Quebec band Angine de Poitrine has been playing their own very unique brand of math rock for more than 20 years, but after a video of the duo playing live on KEXP hit the inter webs, the world shook. Now, the band is coming to Toronto as part of a very sold out tour and it is the hottest ticket in town.
What started as a single show at the Mod Club in July has turned into three sold-out dates on July 14, 15, and 18 with tickets already selling from $350-$550 on resale sites.
The band is akin to what would happen if David Bowie and Banksy had twins. There is a growing mythology about the duo who describe themselves as “space-time voyagers Klek and Khn de Poitrine gaze in wonder at hot dogs, pyramids, and rock music in all its glorious excess.”
It’s a playful origin story, but one that mirrors the band’s sound: strange, excessive, and deeply immersive, characteristic by wildly creative music and unique papier mâché masks and costumes.
Musically, Angine de Poitrine trades in controlled chaos. Their compositions are asymmetrical and dissonant, driven by tightly coiled percussion and the warped textures of microtonal, double-neck guitar. The result is hypnotic and deeply groovy.
The band has quickly built momentum through festival appearances, including the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal, and a run of sold-out shows that have only deepened their mystique.
With a new album (Vol. II) generating buzz, a widely viewed KEXP session, and international touring on the horizon, the band’s trajectory suggests something rare—if these odd musical space creatures want it—an experimental act breaking into the musical mainstream not by sacrificing its edge, but by leaning into it.
For all the interstellar lore, the core of the band is refreshingly grounded. Strip away the mythology, and Angine de Poitrine is, at heart, a rock band—albeit one refracted through a distinctly otherworldly lens.
