“Deislieper” is the third release in what I like to call the “Kleefstra Wire Trilogy“.
In fact, there’s no real ‘trilogy’, but three separate albums that were presented by three independent labels on one single advertising page in Wire Magazine: “Wurdskrieme” (on Experimedia). “Tongerswel” (on Home Normal), and now “Deislieper” (on Hibernate).
“Deislieper”, by the way, is a Frisian name for the nightjar and literally it means ‘day sleeper’
Rooted firmly in the improv scene, core members Jan (poetry) and Romke (guitar, effects) Kleefstra never work alone.
With Piiiptsjilling, most of the contributors were Dutch fellow musicians (like Rutger ‘Machinefabriek’ Zuydervelt, Mariska Baars, Chris Bakker), but soon they also started playing with an international cast of musicians like Peter Broderick, Nils Frahm, Greg Haines (on the Seeljocht project).
Tongerswel presented their work together with saxophonist Gareth Davis, and now Deisleeper features the incredible percussion music by Sytze Pruiksma.
Packed in a strikingly beautiful white digipack (designed by Antonymes, based on photography by Ruurd-Jelle van der Ley), this albums contrasts quite heavily with the dark layout of Tongerswel. In another way, however, they fit together perfectly.
While the basic musical ingredients are not very different from what you might expect after the previous releases (slow guitar soundscapes and a dreamy vocal performance of the, mostly rather dark, Frisian poetry), the album definitely gets its own identity from Sytze Pruiksma’s percussion.
To get an idea of his percussion craftsmanship, you may watch this session recording from last summer’s Into the Great Wide Open festival (also featuring the Kleefstra’s and Peter Broderick). (I know I’ve published this link before, but the session is too beautiful not to be seen!)
2012 Will probably bring numerous new projects involving Jan and Romke Kleefstra.
But for now, 2011 has been an incredibly productive year for Jan and Romke Kleefstra.
I don’t know if any award for Frisian Culture Export Products exists, but if it does, these guys definitely should be nominated!