NEW ALBUM AND GIG TRANSTILLA COMING UP

The release of the third album by Transtilla is set for September 29. The vinyl record (and download) will be released on Midira Records and pre-sale starts on the 16th of September. Transtilla is the duo consisting of Romke Kleefstra and Anne Chris Bakker. They made two albums so far: Transtilla I on Opa Loka Records, Transtilla II on Midira Records, both in 2019. According to the duo and the label, this is their most personal album to date, and one of extremes.

There will also be a special Transtilla solo live set by Romke Kleefstra on the Het Rumoer Festival in Haren (Netherlands) on September 28. It will be a solo set as Anne Chris Bakker currently lives in Norway. 

Order the Transtilla III lp at Midira Records, or digital on Bandcamp, or have a listen on Soundcloud.

MACHINEFABRIEK'S '+' FEAT. ROMKE KLEEFSTRA

If it had not been for Rutger Zuyderveldt aka Machinefabriek to suggest to record some new music together in 2008, the Kleefstra Bros probably wouldn't have made all the records and done all the projects and shows they did since then. And there's a lot the Kleefstra Bros did togeter with Rutger, such as Piiptsjilling, CMKK and FEAN, not to mention Kleefstra-related albums Rutger mixed and edited, such as Ljerke, Tsjinlûd and the new, upcoming IT DEEL II-album. Meanwhile Romke contributed to Rutger's projects 'Take A Closer Listen' (2009) and 'Stay Tuned' (2014). Now Romke contributed to Machinefabriek's newest album '+', among 51 other collaborators, all contributing with a one minute recording. Surprisingly Romke did not come up with one minute of guitar rambling, but with a field recording, made during his field work in the spring of 2022. You can check the album and buy your physical copy on Machinefabriek's Bandcamp. Great stuff!

WHAT WAS (IN 2022) AND WILL BE (IN 2023)

2022 was a pretty good year for us musicwise. Since 2.5 years we finally released an album again. It was the IT DEEL I lp with Jacaszek. We're really proud of this one, full of instant composed tracks. We also did some great shows together of which the one on the Into The Great Wide Open on the Dutch Wadden Sea island of Vlieland will be unforgettable to us. It was a kind of Seeljocht déjà vu... In February 2023 we will do some final shows in Poland.

2022 was also the year of IT DEEL II with Eivind Lønning and Espen Reinertsen of Streifenjunko. We recorded an album in the St. Thomas Church of Katlijk in the Netherlands and also did a sold out performance there. In spring 2023 the IT DEEL II lp will be released. Keep an eye on Moving Furniture Records for the release.

Then Piiptsjilling went on stage again at the Welcome To The Village Festival in the Netherlands and also resided in the St. Thomas Church for some recordings. We hope to finish these recordings in 2023 and have it all published.

There were more great things, like a nice interview in the Flamish/Dutch magazine Gonzo. Meanwhile Jan released a track with Norwegian instrumentalist Lasse Marhaug on the 100th release of Moving Furniture, while Romke made a track with Sylvain Chaveau on Sylvain's new album L'Effet Rebond. And there was one more FEAN-track released on the 100th release of Esc.Rec.

Besides the release of IT DEEL II, Transtilla's third album should finally be released on lp in 2023. Hopefully the sixth Piiptsjilling studio-album will also see the light of day. And there will be more. Romke recorded something for a new Machinefabriek album, Jan is working on a new book with visual artist Christiaan Kuitwaard called 'BOSWERK' and we will do IT DEEL III, early July, with...

Thanks to loads of people, that came to see our shows, that helped us realizing shows and projects! It means a lot and keeps us to carry on. So, February Poland and more after that!

L'EFFET REBOND UP FOR PRE-ORDER

L'Effet Rebond is the new 2CD album by Sylvain Chaveau and Pierre-Yves Macé. Romke Kleefstra contributed to this album, by recording some guitar loops for Sylvain, after working together in the FEAN-project. The album will be released October 14 on Sub Rosa and is now up for pre-order on Sub Rosa's Bandcamp.

TRANSTILLA LIVE

 

 

 

For the first time since very long, Transtilla will hit the stage again. On April 23rd Transtilla plays the Groundshakes festival in the Dutch city of Groningen. For tickets go here!

Transtilla is also working on new releases, but due to the fact that it takes ages to press an album nowadays, it all takes a bit longer...

LAST YEAR AND NEXT

 

Here's an update with some of last year, some of next year!

 

IT DEEL I

Kleefstra Bros started a 4-year artist-in-residence project for Oranjewoud Festival. We named it IT DEEL, referring to the place where we spend our youth and still come to enjoy flocks of ten thousands of geese in winter. For the first edition of IT DEEL we invited Michał Jacaszek from Poland, recorded for a week in a small church near the festival site in June, and performed live on the festival in August. The lp with the recordings will be released next year on Moving Furniture Records. On YouTube you’ll find a nice 10 minute documentary about IT DEEL. The DEEL-concert on December 19^th in Gdanks is postponed until further notice, due to “covid-restrictions”.

 

FEAN

In September FEAN played live for (probably) the very last time. The plan was to make just one album with FEAN, but that turned into two albums and FEAN isn't quite done yet. In some time an unreleased song called 'Oare tiden' will appear on a beautiful compilation album. More about that soonish. The second FEAN album is still available at Laaps.

 

GONZO INTERVIEW

In the new number of Gonzo (Circus) there’s an interview with the Kleefstra Bros, about a lot of our projects and the role of and attention for nature and ecology in it. Go to the Gozo-site to read moreabout it!

 

TELEFRICK FEAT. JAN KLEEFSTRA

The Belgian artist Teleferick released the online mini-album 'Dijkjutter' last year, that includes the track 'Guilini' feat. Jan Kleefstra on vocals. You can buy and/or listen to the album on Teleferick's bandcamp page.

 

DYN LJOCHT IS MYN SKAAD | DYN SKAAD IS MYN LJOCHT

‘Dyn ljocht is myn skaad | dyn skaad is myn ljocht’ is a photo work by Romke, which is part of an art-route through his place of birth Akkrum. The art-route is there until May 2022 and the image is placed in the town’s harbour. It might also be the start of more photo works by Romke, of which some you can see on Instagram.

 

GODWITS

Early October we performed a few times with GODWITS, the half Portuguese, half Frisian poetry and music project. This time it was partly made possible by the Explore The North festival. We hope to give GODWITS a sequel next year with performances in Portugal. In the meantime, the bundle GODWITS is still available in our webshop.

 

IT DEEL II

Next year the second edition of IT DEEL will take place. We have invited the Norwegian duo Streifenjunko for it and they are coming over to play and record with us in June. Streifenjunko made a few stunning albums on SOFA Music and are high on our list of favorites!

 

TRANSTILLA

Last but not least: Transtilla. Beware people. Next year Transtilla III and Transtilla IV will be published. Albums influenced by love and death, and death and love, that might surprise you and are made to be played as loud as possible. Chris and I will toll some bells when Transtilla III arrives.

 

AND MORE…

So, that is quite something, but not all. More plans and small projects in the near future.  Jan is working on a book called ‘Boswerk’ with painter Christiaan Kuitwaard. Romke is doing some new music here and there. To keep up with all of it, there is this blog with everything, there is Fakebook, there is Instagram, there is Bandcamp…

 

All the best! Stay healthy, sharp and down to earth!

GONZO (CIRCUS) INTERVIEW

 

The 166th edition of the Flamish/Dutch magazine Gonzo (Circus) is a special issue about ecology and music. It contains an interview with the Kleefstra Bros, about our music and poetry, our collaborations with loads of musicians and visual artists, and the role of ecology and nature in it. If you are interested, you can order yourself a copy at Gonzo's.

DYN LJOCHT IS MYN SKAAD | DYN SKAAD IS MYN LJOCHT

 
'Dyn ljocht is myn skaad | dyn skaad is myn ljocht' is a photo work (2 x 1.3 m) by Romke Kleefstra that is exhibited during an art route through Romke's place of birth, which is Akkrum (Netherlands). The work is part of a series in which Romke recurring works with shadow and light. 'Dyn ljocht is myn skaad | dyn skaad is myn ljocht' is Frisian for 'your light is my shadow, your shadow is my light'.

The 4 km art route 'Slach troch Akkrum' lasts from June 2021 to May 2022. Romke's work can be seen in the harbour of Akkrum. A catalog is available at different places in the village.

More photography by Romke can be seen on his Facebook page and/or his Instagram.

INTRODUCING: IT DEEL

Kleefstra Bros are about to start a new 4-year project, together with the Popfabryk under the wings of the Oranjewoud Festival and with vinyl releases on Moving Furniture Records. The project is called IT DEEL.

 

IT DEEL is an artist-in-residence project for Oranjewoud Festival. Each year the Kleefstra Bros spend a week together with other musicians, record new music, present it at the festival and release it on Moving Furniture Records. Also some visual artists may be included. IT DEEL I (2021) will bring the Kleefstra Bros together with Michal Jacaszek. In the first week of June, if COVID allows it, recordings will be made. The work will be presented on the Oranjewoud festival, which is scheduled in August. First news about it on the Popfabryk-page, more news soon.

 

The image of IT DEEL is made by Christiaan Kuitwaard and is published in Veldwerk.

 

TRANSTILLA - ASKVOLL

 

In memoriam Paul Dokter (1961-2020)

The week started sad when a message of a friend woke me up last Monday, saying Paul Dokter had passed away. Dutch music lovers who read this know who I’m talking about, but those abroad may have no idea. He’s been quite important for the music I am making.

 

Paul Dokter, together with Theo de Jong, was the songwriter, singer and guitarist of The Serenes, a band from around here (province of Friesland, where I live) with which he made the beautiful, timeless album "Barefoot and Pregnant" in 1990. That record is on Spotify, it is on YouTube, listen to it, more than once!

I remember the first time I heard The Serenes. It was on regional radio, probably in 1990, where they played the song "Homeland" from their demo cassette. The song struck me, because in terms of sound and sphere it was close to songs I was writing myself at that time. A few months later "Barefoot and Pregnant" was published and I saw the group perform several times. All gigs quite impressive. I listen to the album every now and then, especially when the lyrics and music bring comfort when I need it, also recently. Especially songs like "Beneath The Canopy", "Abiding Place" and "The World Is A Woman's Breast" – all sung by Paul - motivated me to form a band for my own songs. When I was about to start that band with a befriended bassist, I heard that Paul had quit The Serenes and the band was looking for a guitarist and bassist. For a moment I and the bass player hesitated, but still we founded our own band. A missed opportunity?

In 1994 Paul came back temporarily with Sunstone Cruiser, who made a wonderful demo cassette, on which the influence of Spacemen 3 and Galaxie 500 was clear. Then it went silent. I met Paul a few times then. Really nice, modest, calm guy, same taste in music. In 2003 I heard  some new recordings of a renewed collaboration between Paul and Theo, a bit kinda Spititualized. That collaboration came to a standstill until a few years ago, when Paul and Theo put new music on Soundcloud under the name “Volvox Colony”. A little more experimental, and vaguely it reminded me of Tarwater. Volvox Colony disappeared from Soundcloud and a new song and clip appeared on YouTube in 2018 under the new name “The Family Acid”. A full album was to follow later that year. We will probably never hear that record... Last Friday, at the age of 59, Paul died completely unexpectedly of cardiac arrest. Have a safe strip, Paul. Sunstone cruising forever! (Romke Kleefstra)  

TRANSTILLA VIDEO 'ASSEMBLAGE 2008'

Transtilla recently released a new video for the track 'Assemblage 2008'. This video is a sequence from the film which Transtilla made for the GOLF Festival, last December in the Dutch city of Haarlem. 'Assemblage 2008' was taken from the album 'Transtilla II', released on Midira Records, also last December. Both Transtilla-albums are available through the band's webshop.

NEW RELEASE: TRANSTILLA I

New project, new music. Transtilla is Anne-Chris Bakker and Romke Kleefstra. Their first collaboration was back in 2009, when the trio Kleefstra|Bakker|Kleefstra (KBK) recorded Wink. Since then KBK recorded several albums and toured frequently. Over the last year Anne-Chris Bakker and Romke Kleefstra recorded new music together, leading to this first Transtilla release.

'Transtilla I' is published on Opa Loka Records. It contains five pieces, darker and just a bit more harsh than the KBK-sound. The album can be ordered at Opa Loka Records or on Opa Loka's Bandcamp.

SUNDRY 2019

A new year, new projects. Music wise there are new releases coming up. We hope it wont take long before the third Alvaret Ensemble will be released. Then there is the renewed collaboration between Romke Kleefstra and Anne-Chris Bakker under the moniker of 'Transtilla'. Transtilla's first album comes out just before spring on Opa Loka Records. And there might be some other Romke-collab in 2019 too...

As for the writing, a new collection of Dutch poems by Jan Kleefstra is coming up soon. It is called 'Windtoon' and will be published again by Uitgeverij Aspekt. Then there is Jan's collaboration with painter Christiaan Kuitwaard, which will lead to a book and an exhibition in 2019.

That's not all, more later. Hopefully FEAN (see picture) will perform live here and there. And off course there's this new free download on our bandcamp named 'It Goeshoes'.

IT GOESHOES

It Goeshoes is a project by visual artist Michel Pol, together with the Kleefstra Bros. It is part of the temporary art exhibition 'Te Plak' in the Dutch village of Nij Beets on December 28th and 29th, 2018.

The Dutch province of Friesland is internationally important as a wintering area for Arctic geese. From October up to spring the numbers of geese can run up over 600.000 geese per month, mainly white-fronted and barnacle geese. They enrich the winter season and the landscape with their presence and sound. But since the province of Friesland turned more and more into a agricultural-industrial landscape, in which the monoculture of fast growing grass for milk production is holy, geese are not welcome anymore. Provincial politics, mainly conservatives, even made it possible for hunters to shoot over 200.000 geese a year and want the hunters to do so...

It Goeshoes is a small cottage in which geese made out of peat, poetry and sound welcome the Arctic geese, like a safe haven in an area where there is hardly any room left for wildlife and biodiversity.

The Kleefstra Bros created a track for It Goeshoes that is played in the cottage. It is available as a free download on Bandcamp.

ARJAN HUT | ROMKE KLEEFSTRA | ANNE-CHRIS BAKKER LIVE

March 13th Romke Kleefstra and Anne-Chris Bakker will do a one-off gig with the poet Arjan Hut, in the context of Swalk, a traveling festival in the Dutch province of Fryslân. Swalk contains several projects on location of which 'It museum fan binnenút' (The museum from the inside out) is one. It's a crossover of painters and writers that worked together in and got inspired by the Frisian nature museum; it's nature historical collection and the beautiful monument it's located in. One of the writers is poet Arjan Hut. Together with Romke and Anne-Chris he will do an impro of music and spoken work during the opening of the exhibition and the presentation of the book with poems and drawings made for the project. So, 'kleefbakkerhut', March 13th, 16.00 h, Natuurmuseum Fryslân, Leeuwarden.

ANNE CHRIS BAKKER & ROMKE KLEEFSTRA PLAYING LIVE TO FILM

November 9th Anne Chris Bakker and Romke Kleefstra will do a special performance on the Dutch Wadden Sea isle of Ameland. They'll improvise live to a film by the video and photo artist Knynk (Nynke Venema), during Kunstmaand Ameland. The film, including a photo exhibition, is part of the festival that runs for a month. On the 9th of November Bakker & Kleefstra will play to an extended version of the film, that contains different interpretations of the movement of water. If the weather allows the artists to, the performance will be outside Hotel Noordsee. If the weather is not that good it will be in the hotel. Starting 20.00 h.

STAY TUNED CD OUT NOW

Piiptsjilling's Rutger Zuydervelt asked more then 150 musicians and singers to record an 'A' (which is the note an orchestra normally tunes to), using whatever technique or style they please. With this he created his own tuning orchestra and named the project 'Stay Tuned'. It was presented on several festivals as a multiple-speaker installation. From each speaker, the sound of an instrument-group was heard, continuously. The speakers were spaciously placed to create an auditive space, so visitors can literally walk through the orchestra. One of the guitarists of the Stay Tuned orchestra is Piiptsjilling's Romke. Also his Alvaret Ensemble-bandmate Greg Haines is in it, on piano. And many, many more (see the list below!).

Besides the installation, a composed stereo version of Stay Tuned is now released on cd by Baskaru! You can have a listen on Soundcloud. If you want to order the Stay Tuned cd visit the Baskaru website or go to Machinefabriek's Bandcamp. Stay Tuned!

The Stay Tuned orchestra:

David Aird (Vindicatrix)
Mats Aleklint
Tetuzi Akiyama
Oren Ambarchi
Nathan Amundson (Rivulets)
Kai Angermann (Insa Donja Kai)
Thomas Ankersmit
Sigbjørn Apeland (1982)
Felicia Atkinson
Aidan Baker (Nadja)
Michel Banabila
Paul Baran 
Molly Berg
Johan Berthling (Tape, Fire!)
Jeb Bishop
Olivia Block
Peter Broderick
Chris Brokaw (ex-Codeine, ex-Come)
Dave Brown  (Candlesnuffer)
Mike Bullock (The BSC)
Daniel Bürkner (Squares on Both Sides)
John Butcher
Anna Rose Carter (Moon Ate the Dark)
Tim Catlin
Travis Chapman (Balmorhea)
Xavier Charles
Sylvain Chauveau
Eric Chenaux
Colleen
Valerio Cosi
Werner Dafeldecker (Polwechsel)
Gareth Davis
Matt Davis (Zeitkratzer, Otomo Yoshihide)
Tony Dekker (Great Lake Swimmers)
Jim Denley
Bardt van der Dennen (Birdt)
Andy Diagram (ex-Two Pale Boys, ex-Spaceheads)
Gareth Dickson
Jorrit Dijkstra
Michael Francis Duch (Lemur)
Benjamin Duvall (Ex-Easter Island Head)
Julia Eckhardt
Klaus Ellerhusen Holm (Trondheim Jazzorchestra)
Jacco van Elst (This Leo Sunrise)
Katie English (Isnaj Dui)
Erik Enocksson (Lakes of Grass and Gold)
Ferran Fages (Cremaster)
Pien Feith
Nils Frahm
Masayoshi Fujita (El Fog)
Lori Goldston (Earth, Secret Chiefs 3)
Rachel Grimes (Rachel's)
David Grubbs
Ivar Grydeland
Gudbjorg Hlin Gudmundsdottir (mum)
Anne Guthrie
Greg Haines (Alvaret Ensemble) 
Franz Hautzinger
Nick Hennies
Carl Ludwig Hübsch
Paul Hubweber
Sarah Hughes
Jenny Hval
Hilary Jeffery (The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble)
Paul de Jong (The Books)
Coti K. (Mohammad)
Rebekka Karijord
Edita Karkoschka (Nausica)
Greg Kelley (Nmperigm)
Sarah Kemp (Fieldhead, Brave Timbers)
Julia Kent (Antony and the Johnsons, Larsen)
Kenneth Kirschner
Romke Kleefstra (Piiptsjilling, Alvaret Ensemble)
Tobias Klein 
Jonas Kocher (300 Basses)
Are Lothe Kolbeinsen
Annette Krebs
Martin Küchen (Angles 8, Looper)
Anne La Berge (Shackle) 
Dimitra Lazaridou-Chatzigoga
Jens Lekman
Simon Lenski (D.A.A.U.)
Lidwine
Eivind Lønning (Espen Reinertsen, Koboku Senju)
Mike Majkowski
Janne Mansens (Birdt)
Aaron Martin
Stephan Mathieu
Magda Mayas
Lauren McMurray (Twigs & Yarn)
Violet Meerdink (This Leo Sunrise)
Alicia Merz (Birds of Passage)
Phil Minton
Rie Mitsutake (Oh, Yoko)
Andy Moor (The Ex)
Jon Mueller
Geoff Mullen
Henrik Munkeby Nørstebø
Puzzle Muteson
Lisa Nordström (Midaircondo)
Koen Nutters (The Pitch, N-Collective)
Lothar Ohlmeier (Not Applicable)
Marianne Oldenburg (Ode to the Quiet )
Eiríkur Orri Ólafsson (múm, Sigur Ros)
Morten J. Olsen (MoHa!, The Pitch)
Daniel Padden (The One Ensemble)
Stephanie Pan
Andrea Parkins
Alden Penner (The Unicorns)
Sandro Perri (Polmo Polpo)
Steve Peters
Stefano Pilia
Richard Pinhas
Espen Reinertsen (Streifenjunko, Koboku Senju)
Iden Reinhart (Strië)
Bhob Rhainey (Nmperign, The BSC)
Steve Roden
Abigail Sanders
Saya (Tenniscoats)
Dirk Serries (Fear Falls Burning)
Insa Schirmer (Insa Donja Kai)
Martin Siewert (Trapist, Heaven And)
Lukas Simonis (Coolhaven)
Erik Skodvin (Svarte Greiner, Dead Center)
Steven R. Smith
Bram Stadhouders 
Jasper Stadhouders (Cactus Truck)
Andreas Stensland Løwe (Splashgirl)
Jeremy Strachan 
Keiichi Sugimoto (Fourcolor, Minamo)
Hild Sofie Tafjord (Lemur, Spunk)
Ueno Takashi (Tenniscoats)
Martin Taxt (Koboku Senju)
Ryan Teague
Michael Thieke (The International Nothing, The Pitch)
Monica Tormell (Moon & Sun)
Eriko Toyoda (So)
Rick Treffers
Heather Trost (A Hawk and a Hacksaw)
Scott Tuma (ex-Boxhead Ensemble)
Ryan Vanderhoof (ex-Akron/Family)
Nikos Veliotis (Mohammad)
Steven Vinkenoog (Donné et Desirée)
Stephen Vitiello
Sabine Vogel
Håvard Volden
Johan G. Winther (Tsukimono)
Nate Wooley
Enrico Wuttke (Flim)
C. Spencer Yeh
Richard Youngs

STAY TUNED

Machinefabriek initiated a new project called 'Stay Tuned', an audio work and installation based on the moment when an orchestra gets in tune. An array of about 150 musicians and singers were asked to record an A-tune (which is the note an orchestra normally tunes to), using whatever technique or style they please. One of these musicians is Romke, who contributed with two guitar pieces. Check the whole list of names here.



The multiple speaker installation will be part of the Sounds Like Audio Art Festival in Saskatoon, Canada, July 25-27 and Into the Great Wide Open, September 6-8, Vlieland, The Netherlands (where Piiptsjilling resided with the Seeljocht project).