Angine de Poitrine
Canadian experimental rock duo
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Angine de Poitrine (Canadian French: [ãʒɪn də pwatʁɪn] ⓘ[1][a]) is a Canadian rock duo formed in Saguenay, Quebec, in 2019. Its anonymous members perform under the pseudonyms Khn de Poitrine (guitar, bass) and Klek de Poitrine (drums). They are known for complex microtonal compositions in the style of math rock and experimental rock, and an absurdist image, with oversized papier-mâché masks and black-and-white polka-dotted costumes.
- Les Cassettes Magiques
- Spectacles Bonzaï
- ATO
Angine de Poitrine | |
|---|---|
Angine de Poitrine in 2026 | |
| Background information | |
| Origin | Saguenay, Quebec, Canada |
| Genres | |
| Years active | 2019–present |
| Labels |
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| Award | GAMIQ Artist of the Year 2025 |
| Members |
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| Website | anginedepoitrine |
Angine de Poitrine conceived the disguises to retain audiences across back-to-back sets at a local venue. Following their debut album, Vol. 1 (2024), they gained notice on the Quebec festival circuit and won Artist of the Year at the 2025 GAMIQ awards. They achieved viral recognition in February 2026 when a live session recorded for the US radio station KEXP accumulated millions of views. It was followed by their second album, Vol. II (2026), and international tours.
History
Origins (2019–2023)
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Angine de Poitrine formed in Saguenay, Quebec, in 2019.[2][3] The group's name is the French term for angina pectoris ("angina [lit. strangling] of the chest"), and was initially suggested as a joke; this later became a reflection of the band's sound, characterized by the members as "dissonance-induced cardiac malfunction", and conveying a "sense of urgency" in their music.[4][5] The duo performs anonymously as guitarist Khn de Poitrine and drummer Klek de Poitrine;[6] the two are from La Baie borough[7][8] and have been musical collaborators for two decades, having performed together in various projects since the age of 13.[3][9]
The project began as a gag after the pair were booked to perform twice in one week at the same local Saguenay venue; concerned that audiences would not attend the second show, they decided to play the latter set as anonymous, costumed performers under a different name.[3][10] To complete what the duo later likened to an "Andy Kaufman-esque joke", they constructed oversized papier-mâché masks with giant noses and full-body black-and-white polka-dotted costumes.[3][5] During the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns, with live opportunities limited, the members took up construction jobs.[3]
Vol. 1, breakthrough and Vol. II (2024–present)
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On 14 June 2024, Angine de Poitrine released their debut album, Vol. 1.[11] Throughout 2025, the duo attracted increasing attention on the Quebec festival circuit, including appearances at Le Festif!, M for Montreal, the Montreal Jazz Festival and Pop Montreal.[9][12][13] In December 2025, the duo won "Artist of the Year" at the 20th annual GAMIQ awards.[14] That same month, they performed at Trans Musicales in Rennes, France; footage from the set was later released by Seattle radio station KEXP on 5 February 2026.[9][12] The video became an immediate viral success, accumulating over two million views within its first week of release,[13] and over 15 million views as of May 2026.[15] The band released their second studio album, Vol. II, on 3 April 2026.[16]
In March 2026, Angine de Poitrine made an appearance on the popular Quebec talk show Tout le monde en parle, which averages nearly one million viewers.[13][17] During an interview for the Logan Sounds Off podcast, Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl praised the band, saying they "absolutely blew [his] mind" and describing them as "completely bonkers."[18][19] Sean Lennon commented on them via his X account, stating: "I have never seen a weird instrumental band go viral like Angine de Poitrine. I've never seen anything like it. It's totally wild. For the last three months, everyone I know has sent me their video at least once."[20]
Following the viral success of their KEXP session, Angine de Poitrine embarked on an international tour in support of the album. The 2026 tour began on 28 March at the Tremor Festival in the Azores, Portugal, preceding a sold-out April and May leg across Quebec.[6][21] In April, the duo secured physical media distribution rights outside of Quebec, with ATO Records releasing their music in the United States, F>A>B in the rest of Canada, and Republic of Music in Europe.[22] In May, the band is scheduled for a European tour encompassing the United Kingdom, France, Belgium, Italy, Portugal, the Netherlands, Germany and Ireland.[23] The tour is additionally scheduled to include the band's first performances in the United States in September.[24]
Artistry
Angine de Poitrine's musical style has been described as math rock[6][24] and experimental rock,[10][25] with additional influences from microtonal music[5][9] and progressive rock.[26][27] The group describes itself as a "mantra-rock Dada Pythago-Cubist orchestra" composed of "space-time voyagers", reflecting their fusion of technical complexity, hypnotic repetition, and absurdist aesthetics.[4][5][26] The band has cited a wide range of musical influences, with individual artists including King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard,[3][28] Frank Zappa,[28] Leo Brouwer,[28] John Scofield,[28] and Gentle Giant.[29]
The band employs complex rhythms, and largely instrumental compositions. Their live performances feature the musicians performing in oversized papier-mâché masks with proboscis monkey-like noses alongside black and white polka dot stylized costumes and staging.[30][16][2] The idea for using papier-mâché came from the duo's previous band, which would use the material to make large structures designed to be destroyed by the audience "like a huge-ass piñata", according to Klek.[31] The band's music includes vocals only sparsely, and the ones that are there are distorted and difficult to understand. In between songs during live performances they do not speak to the audience. Instead, they perform gestures to each other in a ritualistic manner – most notably forming a triangle shape with their hands, which the audience will often do in tandem.[16] The use of triangles and pyramids in their imagery may be inspired by the Ha! Ha! Pyramid in their home city of Saguenay, Quebec.[32][33]
In early performances, Khn de Poitrine played both a guitar and a bass simultaneously, using a modified guitar fitted with microtonal frets. In 2023, he commissioned a custom double-necked hybrid instrument consisting of a Fender-Stratocaster-like guitar and bass, separately wired, and each with additional microtonal frets [34][10] from Saguenay-based luthier Raphaël Le Breton. The project required more than three months of preparation and reportedly over 150 hours of craftsmanship to complete. The instrument includes oversized, phosphorescent fret markers on the side and top of the necks to compensate for Khn's impaired vision due to the mask. A second backup instrument for upcoming tours is planned.[35][36]
Reception
In March 2026, their appearance on the Quebec television program Tout le monde en parle generated significant media coverage and a strong reaction on social media, particularly due to their use of an invented language during the interview.[37] Several businesses, especially in the group's home region, adopted Angine de Poitrine's aesthetic in their social media posts following their appearance on the show.[38] The group members, who wish to remain anonymous, also noted a surge of interest online, with some seeking to discover their identities or contact them.[39]
On April 3, 2026, the New York Times critic Jon Pareles wrote: "Angine de Poitrine have taken the internet by storm this year… The group perfectly masters the power of rhythm, repetition, dissonance, surprise, and noise, and presents them in a whimsical package."[40] In a context marked by the rise of AI-generated music, favourable reviews highlight the duo’s music as being perceived as distinctly human.[41][42] The journalist Emilie Hanskamp wrote: "As AI becomes more sophisticated and it becomes harder to distinguish between works created by humans and those that are not, people find immediate comfort and resonance in art that is undeniably human."[43]
Vol. II was longlisted for the 2026 Polaris Music Prize.[44]
Members
- Khn de Poitrine – microtonal guitars, microtonal bass guitar, loop station, vocals
- Klek de Poitrine – drums, vocals
Discography
Studio albums
Singles
| Title | Details |
|---|---|
| "Sherpa" |
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| "Sherpa V. Alt" / "Sarniez V. Beta" |
|
| "Mata Zyklek" |
|
| "Fabienk" |
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Music videos
| Title | Year | Director(s) |
|---|---|---|
| "Sherpa" | 2024 | Fabien Peterson |
| "Sahardnieh" |
Notes
- French: [ɑ̃ʒin də pwatʁin]
