By barnaby
Boy Golden, Bob Moses, July Talk, The Beaches, Metric, Dear Rouge, The Glorious Sons, Arkells, Billy Talent, The Darcys, Monowhales, Anyway Gang, Mother Mother, and Dear Rouge stand out in the year-end Alt category.
The math rock duo are hitting the dance floor thanks to the unreleased remix produced by the famed Canadian electronic musician artist, which he has previewed at several festivals.
There's no stage that Angine de Poitrine can't reach.
VELD Music Festival took over Toronto this weekend with the biggest names in electronic music, and deadmau5 gave a co-sign to one of his favourite Canadian bands while headlining the festival's final night alongside Kaskade, performing as the duo Kx5. Blending math rock and house, the Niagara Falls native played an original remix of Angine de Poitrine's hit song "Fabienk," combining its groovy bass guitar rhythms with house drums and and a bright, electrifying drop.
"Did not have ADP fever hitting #VELD2026 on the bingo cards, but here we are…,"' the festival wrote in an Instagram post on which the musician collaborated. Like any true Angine fan, deadmau5 threw up the aliens' signature triangle hand gesture while playing in front of a packed crowd, and even performed the duo's signature arm waving dance.
deadmau5 is a proud fan of the band and has supported them frequently. He attended one of their three concerts at the Mod Club during their Toronto headline debut last month and left a rave review on Instagram. "Man what a killer performance :) thanks [Angine de Poitrine] and team for letting us check it out! If you ever get a chance to see these aliens play live, do it!" he wrote.
Even before seeing the band live, he was one of many musicians, critics and fans tuning into the band amid their viral rise and subsequent global breakthrough. He first previewed the "Fabienk" remix on Instagram back in April, and while it has yet to release officially, he has been playing the unreleased cut on major stages worldwide, including at the FIFA Fan Festival in Philadelphia in July during the 2026 World Cup, which was co-hosted by Canada, and the Calgary Stampede in Alberta just a few days prior. The hit single has proven to be a fan favourite, even for Canadian legends like Shania Twain, who caught an up-close performance of the microtonal rock track while appearing alongside Angine de Poitrine on Later... with Jools Holland.
"I love them as people, they’re so cool," she told Billboard Canada. "First of all, they’re extraordinary musicians. They are mind-blowing musicians actually, and I was inspired by them, I was really really proud of them. And here we are as Canadians on this incredible, historic show. I see them as a duo that plays their butts off, very intellectual players, and are having a great time with it. They’re entertaining us in every way, right?"
Since going viral with their KEXP live performance, Angine de Poitrine have turned every moment they touch into viral gold. After touring North America and Europe, the band circled back to play some of Canada's biggest festivals, including a legendary set at the Montreal Jazz Fest that welcomed one of its biggest-ever crowds with more than 75,000 people.
This past weekend, at the same time deadmau5 was dropping their song, they graced the Osheaga stage with a surprise set on Saturday, playing one of the festival's two sold out dates amid its second most-attended edition, drawing over 50,000 fans to the main stage.
As the band's profile continues to grow, they're set to return to North America for another headlining run this fall.
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