A+E (song)

For the Goldfrapp song, see A&E (song).
"A+E"
Single by Clean Bandit featuring Kandaka Moore & Nikki Cislyn
from the album New Eyes
B-side "Nightingale"
Released 7 December 2012
Format Digital download
Genre
Length 3:03 (single version)
4:06 (album version)
Label Black Butter Records
Writer(s)
  • Jack Patterson
  • Grace Chatto
Producer(s) Jack Patterson
Clean Bandit singles chronology
"UK Shanty"
(2012)		 "A+E"
(2012)		 "Mozart's House"
(2013)

"A+E" is the debut single by British electronic group Clean Bandit, featuring vocals by Kandaka Moore and Nikki Cislyn. It was released on 7 December 2012 as the first single from their debut album, New Eyes. The song peaked at number 100 on the UK Singles Chart,[1] but received mixed critical reception. The song's music video contains a CGI snake.

Background

The track was written by Jack Patterson while he was waiting for fellow band member Grace Chatto in the accident and emergency department[2] of Whittington Hospital, North London.[3] The track was originally released in 2012[4] as a double A-Side with "Nightingale". Both tracks feature Cislyn; only A&E features Moore.[5]

The track was recorded in Clean Bandit's studio in South Kilburn, London. Moore and Cislyn were recruited from a local community singing and dancing group next to South Kilburn Studios;[6] the studios had a scheme in which artists could use the studios for free if a trainee was taken on.[5]

Music video

The music video contains a CGI snake. Band member Jack Patterson taught himself CGI animation for the video.[7] He had had the idea for a snake for a year previously, and said that "it was quite daunting having to make it a reality learning how to use 3D animation software on the hoof". The video contains two dancers, Rhys Dennis and Kandaka Moore, who – over the course of two hours – were painted gold (using stop-frame animation, the whole process takes about 25 seconds) and then went into central London.[8]

Critical reception

Critical reception was mixed. MTVIggy.com said that the song was "a funky hodgepodge of elements from the soul-sangin’ vocalists, calypso-flecked xylophone chimes and sharp snare drum beats".[9] Joe Zadeh from Clash magazine called it "a throwaway ode to UK funky".[10]

Track listing

Digital download
No. Title Length
1. "A+E"   3:03
2. "Nightingale"   2:44
3. "A+E" (Alexis Raphael Remix) 8:03
4. "Nightingale" (Gorgon City Remix) 6:13

Charts

Chart (2014) Peak
position
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)[11] 100

References

  1. ↑ "UK Charts Plus" (538).
  2. ↑ New Eyes (booklet). Clean Bandit. Atlantic Records.
  3. ↑ Kate Mossman (2014-06-01). "New Eyes review – Clean Bandit's classical-dance fusion | Music | The Observer". Theguardian.com. Retrieved 2014-06-05.
  4. ↑ "A+E - Clean Bandit | Releases". AllMusic. Retrieved 2014-06-05.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Dingwall, John (2014-04-25). "Clean Bandit on their success with chart topper Rather Be and owing success to dodgy Russian bootlegs". Daily Record. Retrieved 2014-06-05.
  6. ↑ "Clean Bandit - A&E | Black Butter Records". Black-butter.co.uk. 2013-07-18. Retrieved 2014-06-05.
  7. ↑ Harriet Gibsone. "Clean Bandit - Extraordinary: video premiere | Music". The Guardian. Retrieved 2014-06-05.
  8. ↑ "Clean Bandit - A&E | Videos | Clash Magazine". Clashmusic.com. 2012-06-27. Retrieved 2014-06-05.
  9. ↑ Music Video (2014-01-27). "Clean Bandit — "A&E (Random Acts)"". Mtv Iggy. Retrieved 2014-06-05.
  10. ↑ "Clean Bandit - New Eyes | Reviews | Clash Magazine". Clashmusic.com. 2012-06-27. Retrieved 2014-06-05.
  11. ↑ Zywietz, Tobias. "Chart Log UK – 2012". Zobbel. Retrieved 26 September 2014.