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Artist
A Certain Ratio
12+ albums
post-punknew waveManchesterfunk80s
about
A Certain Ratio (aka ACR or A.C.R.) is a post-punk/funk band from Manchester, UK, formed in the late 1970s by Simon Topping, Jeremy Kerr, Martin Moscrop, Donald Johnson and Pete Terrell. Revitalised by their 40th anniversary tour, the band returned to the studio to record their first album in 12 years - Loco - released on Mute on 25 September 2020. Along with Gang of Four and The Pop Group, ACR are recognised as one of the first exponents of punk-funk, a style which fused the energy and aggression of punk rock with the rhythms and musicianship of funk and soul. In 1979, ACR released their debut single "All Night Party"/"The Thin Boys" on the late Tony Wilson's and the late Rob Gretton's Factory Records, Manchester's legendary DIY collective/record label. ACR's early sound consisted of repetitious, effects-heavy guitar lines over a funky rhythm section with Latin percussion and ethereal electronics, over which lay Simon Topping's dark, moody vocals. Examples of this can be heard on tracks such as 'Do The Du', 'The Fox' and 'Winter Hill'. The band were initially criticised as being 'style over substance', as much attention was paid to the band's stage clothing and album artwork, all carefully orchestrated by Factory boss Tony Wilson. But ACR nevertheless gained a large following. They completed visits to the US, where their music was popular particularly in the clubs of New York. Early albums include "To Each..." and the studio/live album "The Graveyard And The Ballroom".
