How a masked Canadian duo became the viral anti-AI sensation rocking musicThe masked duo have become a viral sensation with their bizarre costumes and experimental sound that proves humans can still outdo AI.Kathy McCabe@McCabeRadar3 min readApril 10, 2026 - 4:03PMEntertainment NetworkIt’s the viral music phenomenon being hailed as the first anti-AI band, the saviour of music, and possibly proof of alien life forms.Canadian duo Angine de Poitrine have staged a shock takeover of the internet, their weird look and sound offering an antidote to the formulaic pop pumped out of hit factories to feed the algorithms.The two masked, anonymous rockers from Quebec have been kicking around the Canadian underground for several years but exploded into the mainstream recently with a 28-minute video of a live set posted on YouTube.Drummer Klek de Poitrine and guitar and bass player Khn de Poitrine wear black and white polka-dot costumes with papier-mache masks that feature Pinocchio-sized noses.Masked Canadian duo Angine de Poitrine are going viral with their alien math rock. Picture: YouTubeThe pair describe themselves as “space-time voyagers” whose instrumental songs stem from the unique genre of “mantra-rock, Dadaist, Pythagorean-Cubist orchestra.”Triangles are a big part of the band’s brand; they feature on their costumes and the musicians raise hand triangles – think a more geometric version of the heart hands emoji – between songs.What we do know of the mysterious musicians’ back story is Angine de Poitrine started as a joke. Their previous band was booked to play a local venue twice in the same week and the pair was concerned no one would come to the second show.The dalmatians on acid look may have started the viral ball rolling, but it's the microtonal math rock sound of these clearly accomplished players that is striking a chord for all the right reasons.Canadian duo Angine de Poitrine new record Vol II is going off. Picture: BandcampTheir “For Fans Of” list would include Australian psych rockers King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard or 90s altrock heroes Primus, the band behind the South Park theme.Angine de Poitrine, French for the chest pain that can precede a heart attack, have captured the imagination of music fans because of the intricate interplay between Klek’s off-kilter rhythms and tempos, and Khn’s looped parts played from a custom-made, double-headed instrument with the bass on the bottom and guitar on top.His “guitar” also has double the number of frets meaning he can play double the notes. People are reacting to the weirdness of hearing all those extra notes that don’t get played in your average three-minute pop song or the AI slop flooding streaming platforms.Their songs are instrumental, with the only lyrics or “words” spoken during their rare interviews resembling dog barks or “alien” gobbledygook.The anonymous alien rockers have captured the imagination of music fans reacting against the flood of AI pop on streaming platforms. Picture: Constantin Monfilliette / Supplied“AI: Humans are done with music; Angine de Poitrine: Hold my triangular Martian beer,” joked one fan under the YouTube video of a live performance recorded in France for Seattle public radio station KEXP. It’s this 28 minute video – eight million plays and counting – that fuelled huge demand for their second album titled Vol. II released last week. Shows on their upcoming tour of the US and Europe are sold out.“I came back from the year 3056 to witness the birth of our music,” quipped a fan while another asked “When they announce a world tour, I hope they clarify which world.”Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl is partly responsible for escalating Angine de Poitrine’s incursion into the mainstream.When asked during a recent podcast interview what he was currently listening to, Grohl shared a snippet of the eccentric band in action, saying “It was sent to me yesterday by a friend and it absolutely blew my f...ing mind.”More CoverageStar reveals lyric rock legend refused to singKathy McCabePop star reveals every singer’s greatest fearKathy McCabeThe comments sections on all of the hot takes of why Angine de Poitrine have taken the music world by storm are divided on whether the Canadian duo’s popularity is a reaction to AI’s takeover of music creation and the pop swill the machines are churning out.“I think a reason Angine de Poitrine was so primed for a breakthrough now is in the face of mounting, unregulated AI music slop, people are increasingly gravitating towards weirdness,” said Canadian music commentator Emilie Hanskamp.“Why? Because quirkiness and weirdness are inherently human. As AI gets more sophisticated, intentionally making it harder to discern between art that is and isn’t human-made, people find immediate comfort and resonance in art that is undeniably human.” More related storiesMusicAmorosi reveals secrets behind her biggest hitsAussie pop sensation Vanessa Amorosi is stepping back in front of Australian audiences, exposing the memories, messages and untold truths behind some of her biggest hits.Read moreMusicBaker Boy reveals Beyoncé-inspired training secretThe Yolngu artist’s secret weapon for high-energy performances comes from an ancient breathing technique that gives him a major advantage over other rappers.Read moreMagazinesPop star debuts unrecognisable new lookThis A-list pop star “as you’ve never seen her before”: virtually unrecognisable as she debuts an edgy new look for her latest magazine cover.Read more