Clean Bandit – Shaping a new landscape with violins and synth blips

Photo: http://cleanbandit.co.uk/

By Chris Billingham 

“Op 132, the Beethoven string quartet, has the biggest drop on any song I've ever heard” 

…What? 

The above sentence is definitely one that you have to allow your eyes to adjust to for a second. I just haven’t heard classical music talked about in this way before. But is it an exciting, modern fusion or a clash of artistic genres?

Phrases and words such as “drop” are part of modern musical language: the quotation comes from a Guardian interview with Clean Bandit, a classical/dance crossover act founded at the University of Cambridge and about to release their first album next month. The album will feature the songs ‘Mozart’s House’, “Dust Clears’ and ‘Rather Be’, the single that gave the band mainstream success when it entered the UK singles chart at number one in January. How has the classical music world reacted to this crossover act? According to band member Grace Chatto, “in general, they've been positive. We were invited to collaborate with the OAE who are top-notch string players. We've also been asked to perform at the Lewes Chamber Music Festival - they want us to form a quartet and gradually bring drums in to make it a dance thing”. However, the band also admits that a small number of people have taken offence, claiming that sampling classical music is “wrong”. 

Photo: @cleanbandit

Are they correct? If creating music and art is about experimenting, using new technology and techniques to interpret things in a new way, then in many ways the work of Clean Bandit can be compared to placing a piano in St Pancras Station or blindfolding audiences and creating multisensory performance, as they present audiences with classical music in a unique and innovative way. The band doesn’t dress it up, however: the songs are catchy dance records that arguably suit a nightclub more than a Wigmore chamber audience. Perhaps this is the reason some members of the classical community object; instead of just showcasing classical music in a new way, they have edited its genre, so it becomes a                                                                        classical/dance crossover. 

Another element of Clean Bandit’s work that makes them one of the most important upcoming acts we have in the country is their ability to introduce new audiences to classical music, albeit in an altered form. Educating people about music is one of the most important aspects of the work we undertake at Southern Sinfonia and we’ve discussed ways to introduce younger audiences to music in the blog. However, adapting stories into music and the Doctor Who prom won’t have the same reach as number one singles and airtime on mainstream radio stations. Mozart’s String Quartet No.21 isn’t hidden within the single ‘Mozart’s House’; it is presented proudly and beautifully, a bespoke move for electronic music, potentially inspiring new audiences to listen to the full, original piece. As well as this, the instrumentation of ‘Rather Be’ combines a violin and piano with video game style synth blips – surely this is a truly exciting use of instrumentation?

Will Clean Bandit change the classical music landscape? Probably not, but they don’t give the impression that they particularly want to change it, after all “the biggest drop on any song I've ever heard” shows their sympathy for, and awareness of, classical music, which they then reflect in every song. The key thing is this awareness is put forward in a unique, modern way – whilst this won’t change the landscape, it could enhance it and create a whole new audience. Ultimately, whatever the genre, we’ve argued before that being aware of, and educated in, the origins and ‘nuts and bolts’ of music can only help to inform a songwriter or performer; Clean Bandit are a group which has this in abundance.

To find out more about Southern Sinfonia, our work and other upcoming concerts, please visit our website, Facebook or Instagram.