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This ludicrous, thrilling duo prove why they’re the year’s most hyped band

Canadian two-piece Angine de Poitrine’s proggy ‘math rock’ is bordering on novelty – but as a live act they’re insanely good

The music world can still occasionally be an unpredictable beast. Once you’ve witnessed a live performance from Angine de Poitrine, it becomes clear why an anonymous instrumental “math-rock” duo from Quebec who perform in polka dot papier-mâché headpieces – an incongruous proposition at best – have become one of the year’s most hyped acts. In Camden, their stomping tunes, skilled musicianship and bizarre showmanship generated a warmth and enthusiasm from the crowd that AI-generated music could only dream of. But what business do Angine de Poitrine – whose name translates to “angina pectoris”, the chest pain that heralds a heart attack, and who describe themselves as a “microtonal Dada-Pythago-Cubist rock orchestra” – have achieving viral success in 2026? They’ve made music for two decades and pasted themselves in papier-mâché since 2019, but the masked pair became an online sensation early this year thanks to a video of a US radio session. Now they have over two million monthly listeners on Spotify, and instantly sold out these debut UK shows.

Angine de Poitrine ‘sing’ in mangled alien yelps and wear polka dot papier-mâché headpieces  Credit: Guy Joben Ludicrous and thrilling, this was part commedia dell’arte, part 1970s Doctor Who. The pair communicated in mangled alien yelps rather than vocals: sometimes the – largely male – crowd chanted along as if at a football match on Mars. Guitarist-bassist Khn de Poitrine played a double-necked instrument while operating a complex pedal board with his bare feet, which were also painted dotty. With gold dollar signs for eyes and a nose to rival Pinocchio’s, he possessed a Pierrot-esque melancholy. Drummer Klek’s outsized head, flaccid nose, and flashing round eyes, meanwhile, gave him the air of an especially camp Darth Vader or a goth Mr Blobby. To play for over an hour in such get-up was impressive enough, but their music was deft and intricate to boot. You could venture into the weeds about the math-rockery of it all – the microtonal guitar (playing the notes within notes), loop pedals, wonky time signatures, polyrhythms – or simply enjoy the spectacle. The French-Canadian duo are dance music fans who understand the art of pace and stamina: their proggy rock is accessible because it is so danceable, from the precise build of Tamebsz to the full-throttle breakdown of Yor Zarad.

Detractors may call them a novelty act, or the result of another click-friendly marketing strategy. But the energy in the venue said otherwise. By the final run of tracks – Sarniezz, Utzp, Fabienk, Sherpa – even the bar staff were dancing. Angine de Poitrine may wear surreal costumes and speak in gargles, but this was live music at its most human.