Piiptsjilling
1. it swalkjen
2. blaustirnzen
3. in spoar
4. moarntiidsreagen
5. wynstile dagen
6. tagelyk deagean
7. as droech reid
Released on Cloudchamber Recordings, October 2023
Order here
or stream it on your platform of choice
Since 2008, Mariska Baars (vocals, guitar), Jan Kleefstra (words), Romke Kleefstra (guitars, bass), and Rutger Zuydervelt (electronics) have been creating improvised soundscapes with Frisian poetry. ‘in spoar’ is their sixth album, after releasing for labels such as Midira (Germany), Spekk (Japan), and Experimedia (US).
Like all other Piiptsjilling albums, ‘in spoar’ is based on “live in the studio” (a church in this case) improvisations. But this time, cause of failing public transport, Mariska wasn’t present. Her vocal contributions were recorded at home, and later edited into the mix. This, together with Mariska’s continuous voice training, might have contributed to the strong sense of urgency of her vocals on this release. A great combination with Romke and Rutger’s dense clouds of sound, and a beautiful counterpart to Jan’s spoken lyricism.
Reviews
Vital Weekly
Almost ten years have passed since I last a new release by Piipstijilling, the quartet of Mariska Baars (vocals, guitar), Jan Kleefstra (words), Romke Kleefstra (guitars, bass), and Rutger Zuydervelt (electronics). I don't know why there was this long silence, but let's say they were too busy to get together again. Certainly, Zuydervelt is one busy bee. Like their previous releases, this album was recorded live in a church in Ketlik by three male players, while Baars, due to failing transport, recorded her part at home, in Kekerdom, which is very close by the VW HQ. Later on, her part was edited into the music. Her vocals consist of long-form humming, very tranquil, which fits the otherwise tranquil music very well. Romke Kleefstra and Rutger Zuydervelt create drone-like textures, carefully constructed and very vulnerable, almost on the point of collapse, an eerie drone, a fine mixture of guitar and electronics. Music that conjures up images of an open landscape, and it's hard not to think of Friesland, the part where the two Kleefstra live. Wide open, with tons of small lakes (well, less than Finland, of course), and from the few times I visited, full of clouds and sun, with the sea not far away. Jan Kleefstra delivers him in the Frysian language (it's not a dialect) and his poetry (translation in English on the cover), and he does that in his well-known delivery, fitting the music very well. There are longer passages of music in which he has no text, and for someone like me, for whom words are relatively less important, there is much to enjoy. With Baars' humming, long-sustaining sounds, the circle is complete. Music that is massive on the atmosphere, from all players, all on the verge of breaking down, to go into complete silence, yet that never happens. Everything here is in slow motion, like the sea, on a windless day, which makes this the perfect soundtrack for a grey autumn day.
Subjectivisten
Het laatste album van Piiptsjilling, Fiif, stamt alweer uit 2017. Gelukkig is dan eindelijk daar nummer seis, die In Spoar heet. En eigenlijk hebben ze niet heel veel aan hun receptuur veranderd. Niet dat je dit album over het vorige kan leggen, want daarvoor verschillen de muzikale texturen en teksten teveel. Het blijft echter wel een kruisbestuiving van Friese poëzie en de spontaan gefabriceerde soundscapes, ditmaal live in een kerk tot stand gekomen. Alleen Mariska kon door een zeldzaam voorkomend falend openbaar vervoer (over spoar gesproken) niet aanwezig zijn, dus zijn haar werkelijk prachtig etherische vocalen er later bij gemixt. Stilte lijkt meer dan ooit een grote rol te spelen in de toch al skeletachtige stukken, die ergens tussen ambient en (donker) fluweelzachte experimenten uitkomen. De muziek laat heel veel aan de verbeeldingskracht van de luisteraar over, maar weet zelf door de vele suggestieve of net niet helemaal te plaatsen geluiden ook tot de verbeelding te spreken. Je komt in een soort surrealistisch vacuüm terecht, waar het op fijne wijze naar adem happen is en waar je gewoonweg naar binnen gezogen wordt. Het levert een intens emotievol prachtalbum op.
