NOT CONTENT to rest on their laurels following the release of ACR Loco, that rich, irresistible return of an album from September, A Certain Ratio have just dropped the animated video for a new single, “YoYoGrip”: yes, that’s right, two of the highlight tracks from that album blended sweetly in a soundclash orchestrated by UK faders wizard Jacknife Lee.
The brilliant accompanying animation, which you can watch below, was put together by visual artist Griff, using Japanese Kinnikuman wrestler figurines from the 1980s.
“YoYo Grip” was conceived in collaboration after ACR heard him drop their track “Lucinda” on a 6Music guest mix and got in touch. It takes that none-more-punk funk, addictive bassline from “YoYoGi” and marries it beautifully to the vocal hook from Maria Uzor of Sink Ya Teeth, excised from fellow ACR Loco track “Get A Grip”.
ACR say of this latest creative high: “Seeing that Jacknife Lee had produced and mixed some of the biggest artists in the world – U2, REM, The Killers, Editors, Taylor Swift, Bloc Party, Robbie Williams – it was a bit of a curveball for us, but we like the unexpected and we’re glad we took the chance.
“[He] took two songs that were totally different tempos and keys – one is a 99 bpm funk chugger and the other is a 126bpm banger aimed at the dancefloor – and joined them up perfectly using the best elements of each song.”
Jacknife Lee expands: “When I was a kid in Dublin, my older brother Derek bought ‘Shack Up’ and we listened to it so much it embedded itself into our DNA. We learnt how to play it, formed bands and we played ‘Shack Up’ in the school halls.
“It was a thrill to me to make the connection with ACR and I’m ecstatic that the collaboration worked.”
Casting the veil aside from the crystal ball and looking ahead to next year, tickets are now on sale for their winter tour – it may be a year away, but it will so be worth the wait. The dates are as follows – click through for tickets and more information on each show:
November 3rd, 2021, Huddersfield, The Parish;
November 4th, Newcastle, St Dom’s Social Club;
November 5th, Manchester, Gorilla;
November 6th, Stoke-on-Trent, The Sugarmill;
November 7th, York, The Crescent;
November 9th, Birmingham, Hare & Hounds;
November 10th, Southampton, Engine Rooms;
November 11th, Brighton, CHALK (formerly The Haunt);
November 12th, Bristol, The Exchange;
November 13th London, EartH, Hackney;
November 15th, Preston, The Ferrett;
November 16th, Leeds, The Warehouse, and
November 17th, Glasgow, King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut.
A Certain Ratio’s ACR Loco is available now on CD, cassette and limited edition coloured vinyl, the colour of which will be a randomly packed white, blue, red and turquoise, each colour of varying pressing numbers. Order yours via Mute, here.
