Jan & Romke Kleefstra profile picture

Jan & Romke Kleefstra

About Me

Kleefstra|Bakker|Kleefstra - Wink by Romke KleefstraJan & Romke is poet/vocalist Jan Kleefstra and guitarist/soundscaper Romke Kleefstra.Jan Kleefstra writes 'fragments' about inlands between lakes and near the sea and the sense perceptions of it. And because words about land and water are vulnerable, especially when the relationship with it is fragile, he doesn't want the words to hit the ground and be trampled down by people after leaving his voice. That's why he recitates on soundscapes, partly form the guitar of his brother Romke, partly on samples of William Basinski, Deathprod or Es and sometimes live with others like Machinefabriek and Soccer Committee. Jan & Romke also co-operate with other forms of art like (seascape) painting and cinematographics.So far Jan published three collections of poems:
    Stem van de stilte (2004, Boon Uitgeverij, Groningen) - a combination of Dutch poems with seascape paintings by Minne Onnes Fragmenten (2006, Boon Uitgeverij, Groningen) - Dutch poems with a few digitally adapted pictures by Johan van Aken Fragminten (2008, Friese Pers Boekerij, Leeuwarden) - Frisian poems with a few digitally adapted pictures by Johan van Aken
Romke Kleefstra has been singer/songwriter/guitarist in a some groops over the last 15 years, including Shatterhole, Seascape Painters , Polaroyd and Music for the Defect . He's also been doing solo stuff (and might do that again).In the spring of 2008 the cd 'Piiptsjilling' was published by Onomatopee. A collaboration of a one track soundscape and Frisian poems by Jan & Romke with Machinefabriek and Soccer Committee . There has been a few great international reviews on the cd and with Machinefabriek and Soccer Committee they took Piiptsjilling live on stage in 2008. More performances are to be expected in 2009. Late 2008 a new live collaboration was found in Kleefstra / Bakker / Kleefstra, with Chris Bakker. This resulted in 'Wink' , again a one track soundscape cd with Frisian Poetry. Wink was published by Apollolaan Recordings . On stage free improvisations took place with Bela Emerson, Liondialer (Greg Haines & Danny Saul), Nodo with Tsjebbe Hettinga and meanwhile some instant composing with Gareth Davis has been recorded to be published in 2010 on Home Normal.Another co-operation with different artists is found in Tsjinlûd . In this project Frisian poetry of Jan Kleefstra and Elmar Kuiper collaborates with the music of Chris Bakker and Remco Kuiper. With this project they found co-operation with Nodo to make a programme in which different kinds of art come together in free improvisation.For bookings please contact us, just click here!!

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 04/03/2008
Band Website: www.tsjinlud.nl
Band Members: Jan Kleefstra: poet, recitation Romke Kleefstra: guitar, soundscapes
Influences: Piano Magic, The Ex, Samuel Beckett, Low, Tarentel, Joy Division, Andrej Platonov, William Basinski, Andrei Tarkovski, Biosphere, Czeslaw Milosz, Hood, Dylan Thomas, Slowdive, Harold Budd, Es, Sonic Youth, Toon Tellegen
Sounds Like:
Wink /// cd, aka Kleefstra/Bakker/Kleefstra, published by Apollolaan Recordings, 2009, order here

Piiptsjilling /// cd, collaboration with Machinefabriek and Soccer Committee, published by Onomatopee, 2008, order here

Davis | Kleefstra | Kleefstra /// Live at Audio Art festival, Kraków

Fragminten /// video by Johan van Aken with the music of Piiptsjilling (2008)

Short portrait /// video by Omrop Fryslân (Frisian broadcasting, Sept. 2009)
More (live) videos in the video section
Record Label: Apollolaan Recordings; Onomatopee
Type of Label: Indie

My Blog

A SUMMARY OF PAST GIGS

200916-12-09: Berlin, Jesus Club (Kleefstra|Bakker|Kleefstra) w/ Liondialer, Maria de Vega15-12-09: Leeuwarden, Blokhuispoort (Kleefstra|Bakker|Kleefstra) w/ Liondialer, Sytze Pruiksma14-12-09: Amster...
Posted by on Thu, 07 Jan 2010 12:59:00 GMT

TAKE A CLOSER LISTEN

A fine book went into production about the beauty of environmental sounds. 72 pages that will (hopefully) inspire you to listen differently, compiled by Rutger Zuyderveld (Machinefabriek). A lot of ar...
Posted by on Mon, 30 Nov 2009 10:33:00 GMT

DAVIS/KLEEFSTRA/KLEEFSTRA DOWNLOAD

November 21st we'll be playing the Audio Art Festival in Poland with Gareth Davis. On the festival website you can download the track of Davis/Kleefstra/Kleefstra (mp3) which you can also hear on our ...
Posted by on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 11:29:00 GMT

WINK REVIEW ON AMBIENTBLOG

A nice review of Wink on the AmbientBlog. Check this link.
Posted by on Wed, 14 Oct 2009 00:59:00 GMT

THE KBK-TAPES, FREE DOWNLOAD

From September 24th up and until the 27th Kleefstra/Bakker/Kleefstra did a short Dutch tour with Liondialer. Four amazing evenings of great music. We did a live interpretation of our cd Wink. One of ...
Posted by on Fri, 02 Oct 2009 11:38:00 GMT

TERRASCOPE REVIEW WINK

On the same label, Wink is a three piece group whose self-titled release contains one 27-minutes track which was recorded live. Utilising guitars (bowed and picked), effects, loops and laptops, Anne C...
Posted by on Tue, 23 Jun 2009 12:18:00 GMT

WINK (cd out now!)

Our new cd is out on Apollolaan Recordings! It's called 'Wink' and we recorded it together with Chris Bakker. So that makes Kleefstra / Bakker / Kleefstra. Wink is based on some live gigs we did as a ...
Posted by on Tue, 17 Mar 2009 12:24:00 GMT

SILENT SIGNS

A diversity of art met on this experimental afternoon in Theatre De Lawei in the city of Drachten (Netherlands). Artist Johan van Aken is making perfect audio-visuals as you can see on our MySpace (th...
Posted by on Mon, 16 Feb 2009 12:43:00 GMT

PIIPTSJILLING REVIEWS XL

After the release of Piiptsjilling there were some nice reviews: Boomkat:While there's still a strong electronic presence on Piiptsjilling, seldom has a Machinefabriek record seemed content to leave i...
Posted by on Tue, 09 Sep 2008 20:35:00 GMT

PIIPTSJILLING

BoomkatThis has to be one of Rutger Zuydervelt's most openly collaborative and beautiful releases, calling upon the guitar playing skills of Romke Kleefstra and Soccer Committee's Mariska Baars as sou...
Posted by on Sun, 11 May 2008 23:44:00 GMT