Bringing electronic music to the physical realm, genre-bending drummer Ian Chang is set to release his debut EP Spiritual Leader on  September 22. An acclaimed drumming virtuoso known for his work in Son Lux and Landlady, Chang uses his kit to control and manipulate samples resulting in a seamless synthesis of raw performative intensity and sophisticated sound design.

The process began in 2015 when Chang was beta-testing Sunhouse’s Sensory Percussion, culminating in a psychedelic lightshow of a video and track entitled 'Spiritual Leader.' Since then, Chang has honed his creative voice in gearing up to release his debut with Kowloon Records. The EP explores the relationship between human and machine, exuding an intuitive physicality meshingoff-kilter rhythmic ideas with hypnotic textures and exploring the edges of IDM, ambient, free jazz,and much more with futuristic creative abandon.

Born and raised in Hong Kong, Chang was shaped by the city’s diversity and vibrancy. He moved to New York in 2007 to pursue music and has to date recorded and/or performed with such varied artists as SonLux, Landlady, Joan As Policewoman, Body Language, Matthew Dear, Dave Douglas, Rafiq Bhatia, Rubblebucket and Moses Sumney.

He had this to say on latest single ‘Inhaler: "The initial seed for ‘Inhaler’ was planted when we did a sampling session with Kristin Slipp (Cuddle Magic, Mmeadows) doing wild and wonderful things with her voice. Those sounds provided the core sonic identity for the song—an ode to my trusty muted blue inhaler, which kept my asthma under control on the playground and in P.E.”

 Tracklist :1. Inhaler / 2. Romeo / 3. ASMR / 4. 古箏 / 5. Quarry / 6. Spiritual Leader

A Certain Ratio and Mute are pleased to announce the launch of a long awaited series of reissues, out on November 24. The series will launch with the reissue of a selection of the Manchester band’s albums and will continue into 2018 with a compilation in April, followed by further releases and a rarities box set.

The first albums set for release on 24 November 2017 include the band’s debut release, The Graveyard And The Ballroom, which originally came out on Factory Records in December 1979. The album will be available here on limited edition vinyl with coloured PVC sleeve, CD and, mirroring its original release, on cassette. In addition, albums To Each (1981), and Force (1986) will be released on coloured vinyl and CD.

November 24

The Graveyard And The Ballroom – Vinyl with limited edition colour PVC sleeve / CD / cassette (Limited to 500 packaged in coloured PVC sleeve, includes digital copy)

To Each – Limited edition red vinyl / CD

Force – Limited edition yellow vinyl / CD

All vinyl releases include digital copies

Following a series of festival dates that included Dekmantel, Amsterdam and Baleapop, France plus an incredible performance in London earlier in the year, the band will close 2017 with a special performance in their hometown, Manchester, on 16 December to support the releases.

16 Dec - Manchester 02 Ritz with Gramme – tickets available from here  

In 2018 the rest of the A Certain Ratio’s catalogue will be re-released, including the long out of print albums Good Together and acr:mcr.

23 FEBRUARY 2018

I’d Like To See You Again - vinyl / CD

Good Together - vinyl / CD

acr:mcr - vinyl / CD