Mogwai detail new soundtrack record Atomic, air lead cut "U-235"

12 January 2016, 12:52 | Written by Laurence Day

(Tracks)

(Mogwai)

Mogwai are set to release a new record called Atomic, a selection of reworked music from their recent documentary soundtrack.

The album comprises new versions of music included on the OST for Atomic: Living In Dread and Promise, a 2015 BBC Four documentary constructed completely from archival footage about life in the nuclear age.

The documentary's director, Mark Cousins says of his film: “I’m a child of the nuclear age, and in my teens I had nightmares about the bomb. But physics was my favourite subject in school, and I nearly studied it at university. Learning about the atomic world excited me. It was like abstract Star Wars.”

Mogwai’s Stuart Braithwaite says of the film's music: “The Atomic soundtrack is one of the most intense and fulfilling projects we've taken on as a band. Ever since we went to Hiroshima to play and visited the peace park this has been a subject very close to us. The end results, both the film score and the record are pieces I'm extremely proud of.”

In November last year, longtime guitarist John Cummings departed the band to embark on new adventures.

Atomic is due to be released on 1 April by Rock Action. It follows their Central Belters compilation, which arrived in October 2015.

Live dates will be announced shortly.

Stream "U-235" below, and check out the LP's tracklist after.