‘’Van Kesteren draws you into his carefully formed dream world effortlessly’’
– Lust For Life
“There are not that many harpists around who write their own material, but Van Kesteren knows his instrument inside out and has the composing skills to make it sing and weep like very few people can.”
– Here Comes The Flood
‘’REMY. covers your soul with a melancholic warm blanket and moves your thoughts to exotic places where nature is the most important character.’’ – Luminous Dash
‘’The album is a serene and hypnotic showcase of his talents which transport the listener to the faraway island created for the film.’’
– GoSeeTalk
‘’a spirited, extraordinary, visual and admirable beauty’’
– De Subjectivisten
‘’Wonderful for in the background, but also perfect to dream away’’
– Nederlands Dagblad
Dutch harpist Remy van Kesteren releases his own unique soundtrack for Oscar nominated movie ‘The Red Turtle’. He is known for creating his own world with his compositions; a blend of neo-classical minimal, electronic music, alternative, jazz- and world influences, where the boundaries between genres evaporate. He studied at, among others, the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris, where he studied with the famous harpist Isabelle Moretti. Van Kesteren has won various prizes, including the Nederlandse Muziekprijs. His many awards led to concerts around the world, from Europe to the US, Japan and Africa.
Remy about the album: “In April 2020 I gathered the courage to call filmmaker Michael Dudok de Wit. Our conversation has been one of my personal highlights this year and, in many ways, it was the foundation of the album that is in front of you now.
Creating my first harp solo album, it feels a bit like going back to my core. So thank you, Michael, for helping me find these songs in your movie and within me. Your open-mindedness and enthusiasm to cooperate (also lending your sketches and even creating the beautiful cover of this album), has been an inspiration in itself. I hope this album will do your movie justice.”
‘The Red Turtle’ was released back in 2016, and was very well received with an Oscar nomination for ‘Best Animated Feature Film of the Year’ and winning the ‘Un Certain Regard – Special Jury Prize’ at Filmfestival de Cannes. The film was released by the legendary Japanese Studio Ghibli (known for ‘Spirited Away’, ‘Ponyo’ and many other animated movies) and directed by Dutch animator, director and illustrator Michael Dudok de Wit, who also won an Academy Award for Best Animated Short Film for ‘Father and Daughter’ (2000).
Michael Dudok De Wit made the artwork and wrote liner notes for this special release, about which he said the following:
“Remy had a striking idea. For his music score he chose to focus on nature, on the different forces that nature exercises on us: water, fire, earth and air. His idea immediately appealed to me. When Remy sent me the first four fragments of his score, I thought they were simply wonderful. I have such an admiration for his talent.
For the album’s cover image, he wished to have something related to the film and his choice soon fell on this particular forest landscape. It is one of the background images of the film, with a few adjustments made to the quality of the light. I think he chose very well. To walk in a bamboo forest is a magical experience.”