If you’ve been stonestrolling through Instagram or TikTok lately, you’ve probably seen videos of these two figures dressed in contrasting polka dots and strange masks, playing a weird blend of punk, jazz and rock. This enigmatic two-piece, in their papier-mâché masks, didn’t escape from some Lynchian “Black Lodge”, but instead, hails from Quebec, Canada. Their recent KEXP performance has gone viral and solidified a rapidly expanding fanbase, resulting in instantly sold-out shows for their limited upcoming US tour dates.
The band’s name is a reference to angina pectoris, a condition that causes chest pain or pressure from reduced blood flow to the heart. In this case, it’s become a reference to the frenetic, dissonant sound of their music. The two members, who go by Khn and Kleck Poitrine, play a fast-paced blend of punk, jazz and math rock that’s fun, refreshing and engaging.
While American music typically divides an octave into 12 parts, microtonal music uses different combinations to create something different. Guitarist Khn Poitrine uses a custom double-necked instrument that features a microtonal guitar and bass. This gives them access to notes between the typical ones on a fretboard, resulting in that dissonant sound. Now, add intricate and shifting time signatures and layered loops, and you have the music of Angine de Poitrine.
In an interview with Noize Magazine, Drummer Kleck Poitrine described the group as “microtonal rock, ” and their website states, “channeling the spirit of Earth’s greatest rockstars, time-traveling duo Angine de Poitrine are endlessly fascinated by hot dogs, pyramids, and the sheer grandeur of rock music.”
That same Noize interview revealed that the whole project came about because the two wanted to play their local venues more often. “When you’re in a band, you’re not supposed to play twice in the same week in the same place, otherwise people won’t come. Initially, it was strictly to hide our faces and make our shows different.” Like many bands before them, the costumes also create some separation between their on-stage and off-stage lives.
Their music has drawn obvious comparisons to acts like The Residents, Daft Punk, Gwar and even the Blue Man Group, but what sets Angine de Poitrine apart from these examples is their emergence into the public eye during the time of Artificial Intelligence. At this moment, when it’s so easy to program a catchy song, many are looking for genuine expressions of creativity amidst the polished, scripted black hole of content. Angine de Poitrine is the musical opposite of all those random AI songs taking over YouTube and Spotify.
Covered in polka dots and papier-mâché, the band’s very appearance makes you stop for a second, and then you’re hit with an infectious beat or just smiling at Klek’s eyes peeking out from inside the comically large mouth. You’re engaged as you watch, wondering how Khn manages to expertly use their toes to adjust all the pedals, and before you know it, you’re four videos in and becoming a fan.
It’s a journey that’s organic, that’s genuine, and that’s rooted in art and music. That’s what makes Angine de Poitrine my favorite new musical find of the year.
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Watch Angine de Poitrine’s KEXP Performance:
