Polo & Pan Return to Miami Rested and Ready

Polo & Pan's Paul Armand-Delille is speaking to New Times at a location that could not be more apropos to the electronic duo's essence: the French consulate in Kolkata, India, where he scheduled to play at a party as well as enjoy his honeymoon.

"We haven't actually done anything with Bollywood," Armand-Delille admits, "but it's a vibe we would love to explore and work with our music. I'm starting a music residency here and will record here for a few days."

Aesthetically, the Frenchmen — Armand-Delille and Alexandre Grynszpan — bring an art-nouveau-meets-Wes-Anderson color scheme to any stage.

Sonically, Polo & Pan play the kind of house music that drips tropical beats and a French essence that seemingly took centuries to perfect. It's a blend that the crowd can expect when the duo headlines Art With Me at Virginia Key Beach Park on Saturday, December 9.

"It's going to be interesting because we've taken some time off," Armand-Delille adds. "We actually won't see each other for the first time in two, three months. It's probably the first time since we started making music. Expect the unexpected. We're both producing tracks for our side projects, so we'll surprise each other."

Armand-Delille and Grynszpan return to South Florida after some much-needed R&R and the release of the four-track EP Carrossel Do Tempo.

Polo & Pan's origin story begins at the Parisian hot spot Le Baron in the early aughts. While the two were more acquaintances then, they truly bonded during one fateful trip to Mexico. Later, in 2013, Polo & Pan, as the world knows them, blossomed physically and metaphorically with their tropical style.

They released their debut EP, Rivolta, in 2013, followed by their debut album, Caravelle, in 2017. "It's been one of our rules never to have an assigned role when producing," explains Armand-Delille on the process of producing a track. "We can always challenge each other and learn a lot from our individual skill sets."
Armand-Delille says Carrossel Do Tempo is an amuse-bouche for the duo's upcoming third album, set for release next year.

"Each track had a different process. [The title track] 'Carrossel Do Tempo' and 'Charanga' started at a residency we did in Los Cabos, Mexico, at a hotel called El Gonzo, which has a space for musicians. They hooked it up with a mariachi band and a bunch of percussions — many different grooves we've been using came from there. We recorded the brass section of 'Carrossel Do Tempo' with the mariachi band."

The EP feels like a travelogue — each track imbues faraway lands. Brazilian singer-songwriter Abrão lends his vocals to "Carrossel Do Tempo" with its sun-drunk horn sections. Meanwhile, "Charanga" is an homage to a jungle rave and was produced during the Mexican residency, according to Armand-Delille. For the track, the pair traveled to the town of Santiago Llano Grande in Oaxaca.

"It was a real adventure, he says. "We went to the village and recorded music with the children. The best acoustics were inside a chicken coop, for some reason. We really liked the idea of recording with children's choirs."

The heavy bass on "Charanga" accompanies the children's harmonies while vocals from French singers Isaac & Nora add to its youthful energy. Closing out the record is "Nagori," with lyrics that oscillate between English and Japanese.

"The Japanese part was written with the help of AI," Armand-Delille explains. "Of course, we had it proofread by a native speaker; it was a lot of fun. I'm using AI for everything I don't know how to do. It's a very complimentary tool to help make visuals and maybe even write a musical for Polo & Pan. You can go back and forth with it."

Despite the EP's cultural influences, the music is still imbued with Polo & Pan's French sophistication.

"There is a French touch, which is creating an aesthetic rather than a sound," Armand-Delille says of the je ne sais quoi French producers give to their music. "Maybe we had a few centuries ago, but the French have a certain way of combining modern technology with our sensitivities."

Art With Me 2023. With Underworld, Polo & Pan, Channel Tres, Damian Lazarus, Jan Blomqvist, and others. 1 p.m. Friday, December 8, through Sunday, December 10, at Virginia Key Beach Park, 4020 Virginia Beach Dr., Miami; artwithme.org. Tickets cost $49 to $399 via tixr.com; children 12 and under are free.