud and Quiet also discussed Sign's more melodic approach, commenting that the duo had "[attached] a rare melodic depth to their expansive sound".[16] Charlie Frame, writing for The Quietus commented that "gr4" was "perhaps the prettiest track here" and that it "showcases see-sawing synths that keen like a string quartet". He also discussed "si007" among other tracks, writing that the track featured a dry kick that "always seems a micro-step ahead of itself, like feet tripping over themselves".[17]

Release

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Sign was officially released on 16 October 2020 on CD, 2xLP and digital services. The album was released through Warp Records. The release of Sign marked the duo's first standard length album since the release of Exai.[18] A companion album to Sign, titled Plus (stylised as PLUS) was released without announcement twelve days after the release of Sign.[7]

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic82/100[19]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[20]
Clash9/10[21]
Exclaim!8/10[6]
The Guardian[13]
Mojo[22]
musicOMH[23]
Pitchfork8.1/10[15]
Record Collector[24]
Uncut8/10[25]
Under the Radar7/10[26]
The Quietus80/100[17]
Beats Per Minute79%[27]

Sign was received positively by critics. At Metacritic, which aggregates scores from mainstream critics, Sign has an average score of 82 based on 12 reviews, indicating "critical acclaim".[19]

Reviewing Sign for AllMusic, Paul Simpson commented that some of the tracks on the album were "somewhat formless" and "not distinctive enough to make a lasting impression". However, he also concluded that Sign was one of the more "approachable Autechre releases in quite some time" and a good starting point for new listeners.[20] Nick Roseblade of Clash said that "Sign is an album that doesn’t just get under your skin, but in your head."[21] Daryl Keating of Exclaim! called the album an "incredible piece of work", and noted its accessibility towards newer listeners.[6] Writing about the album for The Quietus, Charlie Frame said that the album was a "welcome detour" and that Sign proves the duo "are in tune with their audience".[17] Inverted Audio editor Simon Whight summarised Sign as "a dramatic discovery of all things light".[14]

In a review for The Guardian, Tayyab Amin said that the album "never manages to eclipse what’s now a crowded sonic milieu". However, he also commented that "there are times when Sign truly soars".[13] Philip Sherburne of Pitchfork concluded that "Autechre have managed to do something that machines can’t do nearly as well as humans: surprise us."[15] Joey Arnone of Under the Radar commented on the duo's ability to create "paradoxical soundscapes" and commented that the tracks on Sign were "simultaneously chaotic and ethereal, harsh and euphoric, mechanical and biological".[26] In a piece for Beats Per Minute, Jeremy Fisette called the tracks on the album "just as unpredictable and labyrinthine as ever". He also discussed how the duo "continue to beguile and confound" and that Sign was the duo's "most flat-out gorgeous album in ages".[27]

Track listing

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All tracks are written by Sean Booth and Rob Brown

Sign track listing
No.TitleLength
1."M4 Lema"8:49
2."F7"5:56
3."si00"5:51
4."esc desc"4:55
5."au14"5:03
6."Metaz form8"6:00
7."sch.mefd 2"5:25
8."gr4"3:21
9."th red a"6:35
10."psin AM"6:20
11."r cazt"7:12
Total length:65:33
Japanese bonus track[28]
No.TitleLength
12."n Cur"6:14
Total length:71:47

Charts

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Chart performance for Sign
Chart (2020) Peak
position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[29] 10
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[30] 56
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[31] 51
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[32] 53
Scottish Albums (OCC)[33] 16
UK Albums (OCC)[34] 41

References

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  1. ^ a b Frere-Jones, Sasha. "Autechre + Sign". S/FJ. Internet Archive: Substack. Archived from the original on 29 December 2020. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
  2. ^ Warp Records [@warprecords] (2 September 2020). "AUTECHRE 'SIGN' WARP329 01:05:33 16 OCT 2020" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  3. ^ Marissa Cetin (2 September 2020). "Autechre announce new album, SIGN, on Warp". Resident Advisor. Retrieved 2 September 2020.
  4. ^ Rugoff, Lazlo (2 September 2020). "Autechre unveil new album, SIGN". The Vinyl Factory. Retrieved 13 December 2024.
  5. ^ Church, Hunter (27 October 2020). "Album Review: Autechre create one of their quickest, but most unique projects with "SIGN"". The Young Folks. Retrieved 13 December 2024.
  6. ^ a b c d e Keating, Daryl (20 October 2020). "Autechre Are as Accessible as They Can Possibly Get on 'SIGN'". Exclaim!. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
  7. ^ a b Monroe, Jazz (28 October 2020). "Autechre Surprise Release New Album PLUS". Pitchfork. Retrieved 13 December 2024.
  8. ^ a b Pareles, Jon (13 October 2020). "Autechre Worked in Isolation for Decades. Now It's Unintentionally Timely". The New York Times. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
  9. ^ Marissa Cetin (29 October 2020). "Autechre surprise with another new album, PLUS". Resident Advisor. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
  10. ^ Bloom, Madison (2 September 2020). "Autechre Announce New Album SIGN". Pitchfork. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
  11. ^ Ryce, Andrew (22 October 2020). "Autechre - SIGN · Album Review". Resident Advisor. Retrieved 13 December 2024.
  12. ^ Hickman, Langdon (12 November 2020). "Autechre : SIGN/PLUS". Treble Zine. Retrieved 13 December 2024.
  13. ^ a b c d Amin, Tayyab (16 October 2020). "Autechre: Sign review – electronic masters soar and fall in negative space". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
  14. ^ a b c Whight, Simon (4 November 2020). "Review: Autechre: SIGN". Inverted Audio. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
  15. ^ a b c Sherburne, Philip (16 October 2020). "Autechre SIGN". Pitchfork. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
  16. ^ Rankine, Ollie (12 October 2020). "Autechre - SIGN - Album Review". Loud and Quiet. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
  17. ^ a b c Frame, Charlie (15 October 2024). "Human Music: SIGN By Autechre Reviewed". The Quietus. Retrieved 13 December 2024.
  18. ^ Schatz, Lake (2 September 2020). "Electronic Music Duo Autechre Announce New Album SIGN". Consequence. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
  19. ^ a b "SIGN by Autechre". Metacritic. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
  20. ^ a b Simpson, Paul. "SIGN – Autechre". AllMusic. Retrieved 17 October 2020.
  21. ^ a b Roseblade, Nick (15 October 2020). "Autechre - SIGN". Clash. Retrieved 17 October 2020.
  22. ^ Highlights a voracious creative appetite and their relationship's enduring strength. [Dec 2020, p.87]
  23. ^ Devlin, Ben (16 October 2020). "Autechre – Sign". musicOMH. Retrieved 16 October 2020.
  24. ^ Goldsmith, Mike (1 December 2020). "SIGN - Autechre". Record Collector. Retrieved 1 December 2020.
  25. ^ An album of their most beautiful tracks. [Dec 2020, p.27]
  26. ^ a b Arnone, Joey (2 December 2020). "Autechre – Sign". Under the Radar. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
  27. ^ a b J. Fisette, Jeremy (19 October 2020). "Album Review: Autechre – SIGN". Beats Per Minute. Retrieved 13 December 2024.
  28. ^ Tower Records Online (2 September 2020). "Autechre/SIGN＜通常盤＞". AE_STORE. Retrieved 2 September 2020.
  29. ^ "Ultratop.be – Autechre – Sign" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
  30. ^ "Ultratop.be – Autechre – Sign" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
  31. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Autechre – Sign" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
  32. ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Autechre – Sign" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
  33. ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
  34. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 23 October 2020.
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