A Certain Ratio share new ‘Knife Slits Water’ mix and 2026 tour dates
A Certain Ratio share a new mix of “Knife Slits Water” and UK tour dates, before the Mute reissues “The Joy of Sextet” and “Force Majeure” on 28 August.
A Certain Ratio, the Manchester post-punk and funk group, have shared a new Emperor Machine mix of “Knife Slits Water”, the lead track from two anniversary reissues due on Mute on 28 August 2026. The band also confirmed a UK autumn tour playing both records in full.
Table of contents
The two Mute reissues behind ‘Knife Slits Water’
The new “Knife Slits Water” is a 12-inch version rebuilt by Andy Meecham of The Emperor Machine from the original 1981 tapes. It sits on “The Joy of Sextet”, a companion to the 1982 album “Sextet”, whose nine tracks Meecham newly mixed from the original multitracks. The second reissue, “Force Majeure”, reworks the 1986 album “Force” and adds previously unreleased versions produced by the band with the late Stuart James, including the title track “Force” that was left off the original. Both arrive on 28 August 2026 on Mute, on limited coloured vinyl, CD and digital.
Meecham describes the work on the Sextet material as a return to the source tapes: “A labour of love, one I would undertake again in a heartbeat.” The band announced the two companion albums earlier in 2026, and the group previously worked with Meecham on his reworking of “Constant Curve” in 2023. Full details of the pair sit in Side-Line’s earlier report on the two Mute companion albums.
Tour dates for A Certain Ratio in 2026
The band will play two sets with no support on the autumn run. As A Certain Ratio put it, “We will be playing two sets with no support.” Confirmed dates:
- 7 October – Birmingham, Castle and Falcon
- 8 October – Bristol, Exchange
- 9 October – London, Dingwalls
- 10 October – Lewes, Con Club
- 13 October – Newcastle, The Cluny
- 14 October – Edinburgh, The Voodoo Rooms (Scotland)
- 15 October – Glasgow, Oran Mor (Scotland)
- 16 October – Blackpool, Bootleg Social
- 17 October – Leeds, Brudenell Social Club
- 22 October – Hebden Bridge, The Trades Club (sold out)
- 23 October – Stoke, Sugarmill
- 24 October – Manchester, Band on the Wall (sold out)
- 25 October – Manchester, Band on the Wall
- 1 November – Nottingham, JT Soar
About A Certain Ratio
A Certain Ratio formed in Manchester in 1977 and built an early catalogue on Factory Records, mixing post-punk with funk, Latin and electronics. “Sextet”, their 1982 album, reached number one on the UK Independent Chart; “Force” followed in 1986. Long-running members Jez Kerr, Donald Johnson and Martin Moscrop continue the group today with Martha “Tilly” Tilson.
The band later moved to Mute, which reissued their catalogue and released new studio work. “The Joy of Sextet” and “Force Majeure”, with the new “Knife Slits Water” mix, extend that relationship into the anniversaries of the two 1980s albums.
Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!
Since you’re here …
… we have a small favour to ask. More people are reading Side-Line Magazine than ever but advertising revenues across the media are falling fast. Unlike many news organisations, we haven’t put up a paywall – we want to keep our journalism as open as we can - and we refuse to add annoying advertising. So you can see why we need to ask for your help.
Side-Line’s independent journalism takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce. But we do it because we want to push the artists we like and who are equally fighting to survive.
If everyone who reads our reporting, who likes it, helps fund it, our future would be much more secure. For as little as 5 US$, you can support Side-Line Magazine – and it only takes a minute. Thank you.
The donations are safely powered by Paypal.
