Romke Kleefstra

Romke Kleefstra

Kleefstra performing live with The Alvaret Ensemble at the State X New Forms Festival in the city of The Hague, Dec. 10, 2016
Background information
Birth name Romke Kleefstra
Born (1972-07-28) 28 July 1972
Akkrum, Netherlands
Genres Experimental, Dark Ambient, electronica
Instruments guitar, bass
Years active 1992–present
Labels Denovali, Low Point, Monotype Records, Midira
Associated acts Piiptsjilling, The Alvaret Ensemble, Tsjinlûd, Seascape Painters
Website http://romkekleefstra.blogspot.nl/

Romke Kleefstra is a musician/sound artist/experimental guitarist and ornithologist from the Netherlands. Currently he is a member of Piiptsjilling, Kleefstra|Bakker|Kleefstra, The Alvaret Ensemble and Tsjinlûd.

Biography

Romke Kleefstra was born on 28 July 1972 in Akkrum, Netherlands. He started as a song writing singer and guitarist in 1992 when he formed his first band Shatterhole. Kleefstra didn’t study music; he's a self-taught guitarist, at early age influenced by bands like The Ex and Sonic Youth.

From 1992 up to 2007 Kleefstra was singer and songwriter in the indie bands Shatterhole (1992–1995), Seascape Painters (1995–2000) and Polaroyd (2003–2007). In 2008 Kleefstra formed Piiptsjilling with his brother Jan Kleefstra (poet), Rutger Zuydervelt (Machinefabriek) and Mariska Baars (Soccer Committee). Since then he's been in numerous collaborations and projects with his brother, in which his music contains elements of ambient, post-rock, minimalism, drone, modern classical music up to free impro jazz. Recurrent collaborations differ in style and sound, from the filmic soundscapes of Piiptsjilling, to the pitch black ambient of Kleefstra|Bakker|Kleefstra, to the free impro with influences of modern classical music of The Alvaret Ensemble. After releasing Piiptsjilling's first album in 2008 a solid stream of CD's, LP's, DVD's and cassettes followed on labels like Experimedia, Hybernate, Home Normal, Spekk, Low Point, Monotype, Denovali, Midira and Tombed Visions.

As a member of Piiptsjilling Kleefstra co-initiated the film and music project Seeljocht for the Into The Great Wide Open festival in 2011 (Vlieland, Netherlands), with Piiptsjilling, Peter and Heather Broderick, Nils Frahm and Greg Haines. It was succeeded by the half-Icelandic project Skeylja for the Oerol festival 2012 (with The Alvaret Ensemble and Kira Kira, Eríkur Ólafsson, Ingi Erlendsson and Borgar Magnason). In 2015 the Frisian collective Tsjinlûd toured the Netherlands with Japanese film artists of the +Project from Tokyo. In 2016 the Kleefstra's did the same with a similar project called LJERKE, including the Norwegian musicians Alexander Rishaug, Hilde Marie Holsen and Michael Duch.

All studio-albums and live performances are based on free impro / instant composing. Live performances with Piiptsjilling, Kleefstra|Bakker|Kleefstra and The Alvaret Ensemble took Kleefstra to Japan, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Germany, Iceland and Britain.

Within the frequently returning collaborations and live Kleefstra collaborated with many artists, among whom Anne-Chris Bakker, Peter Broderick, Gareth Davis, Nils Frahm, Joana Guerra, Greg Haines, Will Long, Sytze Pruiksma, Alexander Rishaug, Danny Saul, Olga Wojciechowska and Rutger Zuydervelt. Visual artists that worked together in projects with Kleefstra are 33one3rd, Haraldur Karlsson, Kei Shichiri, Marco Douma, Rei Hayama, Sabine Bürger, Shinkan Tamaki and Takashi Makino.

Kleefstra is an autodidact ornithologist, since 1998 working as field assistant and project coordinator for Sovon (Dutch Centre for Field Ornithology). Kleefstra is also chief editor of the Dutch ornithological magazine Limosa. He publishes regularly articles and short notes with a wide variety of subjects, mainly in Dutch and sometimes in international journals for ornithology. The Wadden Sea, bird populations in wetlands, population dynamic, birds on roosts, species targeted research in herons, geese, birds of prey, waders, gulls, terns and owls have his special interest.

Romke Kleefstra resides in a small township in the Frisian countryside.

Discography

Shatterhole

Seascape Painters

Polaroyd

Piiptsjilling

Kleefstra|Bakker|Kleefstra

Gareth Davis, Jan Kleefstra, Romke Kleefstra

Kleefstra|Pruiksma|Kleefstra

Kleefstra|Pruiksma|Kuitwaard|Kleefstra

The Alvaret Ensemble

CMKK

Tsjinlûd

Various

Projects

Papers

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