NEWS
The microtonal guitarist has rejected the idea that music knowledge can restrict creativity
Khn of Angine De Poitrine has spoken about why music theory matters, encouraging musicians to understand and use the language connected to their craft.
The mysterious duo from Quebec, which also features percussionist Klek De Poitrine, has become known for playing intricate microtonal rock while wearing enormous papier mâché masks and costumes covered in black and white polka dots.
During a recent conversation with Guitar World, Khn was asked whether scales influence his thinking while he performs live.
“I think in terms of scales all the time,” he said. “Or rather, intervals in a context. But it’s just a harmless piece of information that sits there in the consciousness. A lot of people get this idea of someone playing robotically with a straight face, thinking, ‘Now I should play this note, for this reason’.”
He continued: “Even among musicians, there is this myth of how knowledge might somehow end up hurting your creativity. If I say, ‘I think in terms of scales all the time’, it does not mean, ‘the things that should be done according to a given set of rules will dictate all of my choices’. It’s not like I will only act creatively in a sterile and conscious effort to create only using these tools.”
Khn then argued that artists should make an effort to learn the vocabulary connected to the theory behind the music they perform.
“Terminology matters to me,” he said. “When someone uses the inappropriate term in a conversation, I become insanely irritated. I make a conscious effort not to bother people too much with that stuff, though. But when you play chords, intervals, melodies in a harmonic and rhythmic context, every aspect of what is happening has a name.”
“Why on earth would someone make a point out of not knowing the names of things? Terminology is our only hope at humanity. Without it, chaos awaits. Value terminology. Worship terminology. Or be a monkey.”
Angine De Poitrine has emerged as one of the most unexpected breakthrough acts of 2026. The pair released their second record, ‘Vol. II’, in April after their KEXP performance from February became a viral success.
Their growing list of notable supporters includes Foo Fighters singer Dave Grohl, who said earlier this year that the duo had “absolutely blown my fucking mind” and described them as “so completely bonkers, dude”.
In May, they led the opening beach party at The Great Escape, presented by NME, where their set was called an “absurd but enthralling spectacle”.
The duo accepted Billboard Canada’s Global Breakthrough Award without speaking, attracted one of the largest audiences in Montreal Jazz Festival history and is currently touring North America. They will return to the UK later this year for several headline concerts. Full details and any remaining tickets are available here.
