Angine de Poitrine live on KEXP

Somewhere this year photo's of a duo in polka dot costumes, make up and attire/masks began popping up in places. Later the name Angine de Poitrine started registering with me. I never got around to listening to music. And then my music magazine of choice, 'Oor', had an article, no interview, as the duo doesn't really give them, on the band.

Everything boiled down to a referral to a show recorded by KEXP during a festival in Rennes in December 2025. Based on what the author, Jacob Haagsma, was writing, I did not have high expectations, but decided to give it a try anyway, just to see how weird it would be. The show has already been viewed well over 18 million times, which is a lot for music as weird and freaky as Angine de Poitrine's is.

The duo consists of a drummer and guitarist/bassist/pedallist. The guitar is a double-necked one of guitar and bass, with both having far more and smaller spread frets than regular guitars have. It implies microtonal notes can be played, without bending the strings. The music is not standard western music, as the tonalities are eastern in nature, played in a western alternative rock way, creating stranger sounding melodies, both nervous and erratic in nature. Like African music often is. The way the drums and guitars blend is totally fascinating.

Both musicians are in total control of their instruments, and that includes the looping and effects that come with the guitars. There's so much to switch on and off that besides playing, it also becomes a balancing act. On the side, there's some heavy distorted unintelligible singing involved, at times with what for lack of a better world involves a chorography of simultaneous arms waving.

The costumes do distract from the music at first, but fairly soon being in awe of what is happening starts to take over. Yes, this is so far removed from what, I think, most of the 18 million plus viewers will listen to on a daily basis. Certainly me. It is so far out there and at the same time very good to listen to. It gets to me like some of the rhythmically complex pieces of Frank Zappa that got to me decades ago. Listen to 'Inca Roads' e.g. Angine de Poitrine does it with two and a looping station. I doubt whether I can play this for long on record, for that it is too esoteric for me, but enjoying myself at a live show or playing this show on TV, sure.

Finally, can you make a mask look female with just black polka dots on a white surface? Yes, this band can. I have no idea who is hiding in there. The call themselves KHN and Klek de Poitrine and come from Québec in Canada. Intriguing it all is.

Wout de Natris - van der Borght

 

You can see the show here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Ssi-9wS1so

 

You can listen to and order Angine de Poitrine's albums here:

https://anginedepoitrine.bandcamp.com/album/vol-ii