Progressive symphonic metal band SCARDUST have released their own rendition of Clean Bandit’s “Symphony,” featuring electric violinist Mia Asano and Noa Gruman’s Hellscore Choir. The single is available now via Frontiers Music Srl alongside an official music video.
The new version transforms the original pop track through SCARDUST’s combination of progressive metal, orchestral arrangements and choral vocals, with Asano’s electric violin taking a prominent role in the arrangement.
Based in Los Angeles, Asano has developed a style combining classical violin with rock, metal, Celtic and electronic influences. A Berklee College of Music graduate, she has collaborated with artists including Ministry, DragonForce, Lindsey Stirling, Tina Guo, and Taylor Davis, and previously toured European arenas with Two Steps From Hell.
For SCARDUST, the collaboration grew naturally after sharing the road with Asano during Sabaton’s Legendary tour.
The band comments:
“‘Symphony’ by Clean Bandit has always felt like such a beautiful and emotional song, and we immediately felt it had the potential to become something very SCARDUST — combining prog metal, the Hellscore Choir, and Mia’s incredible violin playing.”
They continue:
“Sharing the adventure of Sabaton’s Legendary tour this last winter with Mia made us want to create something together again, and this song felt like the perfect opportunity.”
Watch the music video for “Symphony”:
SCARDUST Bring a Bittersweet Perspective to “Symphony”
While Clean Bandit’s original recording approaches “Symphony” as a love song, SCARDUST interpreted its themes through a different emotional lens, focusing on longing, belonging and the barriers that can keep people apart.
“While the original song is a love song, we connected with it from a more bittersweet perspective: that deep longing to belong, to be together with someone, or to be part of something, while feeling that there is a barrier keeping you apart.”
That interpretation informed the entire arrangement, from the band’s performances and Hellscore’s choral contributions to Asano’s violin solo and the visual direction of the accompanying video.
SCARDUST also worked with producer and orchestrator Joost van den Broek to develop the track’s cinematic elements.
“Working with the legendary Joost van den Broek on the production and orchestration was a huge part of bringing this vision to life. It feels like a very natural meeting point between everything we love about SCARDUST and everything Mia brings as a musician — dramatic, emotional, cinematic, and deeply human.”
SCARDUST will donate proceeds from the release to the Foundation for Prader-Willi Research.
From Sands of Time to Souls
SCARDUST first emerged with their Shadow EP in 2015 before releasing their debut full-length, Sands of Time, in 2017. The band subsequently expanded beyond their local scene through international touring, festival appearances and shows alongside acts including Symphony X, Therion, Epica, Blind Guardian, and others.
Their sophomore album, Strangers, arrived in 2020 and presented a concept built around complementary pairs of songs. The record was accompanied by seven self-produced music videos.
In 2022, hurdy-gurdy player Patty Gurdy joined SCARDUST for a performance in Israel and appeared in the band’s “Concrete Cages” video. That year also saw the group perform at European festivals including Wacken Open Air and Dong Open Air.
SCARDUST followed with “Game of Now” in 2023 before touring with Blind Guardian and signing a multi-album agreement with Frontiers.
The band’s latest album, Souls, expands their progressive and symphonic foundations through orchestral, Mediterranean and Celtic influences. The record features the Hellscore choir and a string quartet alongside guest appearances from Ross Jennings of Haken and Ally Storch of Subway to Sally, as well as contributions from a Turkish orchestra and the TLV Orchestra.
Hellscore’s Growing Presence in Metal
Alongside her role as SCARDUST’s vocalist, Noa Gruman leads the metal choir Hellscore, whose arrangements and performances have become an integral part of SCARDUST’s recordings and live shows.
The choir has also collaborated with artists including Epica, Therion, Amorphis, and Alestorm.
Gruman herself has appeared as a guest vocalist on releases by artists including Amorphis, Ayreon, Therion, Gloryhammer, Nino Helfrich, and Orphaned Land.
With “Symphony,” SCARDUST bring these different elements together in a single arrangement, combining the band’s progressive metal foundation, Hellscore’s choral presence and Asano’s electric violin with the melodic core of the original song.
SCARDUST Are
Noa Gruman — Vocals
Gal Gabriel Israel — Guitar
Aaron Friedland — Keyboards
Orr Didi — Bass
Yoav Weinberg — Drums
“Symphony” featuring Mia Asano is available now via Frontiers Music Srl.