Bizarre costumes, no singing, 8 million KEXP clicks: Angine de Poitrine are the most extraordinary duo of the year.
Ever since their KEXP live session, the duo has been on everyone’s lips: Angine de Poitrine. The math rock group that looks like a couple of spotted aliens is currently experiencing quite a bit of hype. We approach the two with the help of seven facts.
1. Who are Angine de Poitrine really?
Angine de Poitrine is an anonymous artistic project. The band consists of two members about whom little is known. They call themselves Khn and Klek. Khn plays the guitar, Klek sits on the drums.
They are said to be 333 years old and come from another planet. In reality, the two musicians come from the Canadian city of Saguenay in Quebec.
2. Which language is required here?
Although the band name is French and translates to something like “chest pain,” Angine de Poitrine do not speak French. And no English either. Not really an established language – more of a mix of grunting, bubbling and whistling noises.
Her music also works without words. However, this is made up for by the unique sound.
3. What sound does it hit your ears?
The band themselves call their sound “Orchestre Rock Microtonal Dada-phytago-cubiste”. In terms of genre, the two can be classified between math rock and microtonal music.
For better understanding: Math Rock is characterized by odd time signatures and dissonant sounds. The guitar and drums dominate – in this case the only instruments – and their complexity is often highlighted. Microtonal Music uses pitches that lie between conventional pitches. The music of the two of them sounds completely different in every respect – whether beat or tone – than you are used to.
4. Why the hype?
That’s exactly what makes Angine de Poitrine so special: their sound is not easy to replicate. And although the two pretend to be from another planet, their bizarre nature makes them all the more human. This is a welcome change these days with so many songs being produced by AI.
No perfectly coordinated singing. No regular, familiar song structure. The duo manages to create art that does not correspond to current mass listening habits – and therefore appears particularly human despite its electronic sounds.
5. What can you expect visually on stage?
Khn and Klek appear on stage in black and white polka dot costumes and maintain their anonymity behind oversized papier-mâché masks with protruding noses. The stage design has always had a striking black and white polka dot design.
6. How many records are there from the duo?
They released their first album “Vol I” in 2024. However, they only went viral in 2026 with their second album “Vol II”. The band has already gained a considerable fan base since February 2026. They currently have around 651,000 followers on Instagram. Her breakthrough performance at the Trans Musicales Festival in Rennes, which KEXP posted online, went through the roof and has already been viewed over 8 million times.
7. Why are they unstoppable?
The fan base of the two spotted aliens is growing rapidly – this is also shown by the European tour that the two will play in the fall. The tour sold out in a flash. The concert on October 27th in Berlin will therefore be moved up: instead of in the Festsaal Kreuzberg, it will now take place in the Astra Kulturhaus. They will also play in Cologne on September 1st, in Hamburg on October 28th and in Heidelberg on October 29th.
From Friday, April 10th at 10 a.m. it will be possible to purchase tickets for the live performance in Berlin again. If you want to see the two characters live, you should get tickets quickly.
