Viral band Angine de Poitrine hitting the Winnipeg Folk Festival stage

[00:00:00]Well, they're masked. They're polkadotted. And they speak an alien language. And they play music that sounds like this.

[00:00:30]They are Anene Deatrin, a math rock duo from Sagen, Quebec. And the band has recently gone viral. And they're in Manitoba now getting ready to play the Winnipeg Folk Festival tonight. Bucky Dreger is a guitarist for Winnipeg's Royal Canoe and the label manager for Birthday Cake Media. And he's been following the duo since they blew up online. He joins us now in studio. So hello.

[00:00:54]>> Hello.

[00:00:55]>> So when did you first hear about Anene Dein?

[00:00:58]>> I was totally introduced to them at the same time kind of as everyone else when that KXP session started sort of started making the rounds and really reposting it and sharing it and and uh we're excited about it.

[00:01:13]>> And what was your uh initial assessment when you when you first saw it heard it?

[00:01:16]Like what went through your mind as a musician?

[00:01:18]>> Totally. I mean, I feel like because I've been around as long as I have, there's a bit of baked in skepticism about like thetick of it all, but as I sat with it longer and longer, um it really you could tell that they were incredible musicians executing something very difficult and uh doing it with ease and making it sound uh really great in the process. And what is it about the the music itself that that kind of at first, you know, sparked that that skepticism?

[00:01:49]>> You know, I think like it's kind of, you know, they come in with this big they have a big uh image. It's a part of their whole thing is that there's this there's this set, there's these costumes, there's a very like um polished but kind of uh rough around the edges sort of aesthetic to them. And I think sometimes when you see that you could um feel like oh this is trying to like make up for something that's lacking in masking their actually poor musicianship maybe.

[00:02:18]>> Totally. But you know as you sit with the music you quickly realize that no they are actually like incredibly skilled in weaving together some very complicated uh ideas into something honestly uh that's verging on uh so weird that the masses might not get it but just right in the right sweet spot that it's feels really energetic and digestible for people.

[00:02:41]>> Right. And so and and just to paint a picture for folks it's two musicians uh dressed essentially like yeah these polka dot alien people. One's a drummer, one's a basist/ guitarist. And the bass is unique because it actually has way more frets than a normal bass. It's multi-tononal, I think.

[00:02:55]>> Microonal.

[00:02:55]>> Microonal. Thank you very much. Uh, so and and and what the music they make is being described as math rock. What is math rock? I'm probably going to get in trouble because I feel like there's like nerdy uh debates online about what exactly constitutes math rock. But I think uh at its core uh math rock is really like playing with different time signatures that are maybe unusual uh kind of outside of the regular 44 68 time signatures and um you know maybe even switching up time signatures within a song. So, I think there can be this sort of like um jilted feeling to it where it's kind of offkilter, but I think the bands that do it the best kind of use that and it feels natural and groovy even though they're kind of flipping between these different time signals.

[00:03:44]>> And I want to talk about that too because the like the when you especially when you first listen it is a bit off-putting like you're actually your initial is it's not like this is like groovy like you're you lay back you're kind of kind of almost makes you feel a little bit nervous. I know it's Royal Canoe sometimes and especially kind of in certain refrains in your music. We've actually sometimes full disclosure like hey we should play this Royal Canoe song and we'll get to the refrain like I don't know will people turn away cuz it and and but it's clearly an artistic choice you make to you know what goes behind that from the musician's mindset to to make music that might not necessarily be I don't know easy listening per se.

[00:04:16]>> Totally. I mean, we had moments in shows where we'd be playing some of those choruses and watching people trying to dance and then the bar sort of flips over and they've lost their spot cuz it's not quite exactly on, you know, a basic 44 pattern. I think for us like when we got started like that was almost like a challenge to ourselves is like can we make 54 can we make 78 feel groovy and not feel like it's some like mathy thing you need to count in your head but it still just has like a natural flow and feel and I think you know musicians throughout time have played with that to produce something that feels new and fresh but um people can't quite put their finger on exactly why it feels different um because hopefully it's flowing out in a way that just feels uh feels natural.

[00:05:02]>> And I is is there even some joy to make people feel like a little bit uncomfortable as well? Is that part like sometimes are you okay with that? Is that something you actually seek out sometimes?

[00:05:11]>> Absolutely. I think like so much uh of popular culture can become quite sy and beige. And I think if you can have these moments where you know maybe you're speaking with some of the language of pop culture that people can find their way into a band or a musician or a record. Um, but you can throw in some of these twists and turns to help them uh kind of pull them out of the norm and, you know, perk up their ears a little bit that can feel really satisfying as a musician.

[00:05:41]>> And you think that's part of the appeal of of Vanishing Deput as well? Is it does it tell you something about where we're at, you know, culturally right now where a band like this that is just so out there and sometimes, you know, objectively makes music that is I don't want to say unpleasant, but like it like, you know, makes you a little bit like tense or uncomfortable uh is is, you know, still has a lot of people who who enjoy it too, right?

[00:06:05]>> Totally. I think like um it's it's kind of been I think surprising to me how they've sort of broken into the zeicist so quickly and and kind of hit the general population. It's not just this like niche musical nerdery uh thing. And I think, you know, in today's sort of Instagram scrolling culture where um there are certain like tropes and and and formats and visual and and audio formats that we know do well in the algorithm, quote unquote, that people are tapping into and, you know, often just to try and get their music uh more heard and try to bring people into their world. And I think um maybe people have been hungry for something that feels like it's touching some of those tropes, but really pulling you into something that feels fresh and new and uh and into just honestly they've built this world.

[00:07:03]And I think it's it's an invitation to come into their whole like uh lore and visual world and sonic world as well.

[00:07:11]And I think there's also people are saying there's appeal because it's their music sounds like it's something that would be AI proof as well. Do you think that that's sort of true or do you think AI AI could be like I can make music now? I mean, sure, I don't know how smart the robots are these days, but I do think there's a truth to that statement, which is like if if AI is this distillation of everything that's ever been made, I think it's often going to sort of regress to the safest mean.

[00:07:38]And uh and so this is something that really is not kind of pushing itself toward the middle. It's pushing towards an edge. And I think that's something that uh you know, AI is less prone to do. Mhm. Uh, and before we walked in the studio, you so you mentioned you're going to be actually at the show at Folkfest. Uh, and you mentioned yourself as as not a fan, but fan curious at this point. Uh, you're going to be watching the show. What are you watching for? And what what will it take for you to be like, "Yes, I am all in for Anatine."

[00:08:07]>> Honestly, I just feel like this is a band that needs to be experienced live to have like this full sort of conversion moment. there's a certain uh yeah like otherworldly energy to what they do that you need to sort of feel resonate in your chest and I also think um it's going to be really special to experience with a whole bunch of other people and I always find so much joy in looking around a crowd and watching people's you know mouths drop and eyes open up and see them having that conversion experience that's contagious and I think a lot of people are going to probably have that >> especially for the people who came to see some other band but then now have have never heard of them before. It'll be fun to see.

[00:08:46]>> Absolutely.

[00:08:47]>> Well, Bucky, thanks for joining us and uh enjoy the show.

[00:08:50]>> Thanks very much.