REVIEW: Polo & Pan @ The Royale 9/12

By Christian Jaeger

Electronic artists Polo & Pan have made a name for themselves — and a good name, at that — not only in their city of Paris, but across the globe. On Thursday, September 12, Polo & Pan would return to Boston for the first show of their largest tour yet.

The musical duo would enter the smoky stage at 10 p.m., a perfectly acceptable hour for the Parisians. High frequencies, rhythms, and chimes from “Abysse” — the opening track on Polo & Pan’s first studio album, Caravelle — would emanate from the DJ deck. Starting with the basic melody of the song, the artists would add elements to “Abysse,” convoluting it and creating a mental “abyss” for each audience member to sink into. Little did crowd-goers know that this was all a ploy: the musicians would hold members captive in this rhythmic abyss for hours, until they — Polo & Pan — had had enough.

After the trippy opening track, the duo would be quick to get audiences moving. Songs such as “Zoom Zoom,” “Arc-en-ciel,” and “Cœur d’artichaut” would turn the concert hall into a European dance club, and Polo & Pan had a destination in mind: the Parisian club where the duo originated and gained great success.

Paul Armand-Delille (Polo) and Alexandre Grynszpan (Pan) formed Polo & Pan in 2012 and would soon perform at the legendary club Le Baron in Paris. Befriending the owner of the club and securing a residency, they would establish a name for themselves. A year later, the DJs would write and release their first track together, “Rivolta.”

They would rule the European nightlife for some time, writing and collaborating until time permitted touring and travel. After releasing Dorothy, their 2014 EP, the duo would have enough material to share with other parts of the world. “Dorothy” — from the EP — is inspired by the American classic, The Wizard of Oz.

In 2017, they would release Caravelle, their first full-length album. Polo & Pan are still riding the enormous wave that would come from this record. “Nanã” would be featured in an Apple commercial, turning millions on to the emerging electronic artists.

In the years to follow Caravelle, the duo would continue to sell out intimate clubs that they’re used to as well as play massive festivals such as Coachella and EDC (Electric Daisy Carnival).

Electronic dance music as a genre has exploded in recent decades and years, but something about Polo & Pan sets them apart from other DJs in the game. Perhaps it’s their chic, Parisian-club style. Perhaps it’s their diversity: having an exotic, chill factor on some tracks and a glorious aggression on others — “Mexicali” features a blend of circus sounds as well as hard beats. Perhaps it’s their humble attitude: “We’re just riding the wave and trying to write really good music,” Armand-Delille said in a pre-show interview.