I don’t know that I can “recommend” you listen to Angine de Poitrine (the French term for angina pectoris, or “strangling of the chest ”). I’m not sure I can even say I like them.
What I can say is that they intrigue me—and they’re mega-talented.
Their music might sound a bit like the tortured spirit of Frank Zappa’s mangled guitar busting out of a Jack-in-the-Box that robots forged in the future … but what they’re doing requires insane discipline, musicality, energy, originality, and raw ability. With all the abrupt starts and stops, the crazy time signatures, the speed and accuracy—it ain’t easy!
The fact that they’re doing it dressed as polka-dotted, papier-mâché-wearing asylum escapees?
Well, that adds an element of weirdness, doesn’t it?
We can’t tell their age or even gender.
The guitar player goes by Khn de Poitrine, and the drummer by Klek de Poitrine.
Khn’s guitar necks (one bass, one six-string) are microtonal, meaning they have more tones (or notes) available than the standard 12 per octave. This accounts, at least in part, for the strangeness of their sound. They’re hitting “between” tones we’re not accustomed to hearing in Western music.
Angine de Poitrine’s songs are repetitive to a certain extent, but if you listen closely, there’s a lot going on. This duo is unbelievably tight; I mean, they’re as synced as two musicians can be. Khn is taking care of bass and six-string sounds, looping patterns in and out in real time, plotting multiple guitar parts, rhythms and solos (working effects pedals barefoot, with foot makeup that looks like shoes), while Klek bangs along this frenetic sonic highway without flubbing a beat, his hot dog nose swinging about. Pretty amazing/ridiculous.
Again—I don’t know how much of this I can take in a sitting. But it’s fascinating as both music and performance art.
Possibly more fun than the video I linked here? The comments section! It’s a hoot!
Here are some of my favorites:
@oscarpayne4639
“When they announce a world tour, I hope they clarify which world.”
@rsahel
“This is what Schrödinger’s cat is doing when the box is closed.”
@theobscurelobster
“I played this at my kid’s birthday party, and the balloon animals started to fold the clown.”
@lizardwizardxtra
“played this at the gym, and the weights started lifting me”
@flopla3667
“I finally found what the 0.01% remaining bacteria are doing when I use bleach for cleaning.”
@seancooper967
“That tab I took in 1987 finally kicked in.”
@ChesterFlat
“I’m happy to see that my childhood imaginary friends are doing well.”
@TheRealVenusian
“i am intensely fascinated by every aspect of whatever the fuck this is”
@ScottWhartonComedian
“The real challenge is convincing my girlfriend this is our Halloween couples costume.”
@ThePhilosopherCyclist
“I came for the comments. I was NOT disappointed.”
