Photo by Debbie Ellis

Tracing the rhythm that connects A Certain Ratio to a wider creative world

My first encounter with A Certain Ratio came through people who shaped my ear long before I understood how influence works. A record placed on a turntable in 1982, a room shifting into a different atmosphere, and the opening of Showcase revealing a sound that felt both sharp and warm. The rhythm carried a sense of movement that refused to settle. It created a space that stayed open.

A Certain Ratio emerged from Manchester at a moment when the city was searching for new forms. Their early work carried the raw edges of post punk, yet they moved with a sense of rhythm that pointed toward funk, jazz and electronic experimentation. Factory Records recognised that instinct early and gave them the freedom to explore it. The result was a catalogue that feels restless, curious and always in motion.

There is a familiar energy between Manchester and Rotterdam. Both cities exist just outside the spotlight of their capitals, and that distance creates room for new ideas. They are work‑driven, direct, shaped by migration and industry, and open to hybrid forms. In places like these, culture grows from friction rather than tradition. A Certain Ratio carries that instinct, and it is an instinct I recognise in the creative undercurrent of Rotterdam.

Their blend of funk, post punk, electronics and avant garde elements creates a sound that feels alive. It grows from instinct rather than structure. Tracks like Showcase, Touch, Houses in Motion and Yo Yo Gi, to name a few, show how they shape rhythm into a language of their own. Even in their visual work, such as the clip for Houses in Motion, you can sense that same openness and willingness to move beyond genre.

Over the years I began to recognise a similar instinct in certain people around me. They listened with curiosity, moved through art with confidence and followed an inner rhythm that did not depend on trends. Their presence shaped the way I hear A Certain Ratio. It created a quiet line between personal memory and musical discovery.

A Certain Ratio continues to create with that same clarity. Their recent work feels connected to their early sound without repeating it. It grows from an inner logic that remains intact. Their music moves through time with a calm certainty. It reminds me that influence often arrives in small moments. A record in a living room. A conversation. A gesture. A rhythm that stays.

A Certain Ratio remains active and continues to evolve. The band records, performs and releases new work through Mute Records, the label that supports their current creative phase. Their sound has grown warmer and more expansive while keeping the instinctive pulse that defined their early Factory Records period. They tour with a steady presence, attract new listeners and maintain a loyal community that has followed them for decades. Their longevity feels natural rather than nostalgic. They move forward with the same curiosity that shaped their earliest recordings, and that sense of motion keeps their music alive.

This piece is a reflection on that line. A Certain Ratio opened a door that has never closed. Their sound continues to resonate and to shape the way I listen. It is a frequency that remains present, steady and alive.