KCRW Exclusive: Polo & Pan record picks

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Perhaps no band can lay claim to being the musical embodiment of the "Southern California sound" in the past few years more than Parisian duo, Polo & Pan.

The sound is laid back, it's vaguely tropical, a little whimsical, but most of all, totally FUN.

It's unmistakably modern, with a wink to the past. Polo & Pan's debut album, Caravelle, brought together references of Brazilian bossa nova and French chanson with the sounds of contemporary electronic music.

With such a keenly attuned ear for the past, a peek into Polo & Pan's record crates will undoubtedly gift the adventurous music listener with fodder for further exploration.

Dig into their record selections below and catch Polo & Pan LIVE at The Novo in the heart of DTLA tomorrow and Thursday for the full experience.

Polo's Picks:

Air — Moon Safari
The dreamiest of French Touch albums. When it came out it was such a revolution for me. I was fascinated and this was the trigger to start producing/writing music at the end of the '90s. This is an ageless one-of-a-kind record I will always listen to with a special emotion.

Eden Ahbez — Eden’s Island
This is one of the only exotica records that includes spoken word. It’s very beautiful, poetic and brings me to a special place of cinematic enchantment. This album has such a unique sound. I am captivated by Eden Ahbez's creations in general. His genuine love of pristine nature always transpires through his work.

Pan's Picks:

Ravel — Ma mere l’Oye
My father introduced me to classical music, and as a child, I would listen to this record at bedtime. The rich and subtle harmony mixed into my youthful dreams as I slowly assimilated them into my unconscious mind. Nowadays, Ravel’s discography follows me on my travels around the world.

Sebastien Tellier — Sexuality
This album is one of the founding electro-pop records of our time. The beautiful production of Rico the magician, mixed to Sebastien’s suave vocals. This is one of the records that inspired me to become a music producer.