Romke Kleefstra

Last updated
Romke Kleefstra
Romke Kleefstra live at State X New Forms 2016.jpg
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
Born
Romke Kleefstra

(1972-07-28) 28 July 1972 (age 53)
Akkrum, Netherlands
Genres Experimental, Dark Ambient, electronica
Instrument(s)guitar, bass
Years active1992–present
Labels Denovali, Low Point, Monotype Records, Midira
Website http://romkekleefstra.blogspot.nl/

Romke Kleefstra is a musician from the Netherlands. Currently he is a member of Transtilla, Piiptsjilling and The Alvaret Ensemble.

Contents

Biography

Romke Kleefstra was born on 28 July 1972 in Akkrum, Netherlands. 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). [1] [2] 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. 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. Besides Piiptsjilling, Romke Kleefstra is a permanent member of groups like The Alvaret Ensemble and Transtilla. [3] [4] [5]

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. [6] 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). [7] In 2015 the Frisian collective Tsjinlûd toured the Netherlands with Japanese film artists of the +Project from Tokyo. [8] 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. [9] In 2018 Piiptsjilling teamed up with Sylvain Chaveau, Joacim Badenhorst and Annelies Monseré in the project Fean. [10] In 2021 the Kleefstra brothers started a four year artist in residence project called IT DEEL, collaborating with Jacaszek in 2021, Streifenjunko in 2022, and Karen Willems in 2023. [11] [12] Visual artists that worked together in projects with the Kleefstra's are 33one3rd, Haraldur Karlsson, Kei Shichiri, Marco Douma, Rei Hayama, Sabine Bürger, Shinkan Tamaki and Takashi Makino.

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

Ljerke

Fean

Kleefstra Bros

Transtilla

IT DEEL

Various

Projects

References

  1. "Kleefstra Bros – Friesland Pop".
  2. "Romke Kleefstra". Discogs .
  3. "Music | Kleefstra Bros". Kleefstrabros.bandcamp.com. 2012-07-25. Retrieved 2022-05-04.
  4. "Kleefstra Bros". Romkekleefstra.blogspot.com. Retrieved 2022-05-04.
  5. "Fryslân". 19 March 2012.
  6. Seeljocht // ITGWO. YouTube . Archived from the original on 2021-12-08.
  7. "The Alvaret Ensemble, Kira Kira, Eiríkur Orri Ólafsson, Ingi Garðar Erlendsson, Borgar Magnason - Skeylja [Cd|Lp|Digital]".
  8. "Klanklânskippen | Popfabryk". Popfabryk.nl. Retrieved 2022-05-04.
  9. "LJERKE | Popfabryk". Popfabryk.nl. Retrieved 2022-05-04.
  10. "FEAN | Popfabryk". Popfabryk.nl. Retrieved 2022-05-04.
  11. "IT DEEL".
  12. "IT DEEL II | Popfabryk". Popfabryk.nl. Retrieved 2022-10-27.