Taking their name from an LCD Soundsystem song and crafting a fusion of indie pop and electronic music that falls somewhere between the Drums and Daft Punk, Beat Connection began as the project of University of Washington students Reed Juenger and Jordan Koplowitz. The pair met as freshmen in 2008 and soon began DJ'ing and writing songs together in GarageBand. In July 2010, they self-released their debut EP, Surf Noir, which featured vocals from folky singer/songwriter Tom Eddy on the tracks "Silver Screen" -- which became the band's first single -- and "In the Water. " The online response to the EP led Moshi Moshi imprint Tender Age to reissue it in April 2011; a few months later, Beat Connection expanded to include two live bandmembers, bassist Mark Hunter and drummer Jarred Katz. Eddy became an official member of the band in time to record their debut full-length, The Palace Garden, which arrived in June 2012.