THE NEW YEAR

It's that time of year to look a bit back and a bit ahead. We had a good year of music, poetry and film. With The Alvaret Ensemble we played quite frequently, including some nice festivals and collaborating with Soli Brass. We actually played with pretty much everybody in 2013 we made albums with; Piiptsjilling, Gareth Davis, Kleefstra|Pruiksma|Kleefstra and Kleefstra|Bakker|Kleefstra.
Our two film projects Sinne op 'e Wangen and DUIF were well received and the performances of DUIF on some Dutch fests was quite an experience. And there was the release of GAU by CMKK, for which we collaborated with Celer's Will Long and Machinefabriek's Rutger Zuydervelt on one of our favorite labels (Monotype).

Piiptsjilling at Volkspaleis, The Hague

So, what's up for 2014? First of all we will continue with Sinne op 'e Wangen and DUIF performances. Both projects will be released on dvd as well. We are working on some gigs by Kleefstra|Bakker|Kleefstra and The Alvaret Ensemble in early Spring. Besides the dvd's there will be new releases by The Alvaret Ensemble and Piiptsjilling for shure, plus some additional stuff like the cd-edition of Machinefabriek's Stay Tuned, feat. Kleefstra Bros' Romke. So beware, and keep an eye on this blog. And keep your glory, gold and glitter!

CMKK - GAU (MONOTYPE 2013)

Go to our Bandcamp for GAU!

SINNE OP 'E WANGEN SCREENED ON SOUND TRAVELS

(h)ear festival will present Sinne op 'e Wangen. The film by Sabine Bürger and Kleefstra|Bakker|Kleefstra will be part of the third edition of the fest, called Soundtravels. This takes place in the town of Heerlen, in the south of The Netherlands. Sinne op 'e Wangen will be screened continiously with the sound through a multi headphone set. Keep an eye on (h)ear's website for more information about performances, presentations, workshops and more. A compilation cd will be available at the festival containing an excerpt of the music of Sinne op 'e Wangen.

ALVARET ENSEMBLE & DUIF ON EXPLORE THE NORTH FESTIVAL

The Kleefstra Bros will play the Dutch festival Explore The North on November 23rd three times. In the afternoon DUIF will be performed two times in a row. In the evening The Alvaret Ensemble will hit the stage and will be backed up by the thirty piece brass band Soli Brass. Lots of more to see on the fest, which takes place in some really nice, historical premises in the city of Leeuwarden.

GAU BROADCASTED IN X-RAY

CMKK's one track album GAU will be broadcasted entirely in the radio program X-Ray on Concertzender Nederland. Tune in next Sunday Nov. 10th, at 23.00 h (Central European time) on www.concertzender.nl. The programm will finish with a bit of last years album Sinneplakken by Kleefstra|Pruiksma|Kuitwaard|Kleefstra.

Many thanks to the compiler of the program: Bob Rusche!

NEW ALBUM GAU AVAILABLE

The new album GAU is now available through this blog and also on the Kleefstra Bros Bandcamp. You can order it by sending an e-mail or order it on the Bandcamp page. The cd is € 14/ $ 19 including world wide postage.

The Kleefstra Bros teamed up with Will Long (Celer) and Rutger Zuydervelt (Machinefabriek) for this release, which was published under the moniker CMKK. The album was published by Monotype Records. For more info go here.

Here are some other places where you can order CMKK's GAU: Amazon | Clear Spot | HMV | Juno Records | Monotype Records | Norman Records | Sainsbury's | Shiny Beast | Tower Records | Townsend Records | Virgin Media | WOW HD

THE ALVARET ENSEMBLE ON SWINGFEST ESSEN

The Alvaret Ensemble will perform this Sunday on the last day of the Denovali Swingfest in Essen. If you are not there already, check the line-up of the fest and hurry up. Go to the Swingfest page for more info.

PIIPTSJILLING LIVE !

October 4th Rewire presents Piiptsjilling live at Volkspaleis in The Hague! Volkspaleis is a multidisciplinary manifestation in the former E.on electricity factory in the city of The Hague. Piiptsjilling will play in the large factory halls with live visuals by Marco Douma. Check the Volkspaleis or Rewire website for more info.

OUT NOW: CMKK - GAU

With great pleasure we present a new album! The prologue: in March last year Kleefstra|Bakker|Kleefstra toured The Netherlands and Belgium with Celer and Machinefabriek. When we had one day off the Kleefstra Bros hit the Landscape Studio with Will Long (Celer) and Rutger Zuydervelt (Machinefabriek).

One afternoon of one impro after another lead to about 2,5 hours of new music. This was edited to one long piece of 47.5 minutes.We named the quartet CMKK, which simply stands for Celer, Machinefabriek, Kleefstra and Kleefstra. We named the album GAU, after the small town where it was recorded (and where the Kleefstra Bros record frequently). The darn tasty Monotype Records from Warsaw is releasing the album. Go to the label site for info and ordering. If that aint enough, you can check some of GAU here. We also got GAU available on our very own Bandcamp.

GAU is part of an impressive list of eight albums Monotype releases on September 16th. Besides the album by CMKK there is KK Null + The Noiser, Charles-Eric Charrier, Jean-Luc Guionnet/Eric Cordier, Akiyama/Carter/Kiefer, Strike, Looper and last but certainly not least Wooley/Yeh/Chen/Carter. Okrzyki!

KLEEFSTRA-RELEASES ON BANDCAMP

Most of our releases are available through Bandcamp. You can find some on our own Kleefstra Bros Bandcamp, including 'Nacht en Dei' by Kleefstra|Bakker|Kleefstra, which is only available as a download. A few other releases are available on the Bandcamp-pages of labels that published our albums, like Home Normal, Low Point and Experimedia. Check the links to the albums below:

Kleefstra|Bakker|Kleefstra - Wink (2009)

Piiptsjilling - Wurdskrieme (2010)

Gareth Davis & the Kleefstra Bros - Tongerswel (2011)

Kleefstra|Pruiksma|Kleefstra - Deislieper (2011)

Kleefstra|Bakker|Kleefstra - Griis (2012)

various - Hibernate Sampler Vol. 5 (2012)

Kleefstra|Bakker|Kleefstra - Nacht en Dei (2012)

Kleefstra|Pruiksma|Kuitwaard|Kleefstra - Sinneplakken (2012)

KLEEFSTRA|BAKKER|KLEEFSTRA LIVE ON MAGNEET FESTIVAL

Kleefstra|Bakker|Kleefstra (KBK) will perform live on the Magneet Festival in Amsterdam. September 6th an eve with impro ambient will take place, also featuring Pieter Nooten and Cole Altland Blackford. KBK will play music to the film 'Sinne op 'e Wangen' by Sabine Bürger. More info on the Magneet space.

ALVARET ENSEMBLE LIVE WITH SOLI BRASS

The Alvaret Ensemble is playing the new After Sunset Festival on the Dutch Wadden Sea island of Schiermonnikoog. A special appearance, because the group will be accompanied by the 30-piece brass band Soli Brass! There are two performances. Saturday August 31st the "Alvaret Bigband" is playing at 20.00 h, Sunday September 1st at 16.00 h. This last gig makes it possible for people to hop up and down the island for a day and see the performance. More info on the festival page (in Dutch).

DUIF ON CULTURA NOVA FESTIVAL

DUIF is heading from the Noorderzon festival in the city of Groningen to the Cultura Nova festival in the Dutch city of Heerlen. There will be four live performances on August 24th and 25th in café 'Het Volkshuis,' where the pigeon-fanciers of 'De Vrijheid' dwell. For this occasion the fanfare St. Hubertus is joing the DUIF-team. You can find all info needed on the Cultura Nova website. Come and see DUIF, the last chance this summer!

DUIF ON NOORDERZON PERFORMING ARTS FESTIVAL

DUIF, the documentary film by Dinanda Luttikhedde with music and poetry by the Kleefstra Bros and Mike Kramer, will be performed six times at Noorderzon Performing Arts Festival on August 17-19. On this festival the four artists will be joined by the local fanfare 'Avanti'. DUIF will be performed in a 110 years old pigeons garden in the city of Groningen, home of the pigeon-fanciers 'De Luchtbode'. More information about the festival, dates and showtimes can be found on the Noorderzon website.

DUIF

DUIF is a documentary film by Dinanda Luttikhedde with music and poetry by the Kleefstra Bros and Mike Kramer. It will be performed as a visual concept on location, about a pigeon fancier awaiting the return of his favourite bird. Will it return?

A performance about longing, loneliness, text tv, tobacco and the usefulness of a neon lamp. The images of Dinanda Luttikhedde and the live music and poetry conveyed by sound artists Mike Kramer and Romke Kleefstra and poet Jan Kleefstra tell the story of the relationship between a human being and an animal.

DUIF (Dutch for dove) will be performed at three Dutch festivals in the coming months: Noorderzon in Groningen (August 17th-19th), Cultura Nova (August 24th-25th) in Heerlen and Explore The North in Leeuwarden (November 23rd). The group of musicians is thereby extended with local musicians from brass- and drumbands. Come, see, listen!

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).

NEW ALBUM COMING UP!

We've got a new album coming up! It's called GAU. It's with a quartet we named CMKK. It's with Will Long (Celer) and Rutger Zuydervelt (Machinefabriek). It will be released by Monotype Records. Here's is an excerpt. Have a listen, stay tuned, more details soon...

A DOWNLOAD AND A VIDEO

In September 2011 the film 'Nacht en Dei' by Shinkan Tamaki was released, with music by Kleefstra|Bakker|Kleefstra. The film was screened on the Australian International Experimental Film Festival 2012. The music of 'Nacht en Dei' is now available through the Kleefstra Bros Bandcamp.



On last April 19th we supported The Ex with Mere Duo/Kleefstra Bros. Part of the impro was filmed and it's on Vimeo. Apart from this little bit of news we can actually give away that we're working on a new album with a new formation. More later.

SUNDRY

After a period of small tours, very diverse gigs, the release of the Alvaret's double debut, recordings, video and film, we're having a little break. Not for long though...

First of all, as the Kleefstra Bros we are working on a new film project with Dinanda Luttikhedde that will bring us to some Dutch fests in August and September. Keep an eye on the [r] blog for more news. Meanwhile we also got some exciting new recordings that need a home, made with some great musician friends! So label people, if interested, send an e-mail. Also, expect some news about our short film Sinne op 'e Wangen. There are plans for screening it with Kleefstra|Bakker|Kleefstra live! And last but not least we'll be hitting the road again with The Alvaret Ensemble in autumn. [r] keeps you posted.

LIVE: MERE DUO-KLEEFSTRA BROS + THE EX

In 2011 the Kleefstra Bros released the ep Sieleslyk and the album Tongerswel with Gareth Davis. The trio played some gigs in England, The Netherlands and Poland. There's a concert here, a concert there and also a radio session. The three are going to hit the stage again on April 19th including Leo Fabriek on drums, supporting the best Dutch band ever: The Ex.

Gareth and Leo play together in Mere and perform frequently as the Mere Duo. They made a great record on Gizeh Records. Check the stream below. With the combination of the Mere Duo and the Kleefstra Bros the four play together for the first time ever. Curious what this impro quartet will bring... A jazzy, bit louder, gristly ambient jam, intense and dark? Who knows... Might be tasty!
The Ex / Mere Duo-Kleefstra Bros - Podium Asteriks, Leeuwarden - April 19th, 20:00 h

MERE - II by Gizeh

LIVE: KLEEFSTRA|BAKKER|KLEEFSTRA & PIETER NOOTEN

Klanklânskippen is a recurring event that is like a melting pot of experimental music, audio visuals and poetry, all free impro, on Sunday afternoons, in the Frisian town Drachten.
The tenth edition of Klanklânskippen is one of dark ambient and film. It features Kleefstra|Bakker|Kleefstra, joined by soprano Aukje de Graaf, including the visuals of Sabine Bürger's movie Sinne op 'e Wangen. It also features Pieter Nooten, once the singer of Clan Of Xymox, now performing with cellist Lucas Stam, with visuals by Miryam Chachmany. At the end of all performances all get together on stage for an impro-final.

Sunday April 14th | Schouwburg De Lawei, Drachten | 15:00 h | more info

LIVE: THE ALVARET ENSEMBLE ON DENOVALI SWINGFEST BERLIN

The Alvaret Ensemble plays the Denovali Swingfest in Berlin on April 6th. The festival starts one day before at Radialsystem V, with The Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble and more. The second day's at the Passionskirche with a very nice line-up. Ulrich Schnauss, Tim Hecker, Field Rotation, Thomas Köner, Poppy Ackroid and The Alvaret Ensemble. Check the bill...

BIRDS

Laure Foueillassar and Benjamin Archier made this beautiful video with the music of The Alvaret Ensemble. The more we watch it, the more we love it. Have a look. And another one, and another one...

SCREENING OF SINNE OP 'E WANGEN

From March 22nd until 27th the Dutch, Flemish and Frisian Film Festival (NVFF) takes place in the Dutch city of Leeuwarden, where the new movie venue Slieker Film will be opened. Main subjects of the festival are music, language and film. One of the films screened will be Sinne op 'e wangen, a new project of music, language and film, involving The Kleefstra Bros. A small premiere...

The short movie Sinne op 'e wangen is a collaborative project between the group Kleefstra|Bakker|Kleefstra and German video artist Sabine Bürger. The distinctive sound of the Frisian poetry recited over the group's ambient soundscapes created by guitars has been set to Sabine Bürger's minimal black and white video. The constantly changing, semi-abstract forms, created from footage of reeds blowing in the wind, complement the drifting character of the music.

Sinne op 'e wangen will be screened on Saturday 23rd at 18.00 h (entrance is free). It's also possible to catch up with all artists involved at the screening! Check the festival website for more info.

THE ALVARET ENSEMBLE LIVE IN THE NETHERLANDS

From March 1st until the 4th The Alvaret Ensemble will be touring The Netherlands as part of the Cross Linx Festival. Starting off in Eindhoven, Cross Linx will take The Alvaret Ensemble down Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Groningen.The Alvaret Ensemble is part of Music Mining, which is like a small festival within the festival, except for Paradiso Amsterdam, where the band is opening the (already sold out) evening. Check for all details the Cross Linx website. And the band is playing as a five piece this time, including Hilary Jeffery (Kilimanjaro Darkjazz Ensemble, The Mount Fuji Doomjazz Corporation, Lysn) on trombone

01-03-13: Eindhoven - Muziekgebouw Frits Philips

02-03-13: Amsterdam - Paradiso - (sold out)

03-03-13: Rotterdam - De Doelen

04-03-13: Groningen - De Oosterpoort

SPECIAL GIG WITH SOLI BRASS

On February 17th Romke Kleefstra and Sytze Pruiksma will do a special performance with Soli Brass, the best brass band in the north of The Netherlands. The first jams together were actually pretty awesome. The audience will be locked in between and surrounded by the twenty piece brass band and the stage with Romke and Sytze on it. A natural surround sound, of what you could call an impro-orchestra!
This special gig is in the context of Klanklânskippen, which takes place in the theatre De Lawei in the town of Drachten four times a year. So, the 17th, three o'clock in the afternoon and more info here. Previous editions featured friends like Celer, Nils Frahm, Machinefabriek, Greg Haines, Gareth Davis, Danny Saul and many others. In April there will be another edition of Klanklânskippen on which Kleefstra|Bakker|Kleefstra will hook up with Pieter Nooten (ex-Clan Of Xymox).

THE ALVARET ENSEMBLE LIVE IN JANUARY #2

Apart from the snow while travelling by van, The Alvaret Ensemble had a good first small tour. From the Prague-show with Hauschka you can find some great pics here, a nice Czech review here and a radio interview with Jan and Greg here.
Budapest was pretty awesome too and on the Facebook page of the Akvárium Klub you can find some pics. For those who wondered where the secret show in Munich was, it was at Carlos Cipa's place. Full house! The Essen-show at the Weststadthalle was filmed completely. Don't know if the footage will reach the internet, but stay tuned...

Last but not least it was a true pleasure to play and visit the Ambient Fest in Cologne. Meeting all the other musicians and sharing the stage with Insa Donja Kai and Lubomyr Melnik... All cool. Check the video by Dmitry Zakharov, featering a bit of The Alvaret Ensemble.
We thank all of you that came to the shows. Keep an eye on 'the alvarets' through their facebook page and/or Romke's. In March the band will tour The Netherlands with the Cross Linx Fest. See ya.

THE ALVARET ENSEMBLE LIVE IN JANUARY

The Alvaret Ensemble is hitting the road for a few gigs in January. We kick off on the 14th in Prague together with Hauschka in Palác Akropolis. Info here! A day later we are performing in Budapest at the Akvárium Klub with also Subroute Roots and Iketa playing. Info here! Then we head for Munich, where we'll do a kind of secret show on the 16th, only for a limited number of guests. On the 18th we're doing a Denovali label evening in the Weststadthalle in Essen. Greg Haines will do a solo show there as well as jamming along with The Alvaret Ensemble. Info here! Last but not least we are guests on the Ambient Festival in Cologne, which has a pretty cool line up this year. Take a look for yourself here! We'll be playing the fourth and last evening of the fest, with Insa Donja Kai and Lubomyr Melnyk. So, wir freuen uns jetzt!

In March and April The Alvaret Ensemble will be playing the Cross-Linx Festival in The Netherlands and the Denovali Swingfest in Berlin. Check the live dates on this blog.