Glasgow post rock veterans Mogwai have scaled the heights of the UK’s Official Albums Chart, reaching Number 1 for the first time with their tenth studio record ‘As The Love Continues’.

The Lanarkshire-formed four-piece had faced a tense week as it became clear that they were contenders for the top slot, with rapper Ghetts eventually finishing at number 2, despite taking to the streets of central London in an armoured tank to promote his third long-player ‘Conflict Of Interest’.

Eventually he was forced to concede defeat in the race for the top, but with some class, tweeting “Big congrats to @mogwaiband 25 years in a game where longevity isn’t easily achieved. Salute”. Mogwai responded accordingly.

Mogwai finished the week just 2,900 chart sales ahead of Ghetts, 25 years after the release of their debut single ‘Tuner’/’Lower’.

That 7″ was self-released on their own Rock Action label and while many of their early and seminal releases were on Glasgow indie Chemikal Underground, as well as PIAS, Matador, and Sub Pop, the quartet have been independently releasing their music since 2011’s ‘Hardcore Will Never Die, but You Will’.

‘As The Love Continues’ is also the week’s best selling vinyl album and the top seller in UK independent record shops.

Speaking to OfficialCharts.com, the band said: “We’re unbelievably happy to have the Number 1 album in the UK. We want to thank everyone at Rock Action Records – both of you – and mostly to thank everyone who has bought, downloaded and streamed the album, and supported us over the last week, and the last 25 years. It’s something we’re amazed by. We’re taken aback by everyone’s support, kindness and generosity.

“It is 25 years this week since the release of our first single ‘Tuner’/’Lower’, the first release on our own label Rock Action Records. We didn’t start the band or the label to get into the charts. None of us ever envisaged either the band or the label being in a position where having a Number 1 record would be a possibility.

“We started the label with a loan of £400 from my now-brother in law. Martin’s folks generously helped us out by paying for the studio to record the songs. We were just kids that wanted to make an amazing noise and get our record played on John Peel. Amazingly John did play the record, and one thing led to another to get us to the point we’re at now. It’s been an incredible journey making music together over the last quarter century, taking us to places we never dreamed of and getting to play our music to more people than we ever imagined.”

More at mogwai.scot.