The Hawk Is Howling is the sixth studio album by Mogwai released on September 22, 2008. It was recorded and produced by Andy Miller at Chem19 Studios (Hamilton, Scotland) and mixed by Garth Jones at Castle of Doom Studios (Glasgow, Scotland) between September 2007—March 2008. It contains all the extremity and dynamics fans have come to know of the band, but with a more curious array of rhythms and melodies, hinting a bit more than previous records at both their electronic and metal influences. Additionally, with only two songs under the five-minute mark, this is maybe their most "cinematic"-sounding record to date. This album marks the first release by Mogwai to be completely instrumental. In an interview with Scottish magazine The Skinny, Barry Burns explained: “It’s only if we have a song that doesn’t sound as if it’s finished that we’ll try and put samples, singing or spoken stuff over it. We just didn’t feel like it needed it this time. We’ve always been thought of as an instrumental band, and now, after ten years, we’ve finally delivered,”