Discover Polo & Pan’s Play of Balance and Harmony on ‘22:22’

Polo & Pan’s third album, 22:22, is a masterwork of their genre-pushing style, crafting a world where everything fits—yet it remains delightfully unpredictable.

For more than a decade, Polo & Pan have brought the electronic world to unexplored territories. Experimenting with the sounds of some of the globe’s most exotic destinations, the music nomads blend their blissful influences with the suave heft of their French house roots. The result is a style that sparks both awe and wonder.

On their last two albums, 2021’s Cyclorama and 2017’s Caravelle, they took listeners on an international excursion, putting their whimsical inspirations center stage. Their debut record landed on the tropical shore of a sun-drenched paradise, where multilingual voices mingled with breezy jazz, infectious funk, and soothing rhythms of Bossa Nova, while their sophomore work drifted into a tranquil getaway, embracing a laid-back groove with mellow harmonies and a softer, more introspective sway. However, their latest effort, 22:22, is a voyage of a different affair.

The album’s opener paints the journey of a fairy tale, one in which a lonesome piano is on a search for its kindred spirit (a violin). The story is told in voice-over by a child, and as the narrative progresses, various orchestral instruments emerge, each of them producing a swaying note pattern that evokes a feeling of vertigo. We are, in a sense, going down a rabbit hole.

As the song reaches its climax, we find ourselves in a new reality, a world where polar opposites simultaneously coexist. Hot and cold, dark and light, fast and slow, past and future, all of these elements give shape to the album’s form, mirroring the record’s numerical significance: balance and harmony.

The French pair teams up with the Mexico-based women’s collective I.M YONI on “Nenuphar,” a ballad that is an art work of intricate design. Every note falls effortlessly into place, as the sweeping strings, soft synth pads, and electronica textures move in harmony rather than conflict, producing a delicate yet grand symphony. The tropicalia and retro French pop influences evoke a dreamy, almost hallucinogenic atmosphere, a realm where nostalgia and tomorrow waltz in perfect sync.

“The Mirror,” one of the record’s most electrifying moments, is a neon-lit rush of sound designed to ignite the dancefloor. Anchored by deep disco roots, surging synths, and a pulsing bassline, the song builds with unrelenting momentum, each beat pushing the tempo faster, each layer intensifying the euphoric swell. Just when it feels like the high might never end, the track finally exhales and you’re met with calming strings and airy guitars that offer a moment of stillness, as if you’re catching your breath under the glow of a spinning disco ball.

In keeping with the French duo’s playful, adventurous nature, they incorporate hints of country and folk in tracks such as “Summer is Almost Over” and “Bluetopia (feat. Kids return).” It’s an inviting twist—one that feels grand and joyful. “Summer is Almost Over” shimmers with warm acoustic guitars and laid-back hymns, recalling the golden hour we experience during the fleeting warmer days. Meanwhile, “Bluetopia” gallops with cinematic grandeur, as its rolling percussion and twangy riffs illustrate the thrill of an open road.

The album’s grand finale, “La Nuit (feat. Arthur Teboul),” is an ingenious end. It’s an artful record that encapsulates Polo & Pan’s DNA: fun, outré, and boundless. Reimagining doo-wop through a modern lens, the producers reshape the romantic genre with luminous soundscapes, classic band instrumentation, and hazy, dreamlike guitars that drift like echoes from another era. The velvety vocals coast over a swaying rhythm, feeling intimate and theatrical in their delivery. Yet beneath it all is the track’s slow-burning groove, pulsing steadily, weaving together the dynamic meters and swirling textures into a unified, enchanting flow.

22:22 is a masterwork of balance and harmony, where each track invites exploration of the stylistic juxtapositions at play. While each of these songs has its own identity, the beauty lies in the elegant curation of these contrasts, with transitions between the familiar and the unknown feeling seamless, almost surreal. The album punctuates Polo & Pan’s hallmark style of bending genres, creating a sound where every element fits yet remains delightfully unpredictable. Their new music thrives in this pleasurable tension, creating a “moment suspended in time” where adventure is always around the corner.

Make sure to follow Polo & Pan on social media to keep up with their upcoming tour dates, and listen to 22:22 on your preferred music platform.

Stream Polo & Pan – 22:22 on Spotify:

Polo & Pan – 22:22 – Tracklist:

The Piano & The Violin

Pareidolies

Disco Nap feat. Metronomy

Nenuphar

Petite Étoile feat. Beth Ditto

The Mirror

A Different Side of Us feat. PawPaw Rod

22:23 feat. Antonin & Vico

Summer Is Almost Over

Bluetopia feat. Kids Return

Laszlo

La Nuit feat. Arthur Teboul

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