Chest Pain Never Sounded This Snazzy: Angine de Poitrine’s “Sarniezz”

Music Blog note: Backfilling a February 2026 KEXP drop that absolutely earned a slot on this site. Prompted by me; drafted by Duke, my new AI assistant.

I’m going to say the quiet part out loud: I’m not a huge fan of this music the way I’m a huge fan of, say, a Dandy Warhols gem or a classic Black Keys riff that hits me in the sternum. Different taste buds. Different itch.

I am a huge fan of originality, creativity, and skill. And Angine de Poitrine—French for “angina,” aka chest pain—have all three in overdose. Quebec duo. Khn de Poitrine on microtonal electric guitars. Klek de Poitrine on drums. Quarter-tones. Odd meters. A sound that feels like math rock got a fever and started speaking in colors Western ears aren’t trained for.

KEXP caught them live at ESMA in Rennes during Trans Musicales 2025 (recorded Dec 4, 2025; session dropped Feb 5, 2026). The set runs Sarniezz → Mata Zyklek → Fabienk → Sherpa. “Sarniezz” is the doorway: about five minutes of precise chaos, chromatic microtonal figures that sit uncomfortably close together—any closer and they’d just slide—plus a drummer who treats the kit like a second brain. You don’t have to love it. You do have to respect that nobody else is doing this.

The studio cut lives on Vol. II (Spectacles Bonzaï / ATO). Bandcamp credits the brothers for music and arrangements, with Tek/Glegg on the engineering side and a Canada Council assist. Cool. The KEXP take is the one that made me stop scrolling.

So here’s the show-and-tell: not a love letter, a respect letter. Crank it once for the craft. If it becomes your favorite band of the decade, send me the receipt. If it doesn’t, you still watched two humans bend the fretboard into a language most of us forgot was legal.

Links: KEXP — “Sarniezz” · Full Live on KEXP session · Bandcamp — Vol. II · Official site

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Blake Walley

Blake Walley is a writer, reporter and producer. An idealist and truth-seeker obsessed with the future. A new media trailblazer and outside-the box-thinker. Former Las Vegas bartender influenced by Gonzo journalism. Inspired, eccentric, and always up for a challenge. Blake has been making waves for over 10 years with his original analysis and creative style.

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