Song of the Day: Polo & Pan “Pays Imaginaire”

Polo & PanPhoto of Polo & Pan by Barrère & Simon

Song of the Day: Polo & Pan “Pays Imaginaire”

Parisian duo Polo & Pan create danceable dreamscapes

Polo & Pan are Paul Armand-Delille and Alexandre Grynszpan, a Paris-based electro-pop duo. Drawing equal parts inspiration from fellow French electronic duo Air, the post-rock/post-disco/post-everything danceability of LCD Soundsystem, and the quiet romantic spaces of French 19th century composer Claude Debussy, Polo & Pan’s sound is full of crisp sonic dynamics, sprightly-but-tasteful electro-house rhythms, and a fantastical sense of the Parisian nightlife that helped create them. Embracing the quietude of Debussy’s 1890 Impressionist masterwork “Clair de Lune,” closing track on their 2017 Caravelle album is “Pays Imaginaire,” a gorgeous, intoxicating slice of electronic pop. “Pays Imaginaire” takes its time weaving its magic spell; sweeping strings and chiming glockenspiels provide a bed for charming double-tracked vocals for nearly a minute before a head-nodding bass pulse kicks in. Marvelous. Somehow, their wonderful music managed to slip under my radar until only recently. Thanks to my wife’s excellent ear (and masterfully-tailored Spotify algorhithms), I’ve got Polo & Pan’s danceable dreamscapes in heavy rotation too.

The accompanying promotional video for “Pays Imaginaire” is cut from all manner of Disneyesque magical imagery from fantasy films as diverse as The Adventures of Baron Munchausen, Donkey Skin, Cinderella, Brazil, Mary Poppins, Peter Pan, The Wizard of Oz, Sleeping Beauty, and… well, you get the idea.