Angine de Poitrine: The People Yearn for Weirdness

Angine de Poitrine playing at La Cartonnerie in Reims, France in February. Khn is pictured on the left and Klek on the right. Photo by RemsCroixRouge via Wikimedia Commons

An experimental rock duo from Quebec donned in outlandish polka dot papier-mache disguises is sending music fans into a frenzy on the internet. Angine de Poitrine has skyrocketed in popularity with their funky sound and bizarre image, all of which is perfectly timed with their second album release, Vol. II, which came out on April 3.

Their debut album, Vol. I was released in June 2024, and there was no noticeable online buzz surrounding the duo at the time of this release. However, their live set broadcast by the Seattle-based radio station KEXP launched them into online virality in February.

The otherworldly appearance of the two is put on full display in the recorded set, and their unique, instrumentally driven sound has fascinated music fans. The KEXP video currently sits at 8.25 million views and only keeps getting traction.

The duo has been playing together since they were roughly 13 years old, and officially formed Angine de Poitrine in 2019. The masked facade was not originally part of their act, but when they booked the same Quebec venue twice in a week, they decided to dress in costume in fear of people not wanting to see the same band twice.

Since then, they have kept up the gimmick to maintain anonymity, and it has become as essential to their public image as their music. Using the pseudonyms Khn de Poitrine and Klek de Poitrine, the duo is able to maintain ambiguity under their polka dot facade, adding to the allure of the act.

Khn, who sports the long-nosed, trapezoid hat, braided hair, polka dot papier-mache ensemble, serves as the duo’s guitarist and bassist, using a double-neck guitar-bass contraption. Klek, whose appearance consists of a long, tall black papier-mache mask, a proboscis monkey-like noise and ominous eyes that peak out at the bottom of the mask, is the duo’s drummer. Both contribute rare, cryptic vocals to their music.

In live performances, such as the viral KEXP one, Khn is seen utilizing a pedal board with his polka-dotted foot, adding distorted sounds to the bass and guitar and employing loops and repetitions. 

The duo describes themselves as “Mantra-rock, Dada, Pythagorean-Cubist orchestra,” not confining themselves to one unified genre, and asserting that they are multifaceted. They use elements of math rock, creating a sort of organized chaotic sound. They also use hypnotic microtones, ascending their otherworldly sound and image.

Both Vol. I and their latest album Vol. II are tightly-packed records, with neither of them exceeding a 40-minute playing time. Vol. II builds off the foundations set by the duo of Vol. I, and it seems that they have elevated their genre-bending, mathy, powerhouse sound.

Khn and Klek play in harmony with one another, and their cohesiveness as a duo is evident in their live performances and studio albums. Their fresh sound and strong musicianship set them apart from many current mainstream acts.

Additionally, the popularity of Angine de Poitrine shows that people want weird, freakish acts like this within the modern musical landscape. Their Dadaist, over-the-top, original shtick intrigues people, especially in a time where “AI slop” dominates social media feeds.

The duo was recently announced as part of the line-up for King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard’s Field of Vision music festival this summer in Colorado. King Gizzard, the Australian group who have released 27 studio albums in various genres, seems to have christened Angine de Poitrine into this avant-garde, experimental canon of music.

The success of Angine de Poitrine is not just measured by its online popularity. Tickets for their September tour dates at Manhattan’s LPR club sold out instantly, and they have just upgraded venues for their UK and Ireland tour dates. Their sold-out vinyl records are being resold for hundreds of dollars on Discogs and eBay.

While much of the duo’s popularity is confined to people who are in the know and exist in these niche pockets of the internet, their influence and impact are undeniable within the music scene right now. 

Angine de Poitrine disrupts much of the current musical and cultural status quo, and their dedication to performance art as much as their music makes them a standout. People crave weird art, and the duo is filling that void.