The recent release of Angine de Poitrine‘s second album (Vol.II, 2026, self-released) is generating an unusual, growing hype for a band where, without being 100% instrumental, vocals aren’t exactly the protagonist in their tracks.
That is why we find ourselves asking: is a voice necessary to reach the mainstream?
But what is the mainstream?
Some of you might have thought upon reading the headline: “Hey, have you heard of electronic music?”; and you wouldn’t be wrong, as nowadays crowds gather at festivals or clubs where not a single voice is heard for hours.
Others might be thinking that perhaps this is something very limited to our era, since the majority of works by Beethoven, Chopin, or Vivaldi are purely instrumental, yet hold a fundamental importance in musical culture.
But are these genres and works truly mainstream? Well, as with any definition, there will always be gray and subjective areas. Regarding electronic music, grand totems like Jeff Mills and Richie Hawtin are essentially instrumental, but if we stop a random person on the street, they’ll recognize any song by Avicii, Calvin Harris, or David Guetta much sooner.
Regarding classical music, the counterargument might be that it has never truly been mainstream, as it has always been associated with the elites of its time. Not only that, but a large part of the success of certain key composers is due to opera or sacred music (Bach, Mozart, or Verdi). By the way, these same arguments can be used for jazz.
Having said that, has any instrumental act reached the mainstream?
Historically, the instrumental ensemble considered the most mainstream is The Shadows. They were very popular in the 60s, even surpassing many groups with a singer, but still far from the true mainstream—especially if we consider the fierce competition we look back on today from the likes of The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Elvis, The Beach Boys, Dylan, or The Supremes. No small feat.
If we move closer to the present day, it’s impossible not to highlight Explosions in the Sky. The veteran Austin outfit is arguably the current ceiling when it comes to instrumental bands. Their technical precision, spatial guitar arpeggios, and epic scope make them an essential band within the genre.
The Madrid-based band Toundra also stands out within the instrumental category. Since their eponymous debut album in 2008, the band has continued releasing new records, always to excellent results and reviews. Their post-rock/post-metal style has resonated in the alternative circuit, leading to European tours and performances at major festivals like Primavera Sound or Resurrection Fest.
The audiovisual world as an escape route
Both Explosions in the Sky and Toundra have ventured into the film world with collaborations.
The Texan band has one of the best showcases for their music in Friday Night Lights (both the movie and the series). But it’s not the only one, as they’ve participated in other films like Lone Survivor (starring Mark Wahlberg) or, more recently, in the miniseries American Primeval, which narrates the savage episodes that occurred in the state of Utah in the 19th century (by the way, all works related to director/creator Peter Berg; he seems to like the band).
In Toundra‘s case, in 2020 they released Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari, a commission for a special screening of the film at the Capitol cinemas in Madrid that they turned into an LP. The band has also shown their interest in creating more soundtracks on various occasions.
Another standout case in this field is Mogwai. While it’s true they aren’t a purely instrumental group, it is indeed the epicenter of their creations. Their creativity was also brought to the audiovisual realm in movies like The Fountain (directed by Darren Aronofsky) or prestigious series like the French Les Revenants and the Italian ZeroZeroZero (based on the eponymous book by Roberto Saviano).
It seems these intersection spaces between two artistic disciplines—music and the audiovisual—can be a great way for these bands to evolve. This is something Trent Reznor can attest to, not in terms of making Nine Inch Nails known, but in shifting gears and working on creatively stimulating side projects, such as collaborating with David Fincher on The Social Network, Gone Girl, or Mank, or with (again) Peter Berg on Patriots Day.
Coda: Is a voice necessary to reach the mainstream?
The answer seems to be none other than, at least until now, the voice has been 100% essential for it. Anyway, it’s a somewhat irrelevant question (forgive the final self-flagellation), since countless bands enjoy a long and fruitful career without the need to reach that peak of popularity.
Can Angine de Poitrine tear down that wall for the first time? I don’t think so, but may their boldness at least catch us enjoying the ride.