Autechre - SIGN 16.10.20

Users should be able to post their o'er & under whelms freely. For most of us, the implicit truth is that we love anything from these guys, and compared to their last 3 releases this is more of a samey throughline piece and less buffet for all. Exaggerating 'disappointment' or 'divisiveness' or initial 'comparison' is cringe.

On one hand, I love that we got an album of this and have had this on constant spin since premiere, and the last time we had an album this airtight was arguably Untilted. On the other hand if this was Exai in 2013 I think you would have expected a few melts then. I think most seasoned ae listeners are also able to grasp their music quite quickly now (elyc6 0nset was the only grower exception for me in the last half decade, the rest you kind of get a handle on rapidly). Grower'chre still does happen (the amount of recent material in particular kind of demands pockets of belated appreciation), but it was more of a learning curve earlier in (our experience of the) discography, and our expectations aren't as beholden to the prior release given we know their existing scope and all its avenues.

Anyway, just taking a captain obvious for the team, carry on and just enjoy.

I know this isn't a bad album - at least, not in the same way I knew immediately that Quaristice was a bad album (but that's just, like, my opinion man!)..  Infact it's probably a very good album.  But fuck me, it's grim..

All I'm hearing on this first play is funerals, confinement, nakedness, a hopeless struggle..  I felt a little trapped listening to it, if I'm honest - many of the fascinating sonic devices and designs they typically employ, are here stripped away completely, or muted and soured, sent on a downward trajectory..  Everything seems to be arranged to provoke a more visceral response.  It's a step outside my perception of what Autechre are about - maybe in a good way, but I didn't sense much in the way of a bright outlook, for sure.  I think it's been put together to listen to as a whole, from beginning to end, and would make less sense piecemeal.  I also get a strong impression that this was all the work of one person.

Perhaps I'm more inclined right now to enjoy music that doesn't lead me to think about all the shite and nonsense going on in the world right now.  Perhaps I'm not even really listening to this album and I'm just listening to myself.  Who the hell knows!  Anyhow, I probably won't get this one out to listen to again for a little while..

  On 10/10/2020 at 1:47 AM, toaoaoad said:

Geez, I thought I wrote a pretty thoughtful post, but maybe people just skimmed it or I somehow misspoke. Either way - to recap or clarify my contributions so far: 

The "Polarized" bit was a joke (obv?) and an exaggeration for sure: there are always opposing sides when it comes to this stuff. I see that most people are actually pretty evenly mixed about this one.

"Disappointing" is a 100% subjective term and I meant it as nothing more than that 

And my whole point was about being aware that my relationship to this album will evolve over time and that as a dedicated fan I will give it that time and attention. 
 

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It wasn't directed at you, it was more defending than anything else.

I also think this might be the work of one person. No evidence, just a weird strong hunch because of its sound. I think it’s Sean. Although the first and last tracks could be Rob. 

I also agree that, apart from the incredible first track, a lot of it feels like it has had the usual crazy Autechre sound-designs stripped away or rendered very subtle. It’s kind of super ‘synthy’ and upfront and raw for entire track durations on some tracks. Known (1) did eventually really grow on me (I’m embarrassed about how I first responded to that on here), and some tracks on here remind me of that wonderful piece, but they seem a bit more plodding-chordal and less layered, and kind of usually end how they begin. Some of this one makes even the NTS Sessions feel really full and dense and wild, let alone something like Exai. But Sign is dense in its own way - just not in that super layered and mutated way. Or something...

Anyway, I think we should be free to compare albums, discuss it in any way, and share thoughts. We all know we’ll change our minds. Variety in posts is very interesting. 

  On 10/10/2020 at 1:59 AM, Lianne said:

I also think this might be the work of one person. No evidence, just a weird strong hunch because of its sound. I think it’s Sean. Although the first and last tracks could be Rob. 

I also agree that, apart from the incredible first track, a lot of it feels like it has had the usual crazy Autechre sound-designs stripped away or rendered very subtle. It’s kind of super ‘synthy’ and upfront and raw for entire track durations on some tracks. Known (1) did eventually really grow on me (I’m embarrassed about how I first responded to that on here), and some tracks on here remind me of that wonderful piece, but they seem a bit more plodding-chordal and less layered, and kind of usually end how they begin. Some of this one makes even the NTS Sessions feel really full and dense and wild, let alone something like Exai. But Sign is dense in its own way - just not in that super layered and mutated way. Or something...

Anyway, I think we should be free to compare albums, discuss it in any way, and share thoughts. We all know we’ll change our minds. Variety in posts is very interesting. 

 

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Is there much haprsichord sound on the album? 

  On 10/10/2020 at 1:59 AM, Lianne said:

I also think this might be the work of one person. No evidence, just a weird strong hunch because of its sound.

Since they dropped the solo stats bombshell (and "how do you know we haven't" made a solo record) imaginations have gone wild but that should be tempered with this (from the SFJ interview):

“We’d get in touch and it would turn out we were doing the same kind of thing, without even talking,” Brown said. “I’m not sure we could do it in the same room now. But we’re often thinking the exact same thing.”

  On 10/10/2020 at 2:08 AM, eclipsis said:

Is there much haprsichord sound on the album? 

it's all harpsichord

  On 10/10/2020 at 2:11 AM, auxien said:

it's all harpsichord

awesome

  On 10/10/2020 at 2:11 AM, auxien said:

it's all harpsichord

“The piano is beautiful but it’s dumb,” Booth told me. “It separates the artist from the string.” 

The clear implication here is that the harpsichord is ugly but intelligent, and you can get right in at them strings 

well lush mate

Another marvelous LP which is a good introduction to top tier album of the daecade  

  On 10/10/2020 at 2:16 AM, FEF said:

“The piano is beautiful but it’s dumb,” Booth told me. “It separates the artist from the string.” 

The clear implication here is that the harpsichord is ugly but intelligent, and you can get right in at them strings 

SIGN

Seriously Irrecognizable Guitar Noodling

  On 10/10/2020 at 2:29 AM, manmower said:

SIGN

Seriously Irrecognizable Guitar Noodling

new rig

  On 10/10/2020 at 2:16 AM, FEF said:

“The piano is beautiful but it’s dumb,” Booth told me. “It separates the artist from the string.” 

The clear implication here is that the harpsichord is ugly but intelligent, and you can get right in at them strings 

harpsichords are great. i liked that quote a bit, but it seemed off. programming/creating in Max is just as 'dumb' to me if not far more so. all they're doing in Max is just remaking the machinery between the pianist's fingers and the strings. and it's lovely of course, but it's still removed in a way. 

  On 10/10/2020 at 2:41 AM, FEF said:

new rig

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i've been thinking about looking into a MIDI guitar. supposedly the tech is getting pretty good.

These are all good and valid takes on the album. One thing I really love about Autechre is that their discography is so deep and varied. There is an amazing variety of rankings. I mean it happens with all bands but it’s just pretty cool to me how everyone has a totally different itch to scratch. 
 

Th red a is peak fucking Autechre to me. This whole album pretty much shook me yesterday but I can’t get this track out of my head.

First listen through now. Couldn’t catch the stream yesterday due to work. 
this is definitely lush as all fuck

it will take time to decide my take on it. Definitely going to listen several more times.

au14 tho

  On 10/10/2020 at 3:24 AM, Adamovich said:

au14 tho

Hot damn this just came on as you said this 

Does rec desc have singing in it or did I get the wrong rip?

  On 10/10/2020 at 2:25 AM, ignatius said:

well lush mate

“The piano is beautiful but it’s dumb,” Booth told me. “It separates the artist from the string.” 

Sean's piano lessons:

  On 10/10/2020 at 3:03 AM, auxien said:

harpsichords are great. i liked that quote a bit, but it seemed off. programming/creating in Max is just as 'dumb' to me if not far more so. all they're doing in Max is just remaking the machinery between the pianist's fingers and the strings. and it's lovely of course, but it's still removed in a way. 

 

I disagree because the pianist either plays a score or otherwise decides what to play (e.g. improvisation) as distinct from generative elements. I only have a sketchy understanding of how Max works but as I understand it you can use it to trigger musical events within defined parameters and then refine the parameters to produce more desirable results. I would assume Sean & Rob construct parts with instructions like "play notes in this scale within these rhythmic limitations" or "play combinations of these six notes" and apply conditions and exceptions. Or maybe they invent a melody or chord sequence and have randomized (but controllable) things happening to it or against it.  

Edit: and I know they've mentioned using "if A then B" type commands

My overall point being that it's a different method of composition / performance than sitting down at the old joanna, "Seinfeld voice" not that there's anything wrong with that. One of the most revealing comments they've made about their process, I think, is comparing it to jazz, though it's (as I understand it) generative factors (controlled, to varying extents, beforehand or in real time, by them) that are producing the variations, rather than the decisions (also dependent on parameters) that go into a jazz solo. 

Also think of Cage and others expanding the parameters of the piano with prepared piano techniques, e.g. using objects to damp the strings or change the timbre - there's a direct lineage from that to the way our bois mess with the envelope

au14 gives me a frenetic arcade vibe:

  On 10/10/2020 at 4:01 AM, Roo said:

“The piano is beautiful but it’s dumb,” Booth told me. “It separates the artist from the string.” 

Sean's piano lessons:

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Sean: The piano is beautiful but dumb. 
 

Rob: I’ll do the fingering.