Standing as one of post-punk's most influential yet underrated acts, A Certain Ratio are at last being treated to a much-deserved reissue campaign. Courtesy of Mute, the ambitious series is set to begin this fall and continue into 2018 via a string of album re-releases and rarities sets celebrating the Manchester act.
The reissue series will first kick off on November 24 with reissues of the A Certain Ratio's cult classic Factory Records-released 1979 debut The Graveyard and the Ballroom, along with 1981's To Each and 1986's Force. All three will be released on vinyl (with digital downloads included) and CD. The Graveyard and the Ballroom will also come on a limited cassette (500 copies) in a coloured PVC sleeve, just like the original Factory release.
In 2018, more A Certain Ratio reissues will follow, with 1982's I'd Like to See You Again, 1989's Good Together and 1990's acr:mcr all arriving as reissues on February 23. A rarities box set is also promised at some point in the future.
For the uninitiated, here's how Mute summarize the strange and wonderful world of A Certain Ratio:
A Certain Ratio embraced the ethic and culture of the late seventies post-punk explosion, but sounded like nothing else around them and refused to fit in. Formed in 1978, the band had various members throughout their career, and a core line-up of Jeremy Kerr, Martin Moscrop and Donald Johnson.
Hailed universally as pioneers of what became known as "punk funk" thanks to the success of "Shack Up" on both sides of the Atlantic, their sound is not easily pigeonholed and their influence can never be understated. The band introduced the avant-garde elements of funk, jazz, electronics, tape loops and technology to the pop song, wrapping it in a post-punk aesthetic, adding great clothes and the coolest haircuts.
They have gone on to influence generations of musicians — from Talking Heads, LCD Soundsystem, Happy Mondays, Franz Ferdinand, ESG, Factory Floor and Andrew Weatherall.
You can also check out a four-track sampler from Mute below.
Along with the reissues, A Certain Ratio will play Manchester on December 16. You can get the show details here.
The reissue series will first kick off on November 24 with reissues of the A Certain Ratio's cult classic Factory Records-released 1979 debut The Graveyard and the Ballroom, along with 1981's To Each and 1986's Force. All three will be released on vinyl (with digital downloads included) and CD. The Graveyard and the Ballroom will also come on a limited cassette (500 copies) in a coloured PVC sleeve, just like the original Factory release.
In 2018, more A Certain Ratio reissues will follow, with 1982's I'd Like to See You Again, 1989's Good Together and 1990's acr:mcr all arriving as reissues on February 23. A rarities box set is also promised at some point in the future.
For the uninitiated, here's how Mute summarize the strange and wonderful world of A Certain Ratio:
A Certain Ratio embraced the ethic and culture of the late seventies post-punk explosion, but sounded like nothing else around them and refused to fit in. Formed in 1978, the band had various members throughout their career, and a core line-up of Jeremy Kerr, Martin Moscrop and Donald Johnson.
Hailed universally as pioneers of what became known as "punk funk" thanks to the success of "Shack Up" on both sides of the Atlantic, their sound is not easily pigeonholed and their influence can never be understated. The band introduced the avant-garde elements of funk, jazz, electronics, tape loops and technology to the pop song, wrapping it in a post-punk aesthetic, adding great clothes and the coolest haircuts.
They have gone on to influence generations of musicians — from Talking Heads, LCD Soundsystem, Happy Mondays, Franz Ferdinand, ESG, Factory Floor and Andrew Weatherall.
You can also check out a four-track sampler from Mute below.
Along with the reissues, A Certain Ratio will play Manchester on December 16. You can get the show details here.
