Rene was born out of The Hague-based rock n roll band Ren And His Alligators, founded by Ren Nodelijk in 1959. Throughout the 60s they were moderately successful both on stage and in the studio and served as an inspiration for many bands associated with the burgeoning beat scene in the coastal city. From 1967 onwards they performed under a few different names before going on a hiatus. In 1977 he made a comeback, this time joined by his wife Anja Nodelijk, ne Exterkate. To reflect this fresh feminine impulse the band name was changed to simply Rene and recorded four full-length albums and a host of singles before disbanding in 1982 to make way for Anjas solo career.

Reaching For The Sky from 1980 is their second and has been likened to many different things: Fleetwood Mac, Dire Straits, or even a fantasy collaboration between Pat Benatars guitarist, Hearts Ann Wilson, and Steely Dan. Sprinkle some dub, funk and disco in the mix and it is no surprise that some of the tunes on this album ended up in niche YouTube algorithms, a Japanese book about obscure records, and in DJ sets by big names like Prins Thomas, who even released an extended edit of Change Your Style on a 12 single. This is obscure sophisti-pop at its best.

Reaching For The Sky is available as a 45th anniversary edition on magenta vinyl.