NEW ALBUM 'IT DEEL III' UP FOR PRE-ORDER

Our new album IT DEEL III with Karen Willems will be released on November 22, but is now up for pre-order. You can order the vinyl lp and/or the digital download at Moving Furniture Records' Bandcamp-page, go here!

IT DEEL is our multi-year project that we realise together with Popfabryk, the production house for Frisian pop culture. For IT DEEL III we collaborated with the Belgian multi-instrumentalist Karen Willems. July 2023 we worked in the Thomaskerk in Katlijk on new material that will now be released on vinyl by Moving Furniture Records. Karen Willems is active in various fields. She started as a drummer in rock and pop groups such as Zita Swoon Group, Yuko, Arno, Novastar, Mauro Pawlowski and others. With a number of musicians she built a tradition in improvised music and sound art from Belgium. Just like us, Karen Willems is intrigued by the forests, landscapes and nature that can be heard in her work.We are really excited by this album; it is a haunting piece of music.

KAREN WILLEMS + KLEEFSTRA BROS LIVE

 
Karen Willems and the Kleefstra Bros will perform IT DEEL III live three times in October and at least once in November. You can find the live dates here and below. The new album, which will officially be released November 22, will also be available at the gigs. To ge a first impression you can already check two tracks on Soundcloud.

18-10-24: Amsterdam (NL) - Dokzaal
19-10-24: Rotterdam (NL) - Koffie & Ambacht
20-10-24: Deventer (NL) - De Perifeer
24-11-24: Leeuwarden (NL) - Explore The North

 

NICE DUTCH INTERVIEW WITH JAN

 
On the website of Meander Magazine you can find a lovely Dutch interview wit Jan Kleefstra, about his poetry, the music with Romke Kleefstra, books and releases, and where we stand in the world. Go to the website of Meander and if you can't read Dutch ask Chatgtp or Google Translate to read it to you in the language you prefer.

ALBUM AND GIGS IT DEEL III COMING UP

Last year we played with the Belgian multi-instrumentalist and -percussionist Karen Willems as part of our IT DEEL project. The release of the LP of IT DEEL III has been postponed due to delays at the pressing plant. The album is now scheduled for release in mid-October, on Moving Furniture Records off course. By then we will also be doing some performances, including in Deventer, Amsterdam and Leeuwarden. Keep an eye on our live dates and this blog.

IT DEEL IV: KLEEFSTRA BROS + JOANA GUERRA + MARIA DO MAR

IT DEEL is our 4-year project. During all four editions we improvise and record new music with invited musicians, in the Thomaskerk, in the Frisian village of Katlijk. We always conclude the recording sessions with a public performance in the church.

This year the fourth and final edition of IT DEEL will take place. We retreat to the church with Joana Guerra (cello) and Maria do Mar (violin) from Portugal. We will be recording from July 4 to 5, the public performance will take place on Sunday, July 7. Tickets for that performance are available through Explore The North.

We previously made music with both Joana and Maria. For example, Joana was part of The Alvaret Ensemble during the recording of the third album Ea. Both musicians also played in the Godwits project, and are particularly active in the Portuguese improv scene. Joana has already made several solo albums, including Chão Vermelho on Miasmah Records (2020). Together with Maria she is part of the group Lantana, whose beautiful album Elemental was released in 2022.

We are really looking forward to working with Joanna and Maria and come to our concert on July 7!

IT DEEL is a 4-year project by Kleefstra Bros in collaboration with Popfabryk under the wings of the Explore The North Festival. LPs from all recording sessions are released on Moving Furniture Records.

BOSWERK DOCUMENTARY

 

Following the book BOSWERK and the exhibition of the works and poems in De Mesdag Collectie, The Hague, Omrop Fryslân made a documentary about the creation of BOSWERK. This can be viewed via the website of the public broadcaster in the Netherlands. In the documentary the makers of the book are followed, from field work to exhibition, with a loving tribute to the forest and the trees. And this in a Netherlands where trees are losing ground... The documentary features Jan Kleefstra and Christiaan Kuitwaard, and contains music by The Alvaret Ensemble.

OPENING EXHIBITION 'SPREKENDE BOMEN'

 
Following the book 'Boswerk' by Jan Kleefstra, Christiaan Kuitwaard and Annelies Henstra, the exhibition 'Sprekende Bomen' will open on March 21 in De Mesdag Collectie, The Hague. 'Sprekende Bomen' shows all the works by Jan and Christiaan. There will also be workshops for painting and writing. To register for the opening go to the Van Gogh Museum events page. More information about the exhibition can be found on the website of De Mesdag Collectie.