Kaiser Chiefs - Ruby

FEB 19 2007 · 12:00

Kaiser Chiefs - Ruby (2007) Director: Stylewar Era: Post-Punk Revival / Britpop Second Wave (2007) - Peak of mid-2000s UK indie rock mainstream crossover, characterised by anthemic guitar-pop and high-concept CGI-assisted music video production High curatorial value as a confirmed award-winning video (2007 Q Awards Best Video) that represents the commercial and creative zenith of the mid-2000s UK indie rock boom. The Stylewar-directed CGI concept remains visually distinctive and technically ambitious for its budget tier, making it an essential archive document of both the era's aesthetic ambitions and the Kaiser Chiefs' cultural moment. Context: Released in early 2007, 'Ruby' arrived at the apex of the mid-2000s British indie rock resurgence, when bands from the NME circuit such as Arctic Monkeys, Franz Ferdinand, and Kaiser Chiefs dominated UK charts. The single became Kaiser Chiefs' first UK number-one, reaching the top on 25 February 2007, and ended the year as the 10th best-selling single in the UK with over 313,765 copies sold. The CGI-heavy concept video, depicting a miniature city growing around a band performing in a desert, signalled a new ambition in indie music video production budgets, moving the genre beyond simple live-performance promos toward cinematic spectacle. The video's Best Video win at the 2007 Q Awards cemented its status as a benchmark of the era's visual output. Director notes: Directed by Stylewar (Swedish production company); film producer Mungo Maclagan; released under B-Unique Records / Polydor, 2007. The concept places the full-size band performing in a barren desert landscape while a miniature CGI metropolis is constructed around them by tiny animated human figures, illustrating rapid urban development engulfing everyday life. The video was originally scheduled for Channel 4 broadcast on 15 January 2007 but was pulled for unknown reasons; it ultimately premiered on the official Kaiser Chiefs website on 19 January 2007. The video won Best Video at the 2007 Q Awards.