Clean Bandit: 10 dance songs that classical fans have to hear

26 June 2014, 16:28 | Updated: 1 July 2014, 13:35

With their new single, 'Come Over', due out in August, we convinced the string quartet turned chart-topping dance poppers Clean Bandit to give us their top 10 dance music songs that classical music fans have to hear - and they only picked two of their own…

1. Clean Bandit featuring Love Ssega - Mozart's House

Grace Chatto: "The chorus of this song is the first phrase of Mozart's D Major String Quartet, K. 575. Another part of the quartet returns as a breakdown later in the song. Love Ssega's lyrics touch on a journey to Mozart's House, and use various Italian musical terms."

 

2. Robyn S - Show Me Love

GC: "This is a classic dance tune from the 90s that we play in our set. We play the synth line on violin and cello and it works quite well!"

 

3. Hudson Mohawke - Fuse

GC: "The song is wonderful and everyone should hear it. Neil got obsessed with it when we were at university and I lived above him. Through the ceiling I would constantly hear either this, or him playing his violin."

 

4. Clean Bandit ft. Noonie Bao - Rihanna

GC: "This song features the opening phrase from Mozart's tumultuous D minor string quartet. But the rest of the instrumental track is light and jaunty. The lyrics are nostalgic and sung by our wonderful Swedish friend, Noonie Bao."

 

5. Rosie Gaines - Closer Than Close

GC: "This is another classic 90s tune, and we love the beat. A lot of modern dance music that is currently in the pop charts has taken influence from this song. You can hear it in the music of Disclosure, and also in our song 'Rather Be'."

 

6. Ramadanman – Don’t Change For Me

Neil Amin-Smith: "This is beautifully written and structured electronic music and makes nonsense of the claim that dance music lacks soul."

 

7. Joy Orbison - So Derobe

NA-S: "The listener is made to wait so long for harmonic resolution in this, and the vocal samples are just perfectly employed."

 

8. My Nu Leng - Master Plan

NA-S: "Perhaps not an obvious choice for classical music fans, but I defy anyone to hear the percussion in this and not want to dance."

 

9. Disclosure ft. London Grammar - Help Me Lose My Mind

NA-S: "Hannah Reid's voice is gorgeous and so is the melody in this."

 

10. Ten Walls - Requiem

NA-S: "This is what all deep house should be. Classical music fans can decide whether they prefer this or Verdi and Mozart's requiems."

Clean Bandit's new single, 'Come Over', is out on August 8th. Listen to it on SoundCloud.