Travel poems originated as a series of commissions years prior, when Pan began writing songs for people with stories to tell, as well as for places brimming with lore of their own. In 2018, he gathered 27 of these compositions, kicking off a recording schedule on pianos across four continents. The resulting triple album combines lyrical themes, solo and group improvisation, and narrative soundscapes. 

Pan’s writing and arrangements evoke exploration, the joys of wandering, and the allure of discoveries yet unlived. This is achieved through surprising yet grounded rhythms, memorable melodies, and narratives built of found sounds, themselves curated from around the world.

Chapter 3 features 10 original works built around Pan’s thoughtful piano playing, meticulously collaged with texturally rich field recordings of bells, early morning markets, the ebb and flow of gentle waves, or the jovial songs emanating from a carousel in an old amusement park. Joined on occasion by bass and drums, the record evolves with intention from spatially transportive soundscapes to passages of energetic, grooving trio musicianship. 

An amalgamation of sounds, ideas and memories from Beirut, Dorset, Beijing, Wales, Tunisia, South Korea, Lisbon, Finland, Greece, Serbia and Italy to name but a few, it is Pan’s vision that Travel Poems can serve as a musical teleportation device, facilitating expeditions even for those in the comfort of their homes.