“It is completely unique what she delivers here. Astonishing avant-pop of an unprecedented quality.”
“It’s pretty obvious that ‘False Memories’ can already be placed amongst the most unique and groundbreaking album releases of this year.”
The work of Dutch-Swiss composer, producer and performer Evelien van den Broek (aka Leafsheep) is an idiosyncratic and compelling mix of electronics, songwriting and classical music. Evelien is passionate about creating work in which music, art and technology come together. As soon as she produces or stumbles upon rare sounds, her heart starts beating faster. She also loves to perform electronic music with expressive controllers, combining sound and gesture. Her productions include music performances and studio albums, as well as site-specific music and sound art walks.
In her KUrKKU performances Evelien transformed her voice with live electronics, using Wii game controllers, a foot pedal and five neon yellow speakers. With the indietronica band Daisy Bell she played at State-X New Forms and the Avantgarde Festival (D), and made the show Year Without A Summer, performed with gamelan ensemble Gending and featuring Graham Lewis (Wire) on video. In 2015 their album ‘London’ was released at Opa Loka Records. With choreographer/dancer Eva Baumann Evelien collaborated on five dance performances, of which Solitaire was nominated for the Stuttgarter Tanz- und Theater Preis. For Soundtrackcity and Internationaal Theater Amsterdam she made the sound walk Stemmengeschuifel, met Heijermans door de Pijp. In 2016 her first full length show False Memories premiered at the November Music festival. Shortly after that an album with music of the show was released. In 2019 she created Biophonica, a music performance about extinction, using field recordings of extinct and endangered animals, trumpet, electronics and two growling and chirping analogue synths. It was performed at festivals like November Music, ADE, and Rewire, invited by festival Gaudeamus, and was selected to showcase at Classical:NEXT. The live performance resulted in the studio album Endlings. During Covid in 2021, Evelien released Aventurijn, an online one-week music cure for good luck, with vibrant and wayward electronic music songs accompanied by do-it-yourself rituals, and visual art by Mees Joachim van Amesfoort. Evelien’s interactive sound walk Fanfare, in which you are being followed by a gloomy marching band, premiered at the Into The Great Wide Open festival in 2022. Furthermore, over the years Evelien’s done commissioned work for documentary film. Her latest projects include music for Losers, a dance performance by Jelena Kostić, and the sound walk Avian Humanoids. Evelien has just finished working on new music for two voices, electronics, and Cello Octet Amsterdam, for the project S.A.M. by the Dyane Donck Company which premiered in November 2024. Evelien holds a Bachelor of Music (with Honours) and Master of Arts degree from Music and Technology at the Utrecht School of Arts (NL) and the Open University (UK). (Photo: Richard Ayres).
Watch this short video for an overview of Evelien’s work.