There has never been a phenomenon quite like the polka dot-clad, math rock duo from Saguenay, Quebec. In case you haven’t heard: they were discovered at a Montreal conference last year and invited by Seattle public radio station KEXP to film one of their Tiny Desk-style 20-minute online concerts. Once that clip was posted last February, their combination of avant-garde costumes, alien characters, and complex, compellingly dissonant math rock triggered near-instant global virality.
Until this summer, Angine de Poitrine had never played in Canada outside of Quebec, let alone the US. By the time they reached Ottawa Bluesfest, just 48 hours after their Toronto debut and a week before their historic first US performance at Newport Jazz Fest, they were already being greeted like hometown heroes.
There was no walk-on music, grand entrance, or theatrical buildup. Guitarist Khn de Poitrine and drummer Klek de Poitrine simply ambled onstage — not unlike wandering aliens — sat down and adjusted their gear before unleashing their monstrous Metallica-like riffs, combining Zeppelin-level power with the precision of Rush or Zappa.
Not that their unique sound or style resembles any of those acts.
Khn typically starts each track by building a looped, repeating pattern in real time using his array of pedals. He then layers additional bass lines and solo bursts on top, transforming what at first sounds mechanical into something hypnotic and visceral.
Because Khn’s customized double-necked guitar features extra frets that include quarter tones – the notes that fall between the white and black keys on a piano – the music can sound dissonant and even unsettling at first, given the absence of traditional hooks, melodies, and lyrics.
But with each repetition of a looped pattern, concertgoers could be seen visibly processing the logic, working through the math in the music, before the hard-rocking head bobbing inevitably kicks in.
This is a uniquely powerful, satisfying, and rewarding musical experience, one without real precedent.
But if Khn’s guitar work is what initially pulls you in, it’s Klek’s drumming that ultimately gets everyone moving. In metal and prog, it is very rare for a drummer to provide so much groove and swing as well as raw power, while rocking in complex and unusual time signatures. (Phil Collins in Genesis or Zeppelin’s John Bonham are two exceptions.) Klek’s contributions are essential and irreplaceable.
For a band that presents themselves as literally alien, the connection between Khn and Klek and their audience felt surprisingly and movingly human. Their signature triangular hand gesturing – echoed by the glowing triangle on Khn’s hooded costume – was mirrored back by nearly the entire crowd. Instead of stage talk, their absurd and nonsensical alien-like chants and mutterings drew smiles and even laughter. Besides band t-shirts, many fans – and in some case entire families – showed up in polka dotted ensembles.
Ultimately, the most revealing thing about Angine de Poitrine is that music that deliberately rejects conventional beauty, warmth and accessibility can generate so much pure and simple joy.
Explaining their unlikely appeal simply as a backlash against autotuned formulaic pop and the idea of AI music seems facile. Angine de Poitrine make technically demanding music played with extraordinary virtuosity, delivered with visceral rock power and wrapped in imaginative and captivating visuals.
Just 6 months into their non-stop, still-accelerating ascent, it’s fair to wonder how big can this ultimately get? While their instrumental tracks are sufficiently varied in tempo, intensity, and time signatures to sustain a compelling hour-long festival set, would a future 2 hour arena headlining set or a 3rd album yield diminishing returns? Time will tell. But I wouldn’t bet against Khn and Klek.
