Robin Kester – Dark Sky Reserve

Rotterdam-based Robin Kester’s music thrives in moments of quiet unease. Following her 2020 mini album ‘This Is Not A Democracy’, the musician was lauded for her stirring blend of chamber pop and psychedelia for her debut album ‘Honeycomb Shades’ (2023). Her debut was named best Dutch album of the year by newspapers NRC and de Volkskrant, and nominated for the best Dutch album by 3voor12.

Now, Kester’s returning with second album ‘Dark Sky Reserve’; a soundtrack to all the thoughts that bubble to the surface once the silence sinks in. ‘Dark Sky Reserve’ is Kester’s most artistically focused record to date, combining a rich, layered humanity in the music with minimalist lyricism. With the help of producer Ali Chant (PJ Harvey, Perfume Genius) – and guest appearances by Adrian Utley (Portishead) and Rozi Plain – Kester balances scenes of idyllic bliss from the “magical and strange” Talybont-on-Usk with existential questions on ‘Departure’. Written in the nights of recording sessions in Bristol, ‘Dark Sky Reserve’ is the result of Kester writing from a place of newfound clarity: “I could see myself for who I am.” 

Stereogum – “Magnificent”
Paste – “Superb (...) A perfect wash of pop decadence”
Our Culture – ”stirring, otherworldly”
3voor12 – “Dark indie pop full of glimmers of light” (album of the week)
de Volkskrant – "Robin Kester’s Dark Sky Reserve is so beautiful you’ll want to brag about it abroad” ★★★★★
De Standaard – Her subtle, shimmering dream pop occasionally echoes Portishead and Cate Le Bon, while at times she adds more weight to her palette with electronic pulses. An album that whispers and sparkles at once, like the night itself  ★★★★
KEXP – ”The second album from this Rotterdam-based Dutch singer, songwriter, and guitarist Robin Kester is a strong set of smartly-crafted indie dream-pop with a colorful art-pop streak and a light psychedelic touch.”
Trouw – “Tinglingly, beautiful album, at once warm and strangely otherworldly”  ★★★★
NRC: “On her second album, Robin Kester reaches celestial heights, where layers of instrumentation drift like clouds and open up to sweeping vistas, all borne aloft by her velvety voice.” ★★★★  (album of the week)
Nieuwe Revu – ”Robin Kester’s Dark Sky Reserve brims with taut, hook-filled pop songs. Coming after the widely praised Honeycomb Shades (2023), it shows a songwriter whose evolution is far from complete”
AllMusic – ”Dark Sky Reserve is a feat of elegant, Twin Peaks-ian foreboding that, like the reservoir at Talybont-on-Usk, reveals substantial beauty as well”.
Bandcamp Essential Release: “The craftsmanship and attention to detail ensure the album’s dream state never suffers for it. A marvelous slow burn indeed”.
The Line of Best Fit: “Robin Kester does not fear the fantastical”
KAXE (Album of the Week): “Dark Sky Preserve is a breathtaking sophomore album that functions as her international debut, and announces Robin Kester as a voice to watch in contemporary music”.
Radio 100.7 Luxembourg  (Album of the Week)