A Certain Ratio are celebrating two anniversaries this year: 45 years since they went into Revolution Studios in Cheadle Hulme, Stockport to record Sextet (1982) and 40 years since the release of the 1986 album Force, they will mark the occasion with companion releases for each of the albums on August 28, followed by a tour in October 2026. We’re celebrating these two milestones with this tour, to say we are very excited is an understatement. It will be a real challenge, which we’ve already started preparing for, with nine months to go! We will be playing two sets with no support.”

Sextet was ACR’s third studio album and showed a whole new side to the band. It was described on release as “… an album of the present, killing the present and agreeably ignoring the future.” The line-up for Sextet features Martha “Tilly” Tilson, who the band had met in New York while they were recording To Each…Tilly’s lyrics, Jez Kerr explains, “reflect her take on life in Manchester, “walk along the waterline, see the ships passing by, grey skies, still water”.

The LP has been given a brand-new mix by long-time collaborator Andy Meecham (The Emperor Machine) from the original album session tapes. Talking about the process, Meecham explains, “Taking on an epic album like this involved pushing up the faders again from the original 1981 2”multitracks adding some new dynamics while recapturing the sound of 1981 without losing the original raw energy and feel.”

Force, the band’s fifth studio album – followed in several years later and stands as one of their most commercial albums. Force Majeure is a newly compiled 9-track album that gives fans a deep dive into the world that ACR inhabited 40 years ago, with unreleased original versions of tracks including ‘Force’ the title track, which didn’t appear on the 80s release. The album was produced by ACR and the late Stuart (Jammer) James, who presented the band with long forgotten 4 track recordings he’d made of tracks that would go on to be on the album. Martin Moscrop explains, “Stuart helped us record the tracks to review the songs for a possible album, to work on arrangements and practice playing them live. Listening to the recordings many years later I was surprised at how good they sounded, so we decided to share them with everyone for this Force companion album”.

A Certain Ratio
The Joy of Sextet
tracklisting
Mute Records

Lucinda (EM)
Crystal (EM Night Version)
Gum (EM)
Knife Slits Water (EM)
Tumba Rhumba (EM)
Day One (EM)
Below the Canal (EM)
Waterline (EM Dub)
Knife Slits Water (EM 12” Version)

A Certain Ratio
Force Majeure
tracklisting
Mute Records

Only Together (FM)
Bootsy (FM)
Naked and White (FM)
And Then She Smiles (FM)
Take Me Down (FM)
Anthem (FM)
The Runner (FM)
Force (FM)
Nostromo A Go Go (FM)

Sextet and Force Tour 2026

7 Oct – Birmingham, Castle and Falcon
8 Oct – Bristol, Exchange
9 Oct – London, Dingwalls
10 Oct – Lewes, Con Club
13 Oct – Newcastle, The Cloony
14 Oct – Edinburgh, The Voodoo Rooms
15 Oct – Glasgow, Oran Mor
16 Oct – Blackpool, Bootleg Social
17 Oct – Leeds, Brudenell Social Cub
22 Oct – Hebden Bridge, The Trades – SOLD OUT
23 Oct – Stoke, Sugarmill
24 Oct – Manchester, Band on The Wall – SOLD OUT
25 Oct – Manchester Band on The Wall – NEW DATE ADDED

order tickets for A Certain Ratio HERE