A Certain Ratio announce new EP, out on 7 May 2021
A CERTAIN RATIO
ANNOUNCE NEW EP
OUT 7 MAY 2021
LISTEN TO THE FIRST TRACK, ‘WONDERLAND’“
ACR unquestionably rule” – MOJO
A Certain Ratio continue their unstoppable run of creativity with a new EP, launching today with ‘Wonderland’, the first track to be taken from ACR:EPA, out on Mute on 7 May 2021.
Back in early March 2020, ACR gathered at Oxygene in Salford for an informal weekend of studio time. With no fixed agenda and no preconceived ideas, the band – Martin Moscrop, Jez Kerr, Donald Johnson, Denise Johnson, Anthony Quigley and Matt Steele – entered the studio in part to celebrate completing the mix of their first new album in over a decade, ACR Loco. ‘Wonderland’ is unmistakably ACR, their fusing of genre is impossible to pin down but the rhythmic groove and Denise’s vocal evokes a dreamlike idyll:
ACR:EPA, is a four-track collection that centres around the studio jams with Denise Johnson. These sessions became their last together after the much-loved and much-missed artist passed away unexpectedly several months after the recordings. “We’re so happy with the results and the outcome and hopefully this release gives an insight into how much fun and energy Denise would always bring to a session when we recorded together.” – ACR
Spontaneity, creativity and the joy of performance permeate the tracks, and the energy and chemistry of the band are apparent in the recordings. ACR explain, “Denise was on top form and you will hear in places that she isn’t actually singing words because we hadn’t written all the lyrics yet. At the end of Down and Dirty (Jam0 2) you can hear us cheering in the background as Denise had completed yet another fantastic vocal take and was laughing and saying ‘I enjoyed that’. We wanted to keep all her laughter and our response in the track as it has such warmth and it highlights the real Denise, always laughing and smiling and full of passion.”
This EP is the first in a series that is set to continue with two further releases. ACR:EPC focusses on collaboration and is dedicated to Andrew Weatherall, who was in part responsible for the band reigniting, and ACR:EPR which they describe as “anything goes”! ACR are due to appear at the Wide Awake festival in September and later this year, will be continuing their run of unmissable dates with a winter tour – starting in Huddersfield on 3 November, with a show at London’s EartH on 13 November, finishing at Glasgow King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut on 17 November.
ACR LIVE – 20213
September – London, Wide Awake festival, Brockwell Park
3 Nov – Huddersfield, The Parish
4 Nov – Newcastle, St. Dom’s Social Clu
6 Nov – Stoke on Trent, Staffordshire, The Sugarmil
l7 Nov – York, The Crescent
9 Nov – Birmingham, Hare & Hounds
10 Nov – Southampton, Engine Rooms
11 Nov – Brighton, CHALK (formerly The Haunt)
12 Nov – Bristol, The Exchange
13 Nov – London, EartH
15 Nov – Preston, The Ferrett
16 Nov – Leeds, The Warehouse
17 Nov – Glasgow, King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut
ACR:EPA Tracklisting
Wonderland (Jam 6)
Keep it Together (Jam 5)
Down and Dirty (Jam 2
)Feel no Fear (Jam 1)
Pre-order ACR:EPA: https://mute.ffm.to/acrepa
ACR Loco – described by Uncut as “their best LP in decades” – was released in 2020.
RECENT PRAISE FOR ACR LOCO
“ACR Loco is riotous, life affirming and bristling with energy” – ELECTRONIC SOUND“A Certain Ratio found a powerful formula: paying heed to where they came from while keeping the door open for more all night parties in their future.” – PITCHFORK“A gloriously heady mix evoking the ecstatic spirit of a chemical haze” – METRO“…a distillation of the group’s entire career, a blend of funk, electro, indie guitar post-punk, acid house, rave-on Madchester and more…a serious party album.” – BROOKLYN VEGANBuy /listen to ACR Loco: https://mute.ffm.to/ACRLOCO“…pioneering groove alchemists” – THE QUIETUS “Cult punk funkateers” – UNCUT“… mould-breakers” – MOJO “… pioneering, criminally overlooked” – ELECTRONIC SOUND
A Certain Ratio + Mute = Good Together