They’ve taken the internet by storm. What are they? Who are they? Are they even from this planet?
If you’re one of the very few people who have not heard of Angine de Poitrine in the last few weeks, where the hell have you been?
This French-Canadian duo have well and truly landed and has got their feet straight under the table on planet earth, so to speak.
One’s first impression visually could be, ‘Jesus, why are these people dressed like that?’ That was certainly my first thought when a friend shared the band’s set on KEXP’s YouTube music channel. But as soon as the bassline for ‘Sarniezz’ was played, it was hook, line and sinker, as I was reeled in with the cheesiest grin from ear to ear. WTF just happened to my eardrums? If I’ve not been Tango’d, then what the ***k did I hear? It sounded SO wrong, but oh, so right! Was it out of tune? My brain couldn’t comprehend what it was being forced to listen to. BUT, damn it was addictive.
I’m usually very open-minded when it comes to experimental music, and love nothing more than listening to something that grabs my attention in the first few seconds. But this? This is something else. Unique, bizarre, mental? Yep, all of those. One thing’s for sure, I had to share it with family and friends, and I guess that’s what many people have done and how Angine de Poitrine has snowballed across the World Wide Web.
Ok, the costumes took a bit of getting used to, with their polka-dot attire and papier-mâché masks with phallic-looking noses; you soon forget about that. And what’s the deal with these triangular hand gestures and their interplanetary language? Who cares?! It’s cool, and right now this world needs a bit of fun to lighten things up.
‘Angine de Potrine Vol. II’ is the title of Angine de Poitrine’s second offering, and quite frankly, doesn’t need to be deep and meaningful. The music speaks for itself.
Under the pseudonym of ‘Khn’, the skills that the guitarist possesses are off the scale. A double-necked microtonal guitar and bass, looped within an inch of its life, is something truly beautiful to behold. Twice the amount of frets is double the fun, and there’s unlikely to be any frets left untouched on this math-rock album.
‘Fabienk’ opens the album and is the most recently released track, with plenty of airplay on some of the biggest radio stations. With the use of some extreme effects pedals, the sound from Khn’s guitar not only throws out a catchy riff but also creates a beat that allows both the drums and the bassline to gel. Within a few seconds, the bassline is off doing its own thing, as are the drums. And just when you think you’ve sussed the rhythm, your mind is thrown into a black hole of ever-changing time signatures and spat out into a completely different tune altogether. It’s insane, but crikey, it’s bloody clever. Try tapping your feet to the beat through this one; you’ll wonder where you’ve gone wrong. Huge kudos to the drummer who goes by ‘Klek’. Playing in a mask that’s as tall as Heather Small’s hair in the 90’s is one thing, but forging a beat that is so cleanly cut at warp factor 9 is unfathomable.
The album’s second track, ‘Mata Zyklek’, turns up the tempo big time. With its ringing sitar-sounding intro, trying to gauge the BPM is a total head***k, depending on what time signature you think it’s in. But it’s gratifyingly syncopated. What……a……..tune!!!!!
‘Sarniezz’ was the opening track of the band’s set on KEXP’s YouTube channel and what most of us would have heard when they stumbled across Angine de Poitrine for the first time—standard tempo, funky bassline, simple. Not for long, though, as the band turn everything upside down after another bridge that leads you down a path of insanity.
WATCH ANGINE DE POITRINE – FULL PERFORMANCE (LIVE ON KEXP)
Now halfway through the album, you would have twigged that the other half is based on the same arrangement – that’s their vibe. Each track is almost split into two. And so, the mayhem continues.
The album then takes a slightly different direction. Think Russian dancers and a marching beat, and that’s the sound of the next track, ‘UTZP’. Nothing unusual about it at all, really. But after a 3-second pause, you realise just where it’s heading: into utter chaos. It’s got to be said, this is one of the tamer tracks on the album and not so much of an earworm. It’s like having a drink of water to clear your taste palate before you eat the next course.
‘Yor Zarad’, on the other hand, breaks down the barriers as another extended masterpiece that’s broken down into three meaty morsels. It even has a sample from Beck’s ‘Mellow Gold’ album. In fact, Beck was the one who first got me hooked on experimental music, so it was a welcome surprise.
The final track, ‘Angor’, helps wind things down a little. Slower, much more repetitive, yet still gives a different sound to the others, and a great way to end this six-track musical marathon.
Considering how short a time Angine de Poitrine have been on the scene (2024 with Volume I), they have practically taken over the world with their microtonal mastery and given everyone a taste of something unusually weird and unbelievably refreshing, no matter what genre of music you usually dig. The costumes that they wear are also needed, as their music wouldn’t be right without them.
Right now, there are so many people on the web trying to mimic their one-of-a-kind style without success, and trying to crack just who ‘Khn’ and ‘Klek de Poitrine’ really are under those freaky masks. Personally, I don’t want to know who they are, as it would well and truly burst my bubble. All I know is it works; it works very well indeed. And if it ain’t broke, don’t try and fix it.
But will Volume III be as popular? Who knows! With a band that is a bit like Marmite, it’s hard to tell. It’s most definitely a golden buzzer for many out there right now, even for Dave Grohl! Their music is tough to keep still to and can’t help but make you smile.
Angine de Poitrine are set to embark on their first European tour, and if you’re lucky enough to get a ticket, enjoy their show. For the rest of you trying to get one, sorry, but you’re more likely to come across unicorn shit!!! They were gone in 60 seconds!
Review: Emma Painter
VOL. II OUT FRIDAY 3RD APRIL
PRE-ORDERS/PRE-SAVES AVAILABLE NOW
Vol: II album artwork
ANGINE DE POITRINE
VOL. II
Out Friday 3rd April, 2026
Tracklisting:
Fabienk
Mata Zyklek
Sarniezz
UTZP
Yor Zarad
Angor
ANGINE DE POITRINE – TOUR 2026
MARCH
28 – São Miguel Island, Azores, Portugal – Tremor Festival 2026 †
APRIL
3 – Montréal, QC – Club Soda (SOLD OUT)
4 – Dunham, QC – Espace Dunham (SOLD OUT)
9 – Quebec City, QC – Le Pantoum (SOLD OUT)
10 – Saint Gabriel, QC – Café Coop Bal Maski (SOLD OUT)
11 – Quebec City, QC – Le Pantoum (SOLD OUT)
12 – Quebec City, QC – Le Pantoum (SOLD OUT)
15 – Richmond, QC – L’Ardoise Coopérative Brassicole (SOLD OUT)
16 – Victoriaville, QC – Mycélium Studio (SOLD OUT)
17 – Saint–Hyacinthe, QC – Le Zaricot (SOLD OUT)
18 – Montréal, QC – Club Soda (SOLD OUT)
23 – Alma, QC – Café du Clocher (SOLD OUT)
24 – Chicoutimi, QC – Centre d’Expérimentation Musicale (SOLD OUT)
25 – Sherbrooke, QC – La Petite Boîte Noire (SOLD OUT)
26 – Gatineau, QC – Minotaure (SOLD OUT)
MAY
1 – Chicoutimi, QC – Centre d’Expérimentation Musicale (SOLD OUT)
2 – Baie-Comeau, QC – L’Ouvre-Boîte Culturel (SOLD OUT)
10 – Leeds, UK – Brudenell Social Club (SOLD OUT)
11 – London, UK – Electric Ballroom (SOLD OUT)
12 – Bristol, UK – Strange Brew (SOLD OUT)
14-17 – Brighton, UK – The Great Escape †
16 – Strasbourg, FR – Pelpass Festival 2026 †
18 – Rennes, FR – UBU (SOLD OUT)
19 – Le Mans, FR – Theatre Paul Scarron (SOLD OUT)
20 – Amiens, FR – La Lune des Pirates (SOLD OUT)
21 – Charleroi, BE – Le Vecteur (SOLD OUT)
22 – Poitiers, FR – Le Confort Moderne
23 – La Rochelle, FR – La Sirene
24 – Loperhet – Bulomatik Festival †
26 – Brussels, BE – Magasin 4 (SOLD OUT)
28 – FR – TBA
29 – Tourcoing, FR – Le Grand Mix
30 – Nancy, FR – Bon Moment Festival †
31 – ITA – TBA †
JUNE
20 – Joliette, QC – Parc Louis–Querbes
27 – Montréal, QC – Festival International de Jazz de Montréal 2026 †
JULY
2 – Saguenay, QC – La Noce 2026 †
3 – Trois-Rivières, QC – Festivoix †
10 – Winnipeg, MB – Winnipeg Folk Festival 2026 †
14 – Toronto, ON – Mod Club (SOLD OUT)
15 – Toronto, ON – Mod Club (SOLD OUT)
17 – Ottawa, ON – Ottawa Bluesfest 2026 †
18 – Toronto, ON – Mod Club (SOLD OUT)
19 – Guelph, ON –Hillside Festival †
AUGUST
18 – Los Angeles, CA – Teragram Ballroom *
19 – San Francisco, CA – The Independent *
21 – Portland, OR – Aladdin Theater *
23 – Vancouver, BC – The Pearl *
24 – Vancouver, BC – The Pearl *
28 – Lisbon, Portugal – Meo Kalorama 2026 †
SEPTEMBER
3-6 – Larmer Tree Gardens, Dorset – End Of The Road †
9 – New York, NY – Le Poisson Rouge (SOLD OUT)
10 – New York, NY – Le Poisson Rouge (SOLD OUT)
15 – Washington, DC – The Atlantis *
16 – Philadelphia, PA – Underground Arts *
NOVEMBER
6 – Quebec, QC – Impérial Bell (SOLD OUT)
14 – Montréal, QC – Club Soda (SOLD OUT)
† FESTIVAL PERFORMANCE
* NEWLY ANNOUNCED DATE
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