If you’ve been paying attention to the underground circuit lately, you already know that Quebec’s microtonal math-rock duo Angine de Poitrine is currently delivering some of the most bizarre, exhilarating, and technically jaw-dropping live music anywhere on the continent. Wrapping up their two separate nights in Washington DC at the historic Lincoln Theatre, Khn de Poitrine and Klek de Poitrine delivered a masterclass in controlled sonic chaos.
Taking the stage under the soft glow of the venue’s iconic proscenium, the duo emerged clad in their signature LED-lit masks, looking like otherworldly entities dropped straight into a classic venue. From the drop of opening track “Angor,” the acoustics inside the Lincoln elevated their intricate rhythmic assault to another level on Sept. 17.
The chemistry between Khn’s blistering microtonal fretwork and Klek’s relentless, polyrhythmic percussion was nothing short of hyper-precise arithmetic. Rolling through highlight tracks from their latest release Vol. II alongside Vol. 1 staples—from the ferocious momentum of “Yor Zarad” and “Tamebsz” to the rhythmic gymnastics of “Mata Zyklek” and “Ababa Hotel”—the sheer physical velocity of their performance had the room locked in awe.
Watch Angine de Poitrine perform live for KEXP on YouTube:
Watching them navigate complex, lightning-fast time signature shifts across “Sarniezz” and “Fabienk” while sipping water through absurdly long, glowing straws between movements added just the right dose of avant-garde humor to match the sheer technical weight of the set.
By the time they tore through their set closer “Sherpa,” the crowd on U Street was pinned to the floor by the sheer wall of sound. Unplugging without a word or an unnecessary encore, Angine de Poitrine left the Lincoln Theatre in stunned silence before the room erupted. It was precise, weird, and unmissable.
All photos in gallery taken on Sept. 17, 2026, at the Lincoln Theatre in Washington, DC by Sean Spannuth.
Setlist:
- Angor
- Yor Zarad
- Tamebsz
- Mata Zyklek
- Ababa Hotel
- Sarniezz
- Fabienk
- Sherpa
