Today, revered “French Touch” duo Polo & Pan deliver their new Carrossel Do Tempo EP, a project containing four tracks that see them opening up their style to musical inspirations from around the world. The release is out now via Ekleroshock/Hamburger/Virgin Music. Check Out “Carrossel Do Tempo” below:
A brief itinerary: The regal trumpets of the titular track “Carrossel Do Tempo” flaunt in like opening credits introducing the silky, inviting narrations of enigmatic Brazilian vocalist Abrão. “Chamallow” turns the lens around for an introspective but joyful French pop treatise on love and family. Next, “Charanga” soundtracks a night spent bopping through a nocturnal jungle rave in South America with a posse of sprites, all glowing with mischief and mystery. The EP closes with “Nagori,” a breezy, toe-tapping pop charmer that evokes languid poolside hangouts as the late summer sun sets below the horizon. The title references the Japanese word for a particular transient melancholy felt for a moment that’s nearly passed, a feeling that washes over you as the record ends.
Carrossel Do Tempo was written and recorded around the world, with a growing cast of collaborators and heightened production value. As is the case for many iconoclasts, It may have taken some time for the world-at-large to catch Polo & Pan’s creative drift, but now we are all very much along for the voyage. Throughout the EP, Polo & Pan skillfully blend diverse cultural references and gather amazing collaborators together. The arrangements and the strings have been directed by the LA-based Italian composer Daniele Luppi (Danger Mouse, John Legend, Gnarls Barkley, Red Hot Chili Peppers) and offer an atmosphere reminding us of the greatest of classic Hollywood movie soundtracks.
Described as “funky but suave, uniquely fun, and evok[ing] a fantasy of European nightlife” by the New Yorker and a “dually breezy and psychedelic strain of French Touch” by Billboard, the duo have performed at Coachella, Lollapalooza, and more with previous albums certified Gold in France & abroad with over 3M monthly listeners on Spotify alone.
Beginning with 2013’s prescient and infectious Rivolta EP, Polo & Pan spent the better part of that decade meticulously crafting their sound at a perfectionist’s pace, each release further building their musical world and reputation. Already a tastemaker’s favorite, it was the 2017 debut album Caravelle that announced Polo & Pan to the world in grand style. The duo has become synonymous with sun-kissed whimsy and fetching grooves. 2021’s Cyclorama saw Polo & Pan fully realized: hedonism matured, sounds fine-tuned, and scope broadened.
While Polo & Pan’s music has become essential for any rooftop or beachside party, no matter your latitude, it’s Polo & Pan’s live show that takes them to the next level. Linen suits, frisky theatrics, swaying palm trees, sirens with golden voices, and a liberal helping of pan flute: The Polo & Pan live performance brings their music to life with a sparkling vibrancy. It’s a sight to behold. One look around the dancefloor — whether it’s sold-out US tours or major festival performances — and you’ll see smiles, pretenses dropped, and earnest joy on the faces around you. That, more than their cultured heritage, global appeal, or history of underground hits, might be Polo & Pan’s most remarkable quality.
Following a string of remixes and collaborations earlier this year, Carrossel Do Tempo arrives following of limited run of US performances at California festivals Same Same But Different in Lake Perris and Portola Festival in San Francisco this Fall.