See Khruangbin Float Through a Surreal World in Animated ‘Pelota’ Video

Khruangbin have released the new video for their latest song, “Pelota.” It’s the third single from the Texas trio’s upcoming album, Mordechai, which arrives on June 26th via Dead Oceans in association with Night Time Stories.

In the animated, Hugo Rodrigues Rodriguez-directed clip, which was written by Alvaro Sotomayor and produced by Glassworks Creative Studio, animated versions of the bandmates are seen floating and performing through a surreal world.

The visual for the Spanish-sung “Pelota,” which translates into “Ball” in English, features several spherical shapes — from the sun to one that morphs into a face and planets. Over the guitar-led, polyrhythmic and handclapped buoyed track, the band envisions themselves as balls as they process and observe the world. “Ahorita yo puedo ser una pelota,” they sing on the hook (“Right now I can be the ball”).

Khruangbin — Laura Lee Ochoa, Mark Speer, and Donald “DJ” Johnson — said the song is “loosely based on a Japanese movie” in a statement.

“Pelota” follows their previously released Mordechai singles, “So We Won’t Forget” and “Time (You and I).” Mordechai is the follow-up to 2018’s Con Todo El Mundo. In February, Khruangbin teamed up with Leon Bridges for their collaborative EP, Texas Sun.