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!

CONCERT IT DEEL IN POLAND POSTPONED

Jacaszek and the Kleefstra Bros were going to perform IT DEEL live in Gdansk on December 19th, but it is postponed to 2022 due to COVID-measures. As soon as we have a new date (or maybe more) we'll let you know here, there, or there or anywhere.

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.

SHORT DOCUMENTARY IT DEEL I

Together with Popfabryk, under the auspices of Oranjewoud Festival, the Kleefstra Bros started a four year artist-in-residence project called 'IT DEEL'. This year's first edition we did with Michał Jacaszek. In June we recorded an album in a small church in the woods, near the festival site, which will be released in a few months by Moving Furniture Records. In August we played the festival, and in December we'll play in Poland. Meanwhile Willem Tiemersma and Jaap Ruurd Feitsma made a lovely short 10 minute documentary about the project, which is online now. Sit back, relax and check it out: 

NEW COLLECTION OF POEMS BY JAN KLEEFSTRA

 

'Laat het bos maar uithuilen' is a new collection of Dutch poems by Jan Kleefstra. This collection is the result of long walks in the area Causses et Cevennes and surrounding areas in Southern France. The verses express the encounters and the inseparable connection of all the life with the mountains, the clouds, the valleys and the sea.

'Laat het bos maar uithuilen' is published by Wijdemeer Publishers. Design of the book by Rutger Zuydervelt and illustrations by Lucien Tinga. Available through the Kleefstra Bros Bandcamp.

GODWITS LIVE

The black-tailed godwit is a meadow bird which numbers are declining fast, mainly under influance of the expanding, intensive agriculture in the Netherlands. The Portuguese poets Raquel Lima and Nuno Piteira and the Frisian poets Elmar Kuiper and Jan Kleefstra performed in the footprints of the godwits and made treks to the residences of the species in both countries. This also resulted in joint performances with Tsjinlûd and a Portuguese/Frisian collection of poems by all four poets.

Based on multiple stays in the Netherlands and Portugal the Portuguese slam poets and Frisian poets take you along in a rich live experience full of readings and Portuguese songs, carried by music by Joana Guerra (cellist, also member of The Alvaret Ensemble) and Romke Kleefstra (guitarist): GODWITS.

GODWITS will perform three times in the Dutch province of Friesland:
30 Sep., 20.30 uur | Nicolaaskerk, Vlieland
01 Oct., 20.00 uur | Aerden Plaats, Oudebildtzijl
02 Oct., 20.30 uur | Explore the North - The Summer Sessions, Westerkerk, Leeuwarden

FEAN LIVE, ONE LAST TIME

In spring 2018 Piiptsjilling got involved in the artist-in-residence project FEAN, together with the Belgian musicians Sylvain Chauveau, Annelies Monseré and Joachim Badenhorst. Theme of the project was peat (fean in Frisian) and mainly how peat soil is rapidly dissapearing under influance of the expanding, intensive agriculture. The project resulted in two albums (FEAN, cd on Moving Furniture, and FEAN II, lp and cd on Laaps) and a documentary on Dutch tv. FEAN played live a few times, of which recordings of the concert in Deventer are still online at Alienocene.

Now FEAN will play Artphy, centre of modern art in Westerwolde, in the Dutch province of Groningen, September 10th. The concert is part of the Noorderlicht International Photo Festival 2021. It will be the very last live performance of FEAN, so be there if you can. Check all info about the show here on Artphy's site.

Still, it wont be the very very last thing FEAN does, as there will be an unreleased track on an Esc.rec-release in the near future.

FEW COPIES OF FEAN I STILL AVAILABLE

 

The FEAN I cd was already sold out for quite a while at our and Moving Furniture's bandcamp, but Popfabryk still has some. Go to the Popfabryk webshop to get a copy. FEAN will play live for one last time at the Noorderlicht Festival in September, and there might be a new and final FEAN track coming up in the near future...

IT DEEL

August 21st we will perform IT DEEL live at Oranjewoud Festival. IT DEEL is a four year artist in residence project that the Kleefstra Bros curate for Oranjewoud Festival and Popfabryk in the Netherlands. This years edition, IT DEEL I, features us Kleefstra Bros with Michal Jacaszek. For the live performances the group will be expanded with violist Anne Bakker and cellist Nina Hitz. Jaap Ruurd Feitsma and Willem Tiemersma are making a short documentary about the project and also made the teaser below.

Tickets for show 1 at 19.30 are available here, and for show 2 at 21.00 here. The recordings of IT DEEL will be published on vinyl by Moving Furniture in the (near) future.

IT DEEL LIVE

 
IT DEEL is a four year artist in residence project that the Kleefstra Bros curate for Oranjewoud Festival and Popfabryk in the Netherlands. This years edition, IT DEEL I, features us Kleefstra Bros with Michal Jacaszek. In June we recorded for a week in the small church in the town of Katlijk, the Netherlands. These recordings will be published on vinyl by Moving Furniture in the (near) future.

August 21st we will perform live at Oranjewoud Festival. Two gigs, again in the church of Katlijk. The group is then expanded with violist Anne Bakker and cellist Nina Hitz. You can order tickets for show 1 at 19.30 here, and for show 2 at 21.00 here.

UPDATE: WELCOME TO THE VILLAGE CANCELLED

Piiptsjilling was about to play the Welcome To The Village Festival on Friday the 15th of July. Sadfully the festival was cancelled, so no Piiptsjilling live... Upcoming shows of IT DEEL (Kleefstra Bros + Jacaszek), FEAN (Piiptsjilling + Annelies Monseré, Sylvain Chauveau and Joachim Badenhorst) and Godwits (Jan Kleefstra, Raquel Lima, Nuno Piteira, Elmar Kuiper, Joanna Guerra & Romke Kleefstra) are still go!

PIIPTSJILLING PLAYS WELCOME TO THE VILLAGE FESTIVAL

 

It doesn't happen often, but Piiptsjilling is doing a show again! The group is playing the Welcome To The Village Festival, near the city of Leeuwarden (Netherlands). It is a three day festival from 16 to 18 July. Piiptsjilling is playing Friday the 16th of July. It will be a short and intimate gig. Exceptionally, the group plays as a trio consisting of Mariska Baars, Jan Kleefstra and Romke Kleefstra.

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.

 

TELEFERICK FEAT. JAN KLEEFSTRA

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