“The album sounds fabulous: It gleams like a freshly cleaned dancefloor. Every hi-hat hiss and rhythm lick asserts itself. Re-imagining themselves as a benign interstitial force between their influences and imitators like !!! and LCD Soundsystem, ACR enter their fifth decade with the vigor of a young opening act confident about kicking the headliner’s ass” - Pitchfork
“1982’s charming and incredibly danceable blend of post-punk and funk continues the group’s efforts to ever-so-slightly update their sound by incorporating new elements and eschewing genre boundaries.” - Slant Magazine
“A Certain Ratio’s blend of knife-edge tension and funkateer abandon is a style that’s theirs and theirs only” - Uncut
Today A Certain Ratio have released their eagerly-anticipated new studio album, 1982, on vinyl, CD and digitally via Mute: https://mute.ffm.to/acr-1982
The album release follows the sharing of recent singles “Holy Smoke”, “SAMO” “Afro Dizzy” and “Waiting on a Train”
A Certain Ratio’s greatest strength has always been their unpredictability. “That’s what people like about us, they don’t know what’s coming next!” explains Jez Kerr. This new album manifests this in various ways, including the introduction of two new voices, the charismatic presence of Mancunian rapper Chunky (on “Waiting on a Train”) and one of Manchester’s fastest-rising neo-soul musicians Ellen Beth Abdi. You’ll recognize her from the ACR live line up in recent years, who has collaborated across the album and is already as central to the writing and recording process as the members who’ve been there since the ‘70s. On the track “Constant Curve”, ACR find themselves collaborating once again with dance music producer Emperor Machine, producing a track that can only be described as cosmic jazz punk. Martin says, "We have always been fans of Andy's work so to write and collaborate on a song with him was amazing" Since they emerged from the hallowed grounds of the late ‘70s punk scene, A Certain Ratio have moved with gleeful disregard for boundaries of style and genre, their eye fixed firmly on constant progression. It’s an ethos that’s open-minded over all else, and that’s seen them harness everything from experimental electronica to vintage funk, filtered through their own Mancunian lens.
Even by the band’s own standards, however, their latest studio album 1982 is multidimensional. It shoots off in every direction, whether via searing Afrobeat, mind-melting jazz breakdowns or moody electronic experiments. Recorded by the core ACR line up of Jez Kerr, Martin Moscrop and Donald Johnson, alongside Tony Quigley, Matthew Steele and Ellen Beth Abdi, the band’s pleasure at being together in the studio is audible.
And the album title? Although 1982 might conjure memories of the year that saw ACR put out both the acclaimed Sextet and the cult favorite I’d Like To See You Again, it’s more of a playful red herring than an invitation to nostalgia.
Looking backwards and forwards all at once, drawing on influences from across every spectrum, 1982 is a record that will reward a dedicated listener dozens of times over.
To celebrate the release of the album, A Certain Ratio will be embarking on a UK tour throughout April. Full Dates are listed below.
A CERTAIN RATIO 2023 UK TOUR DATES:
Before that, the band will be hosting a number of special Q&A / signing events in partnership with independent record shops in Manchester, Nottingham and London.
3/31/2023 – Manchester, Piccadilly Records – Q&A / signing
4/1/2023 – London, Rough Trade East - Q&A / signing
4/2/2023 – Nottingham, Rough Trade - Q&A / signing
Track listing:
1. Samo
2. Waiting On A Train
3. 1982
4. A Trip in Hulme
5. Tombo In M3
6. Constant Curve
7. Afro Dizzy
8. Holy Smoke
9. Tier 3
10. Ballad Of ACR
purchase or stream 1982: https://mute.ffm.to/acr-1982
CONNECT WITH A CERTAIN RATIO
FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | WEB
0 comments:
Post a Comment