Romke Kleefstra
Romke Kleefstra | |
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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 |
Akkrum, Netherlands | 28 July 1972
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
- Mental Paradox (cassette, 1993)
- Swell Life (cassette, 1994)
Seascape Painters
- Seascape Painters (cd ep, Homebase Records, 1996)
- Polder EP (cassette, Craneland Music, 1998)
Polaroyd
- Thaw (3" cd, self-release, 2003)
- Underworld (3" cd, self-release, 2003)
Piiptsjilling
- Piiptsjilling (cd, Onomatopee, 2008)
- Wurdskrieme (lp/cd, Experimedia, 2010)
- Molkedrippen (cd, Spekk, 2014)
- Moarntiids (cd, Midira, 2014)
- Slieperswaar (3" cd, self-release, 2015)
- Kjeld (3" cd, self-release, 2017)
- Fiif (cd, Peter Foolen Editions, 2017)
Kleefstra|Bakker|Kleefstra
- Wink (cd, Appollolaan, 2009)
- Griis (lp, Low Point, 2012)
- Nacht en Dei (DVD, self-release, 2012)
- Live March 2012 (cassette, Northern Twilights, 2012)
- Sinne op 'e Wangen (DVD, Galerie Vayhinger, 2014)
- Dage (cassette, Low Point, 2016)
- Desimber (cassette, Tombed Visions, 2016)
- Dize (cd, Midira Records, 2017)
Gareth Davis, Jan Kleefstra, Romke Kleefstra
- Sieleslyk (3" cd, Rural Colours, 2011)
- Tongerswel (cd, Home Normal, 2011)
Kleefstra|Pruiksma|Kleefstra
- Deislieper (cd, Hibernate, 2011)
Kleefstra|Pruiksma|Kuitwaard|Kleefstra
- Sinneplakken (cd, Time Released Sound, 2012)
The Alvaret Ensemble
- The Alvaret Ensemble (2lp/2 cd, Denovali, 2012)
- Skeylja (lp/cd, Denovali, 2014)
CMKK
- GAU (cd, Monotype, 2013)
Tsjinlûd
- Tsjinlûd (book + cd, self-release, 2016)
Various
- That It Stays Winter Forever (cd, White Box, 2010), with Kleefstra|Bakker|Kleefstra
- Mort Aux Vaches (cd, Staalplaat, 2011), with Kleefstra|Bakker|Kleefstra
- Seeljocht (cd, Into The Great Wide Open, 2011), with Piiptsjilling
- Elements I-V (5 cd, Home Normal, 2014), with Piiptsjilling
- Stay Tuned (cd, Baskaru, 2014)
- Past Disappears (download, Dronarivm, 2014), with Piiptsjilling
- Moving Noises II (download, Midira, 2015), with Piiptsjilling
- Into The White (download, Dronarivm, 2016), with Kleefstra|Bakker|Kleefstra
Projects
- Seeljocht; artist in residence for Into The Great Wide Open Festival 2011 (Isle of Vlieland), also on Explore The North Festival (city of Leeuwarden) and Le Guess Who? (city of Utrecht)
- Skeylja; artist in residence for Oerol Festival (Isle of Terschelling)
- DUIF, film by Dinanda Luttikhedde and music project with the Kleefstra's and Mike Kramer, for Cultura Nova Festival (city of Heerlen) and Noorderzon Performing Arts Festival (city of Groningen), also on Explore The North Festival (city of Leeuwarden)
- Klanklânskippen Japan; touring film and music project, also on Noordelijk Film Festival (city of Leeuwarden)
- LJERKE; touring film and music project, also on Le Guess Who? Festival (city of Utrecht (and Noordelijk Film Festival (city of Leeuwarden)