Mogwai have released a machinima-style music video for their latest song, “Ritchie Sacramento.” It’s the second single from their upcoming album As the Love Continues, due February 19 via Temporary Residence Ltd. / Rock Action.

Although they’re best known as a ‘post-rock’ band, Mogwai have also drawn from a lot of other influences, including ambient, electronic music and shoegaze. While the majority of their music is instrumental, they have begun to release more songs with vocals. “Ritchie Sacramento” sits on the fuzzy guitar spectrum and features a dreamy vocal part. It has a mellow but memorable chorus, with the lyrics “Disappear in the sun/All gone, all gone/It took awhile just to think/Of home, of home.”

Frontman Stuart Braithwaite explained the title and lyrical content in a statement, “‘Ritchie Sacramento’’s title came from a misunderstanding a friend of ours had about how to say ‘Ryuichi Sakamoto.’ The lyrics were inspired by a story Bob Nastanovich shared about his friend and bandmate David Berman who proclaimed ‘Rise Crystal Spear’ as he threw a shovel at a sports car.” He also mentioned that the song is dedicated to all musician friends they lost over the years, such as Berman, who passed away in 2019.

Director Sam Wiehl used Unreal Engine characters and NatureManufacture environments to build a video game-like world for the music video. In it, masses of people move towards a glowing sphere of light and begin to rise into the air. It’s a fittingly dreamy concept for the song, and there are plenty of surreal details blended in.

Their previous single, “Dry Fantasy,” an atmospheric instrumental with icy synths, came out in October 2020. They recently announced a live stream performance of the album for February 13, a week before it officially releases. It will be their tenth studio album, following up 2017’s Every Country’s Sun.

Photo credit: Raymond Flotat