A Certain Ratio

The Profile

A Certain Ratio are a British post-punk band formed in the Manchester area in 1977. Early signings to Factory Records, they fused punk’s edge with funk, jazz touches, and electronics, shaping a distinctive, danceable sound.

Formed in 1977 in Greater Manchester; closely associated with Factory Records; contemporaries of Joy Division and New Order; early recordings produced by Martin Hannett; noted tracks include Shack Up, Flight, and Knife Slits Water.

Two reviews hail A Certain Ratio’s To Each... for its cold, skeletal funk and trance-inducing polyrhythms. Martin Hannett’s production is spotlighted as key to the album’s immaterial, suspended sound. References nod to Manchester’s grey mood, Joy Division, and a grayer Talking Heads. Tracks like Back To The Start, The Fox, and Winter Hill draw special praise.