Q&A: Journey to the Colorful Past, Present, and Future with French duo Polo & Pan and their Marvelous Sophomore Release 'Cyclorama'
EN ROUTE OUT OF ONE OF THE HARDEST AND STRANGEST YEARS OF OUR COLLECTIVE MEMORY - the already iconic French duo Polo & Pan have gifted the world with an auroral and introspective album to raise our spirits and help us appreciate the space we hold in this life. Titled Cyclorama, it is a culmination of their classic smooth electronic sound and bright new concepts, elevating their music even further. As they are about to embark on a tour spanning both the US and Europe, Polo & Pan gave us some insights into Cyclorama as well as their creative process, new tracks and themselves as artists.
When asked about classic Hollywood films that have inspired them, French duo sweethearts Polo & Pan mused about The Wizard of Oz, having even paid homage to it with their 2014 release “Dorothy”. This is a more than fitting description of their sound and style; listening to their sophomore release Cyclorama conjures up the same images and emotions of watching Dorothy enter The Land of Oz for the first time. There is suddenly color and a sense of magic, a strange comfort in experiencing something so lovely. The duo have mastered a classic motif in their music as well, their electronic sound familiar yet futuristic. Beloved and timeless, much like Dorothy’s journey to Oz.
Polo & Pan consists of Parisian gentlemen Paul Armand-Delille (Polo) and Alexandre Grynszpan (Pan). Erupting onto the scene with tracks such as “Rivolta”, “Dorothy” and “Canopée”, they are once again enchanting our dancefloors with Cyclorama. Known for their adept French touch and tracks that demand movement, Polo & Pan elaborated that this new album “seeks to illustrate the stages of life through each piece, from birth to death, then transcendence.” Looking to “provoke in him or her a personal feeling, sad or happy”, Polo & Pan create a more conscious and rich emotional experience with this collection of songs.
Having gained international admiration with their explosive 2019 Coachella performance, audiences everywhere excitedly await their return to live music. Uncompromisingly bringing European house to the forefront of the electro scene, it would be a shame to not catch them at one of their shows across both the US and Europe. Artists in the truest sense of the word, Polo & Pan conceived more than just a set of tracks but rather an experience as well with Cyclorama. Compelled by the genuine urge to create and put something good into the world, they have become one of the most remarkable acts on the scene.
Enjoy a Q+A with Polo & Pan themselves below as they delve deeper into their new album Cyclorama and upcoming tour!
LUNA: It’s been an absolute delight to listen to Cyclorama - just dreamlike. What would you say was your biggest challenge in creating this album and following up your exceptional earlier releases?
POLO & PAN: Glad you liked this album!
When we wrote our first album ‘Caravelle’, no one was expecting us, we were able to conceive our story without constraints, and spend hours in the studio within a time limit. The big challenge for the second release was to finish this album by changing the parameters of the first: a time limit, a public expectation, and to release an album that respects the musical color of the first while innovating.
LUNA: In all the buzz about the album, it’s been described as dreamy, cool, and entrancing. As the genesis of these songs, how were you intending these songs to affect your audience? What feelings or energy were you trying to evoke?
POLO & PAN: Cyclorama seeks to illustrate the stages of life through each piece, from birth to death, then transcendence. We have tried to make each piece rich enough in the emotions it can provide, each stage of life can be painful or joyful, it is unique to each one. So many pieces navigate between major and minor chords, double meaning of the meaning of the lyrics, our goal was to question the listener, and therefore that our pieces provoke in him or her a personal feeling, sad or happy. This is perhaps why our second album is meant to be more adult, more conscious.
LUNA: What track are you most proud of?
POLO & PAN: We listened to the album together before sending it to mastering, we said to ourselves with Paul: each song has its meaning, none deserves less than the other to be on the album, each song is at the service of the other and serves to make the next shine, there is the need to see each piece as a centerpiece of the cyclorama puzzle.
LUNA: Now that live shows are happening again, what song from the project are you most looking forward to playing live?
POLO & PAN: Can’t wait to see how people react on “Ani Kuni”.
LUNA: With an impressive range of influences spanning from Claude Debussy to Joao Gilberto, how do you find yourselves incorporating your inspirations into your own work?
POLO & PAN: We have succeeded in creating tools that allow us to navigate any musical repertoire.
The foundation of our tracks is electronic, but all of its leaves and therefore of the roots are hybrid, we can easily integrate our inspirations of classical music like Debussy, Ravel or Bach with an electronic structure, you just need to know when to chisel them or not. branches of the tree and it's the same when we make Cumbia, Bossa,….
LUNA: Your music, this album especially, seems to be indicative of something classic, like an old Hollywood film from the golden age. Do you each have a favorite classic film you turn to? And do you feel it’s had a hand in your own creativity?
POLO & PAN: We paid homage to The Wizard of Oz a few years ago with Dorothy, one of our favorite movies. I have to admit I’m fascinated with Once Upon a Time in America.
LUNA: What is one fun fact or quirk about you guys you think your audience would love to know?
POLO & PAN: One of the musical instruments that we use the most when we mix or play live is a recording of a green toad: by modifying its speed and adding a lot of reverb to it it allows us to create special tones that come on top of our songs ;)
LUNA: Your music is a fantastic current example of the French dance/electronic music scene and people love you guys! Who are some artists from your home we should know about?
POLO & PAN: I recommend you: the woman, myd, Lewis of man, faux real, kids return, papooz, Oracle sisters...
LUNA: Lastly, what is one takeaway you want anyone who listens to Cyclorama to have?
POLO & PAN: In life you have to know how to look at the same thing several times, from a different angle, in order to be able to truly understand it.
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