The Ocean "Solaris" CD

• digisleeve printed on 360 g/sm cream-coloured cardboard with metallic red hot foil print

• foldout booklet

The end of The Ocean’s 2023 album Holocene concludes with a bleak vision of a
dystopian landscape on Earth, depleted and uninhabitable. The only option to ensure
survival is a drastic course of action; one that signals a new era: the creation of new,
artificial worlds with living conditions resembling those on Earth. Human intelligence
forms the foundation of technological progress; yet it is precisely this progress that
inevitably leads to self-destruction. As rational beings, we are fundamentally just as
capable of initiating our own extinction as we are of preventing it.
Since the release of Holocene, The Ocean itself has gone through radical changes, and
the arrival of a new album in the shape of Solaris signals the beginning of a new era for
the band.

Solaris introduces new vocalists Lane Shi and Enrico Tiberi, as well as guitarists Emmanuel Jessua and
Marco Gennaro, who join founding guitarist Robin Staps, longtime bassist Mattias Hägerstrand, and
drummer Jordi Farré. Each contributes their own unique flair to bring to life the near-70 minute opus that
marks a new high point for The Ocean in terms of ambition and narrative scope.
As theHolocene-era lineup collapsed in the wake of heavy touring, shifting life priorities and band
members moving away to other countries, Staps contemplated the future of the band he had dedicated
almost 25 years of his life to. The way forward became clear through a series of chance encounters and
existing connections: one by one, pieces of the new band formation fell into place, and when the old
lineup played their last show at Hellfest 2025, he found himself already in the middle of working on a new
album. Existing instrumental compositions gained a new impetus under the gaze of the fresh incarnation
of The Ocean, and over the course of 2025, Solaris began to take on a tangible shape and presence.
Solaris is the name of an intelligent ocean in Andrey Tarkovsky’s 1972 film of the same name, and
combines the dystopian sci-fi storytelling with existential contemplation inspired by the journals and
records of real-life explorers. By poring over the historic documents related to explorers such as Da
Gama, Magellan, and Sir Frances Drake,Solaris draws parallels between the cosmic explorations of
Tarkovsky’s film, the explorative nature of artists and current-day political leaders. It asks questions of
those among us who are seekers; what is the psychological cost of being so driven? What do we leave
behind in pursuit of answers? What is the tipping point between exploring new terrains and dominating
them for our own gain?

Solaris is The Ocean’s 12th studio album – one that honours the progress of the band to date and
imbues it with a fresh sense of intensity.Featuring members from six different countries in the core line
up, The Ocean returns to its collective formation and is able to draw on the experiences and talents of a
pool of extraordinary musicians. Whilst never seeking to replicate what has gone before, Enrico Tiberi’s
vocals deliver a familiarity, energy and vocal range that is sure to resonate with long-time fans of The
Ocean. Meanwhile, Lane Shi who used to sing for the American band Elizabeth Colour Wheel and also
performs under the solo moniker Otay:Onii adds a new direction to The Ocean sound and performance,
comprising elements and experience as a musician and performance artist who has appearedat events
such as CTM, Biennale or as part of Florentina Holzinger’s polarizing opera production ‘Sancta‘.
For the recording ofSolaris, they expanded the circle further still to incorporate the contributions of
Thorsten Quaeschning of Tangerine Dream on modular synths, Greek composer Orestis Zafiriou
(Playgrounded) who also contributed electronics and synths to the record, and Simen Eifring of
Norwegian post rock actSpurv on trombone. During a week of collaborative work at Quaeschning’s
studio in Berlin-Rudow, the synth maestro immersed himself deeply in the rhythmically intricate world of
The Ocean lurking beneath the surface — a challenge for his work with step sequencers.
In many ways,Solaris signals a homecoming for the band who played more than 100 shows per year
since the end of the pandemic, on all continents except Antarctica. The meeting point for the line up –
both literally and figuratively – is immortalised in the opening track 52°30’11” N, 13°26’12“ E, the
coordinates of the band’s studio and rehearsal space in Berlin. The album was tracked at the legendary
Hansa Studios, Berlin, where David Bowie’sLow andHeroes, Iggy Pop’sLust For Life and Depeche
Mode’sConstruction Time Again were recorded. Within the studio walls,Solaris became a living,
breathing testament to the power of exploration and teamwork. With new vocalist Tiberi being a virtuous
piano player and multi-instrumentalist, the tones of the celesta, grand piano, Rhodes and Hammond
became an integral and idiosyncratic component of theSolaris sound. The Ocean’s signature
atmospheric post-metal is embellished by the adventurous spirit of their new members, as well as the
contributions from the excellent guest musicians.

Like the opener, the album’s closing track title are coordinates again, this time making reference to the
historic exploration of the South American continent: Ultima Esperanza (Spanish: “last hope”) is a
province in Southern Patagonia, the fictional cosmic journey ends back on earth. It’s a full circle
conceptually and musically, concluding with the same haunting sound of the celesta as at the very
beginning of the record.
After taking a different route with previous albumHolocene, the expansive and organic sound of Solaris
is once again the work of Swedish producer Jens Bogren, who already mixed the band’s most popular
albumsPelagial andPhanerozoic I andII. “In the light of the recent lineup changes, we wanted to offer
our fans a core sound that they are familiar with”, says Staps.

The level of attention to detail extends beyond the musical component ofSolaris. The Ocean have
enlisted the talents of filmmaker Craig Murray to bring the album’s narrative elements to life in a visceral
and captivating way. TheSolaris album artwork is a collaborative effort by German artist Phillip Janta,
and Norwegian designer Martin Kvamme. Janta is best known for his work with Metallica, Queens Of the
Stone Age, Envy or Emma Ruth Rundle; his distinctive, highly detailed line work is instantly
recognisable.Kvamme has worked with The Ocean on all albums since 2007’sPrecambrian, and has
worked on many Mike Patton projects over the years.
The deluxe version of the record comes as a fabric-wrapped hardcover book designed like a historical
nautical diary, with 6 screen prints by Janta, a celestial constellation finder and other printed ephemera
that further bind fantastical storytelling to real-life.When it comes to album packaging, The Ocean have
always gone to the limits of what is physically possible, andSolaris is no exception. In the age of
streaming and thumbnail-sized album art,Solaris —with its sharp focus on physical formats— stands as
an absolute statement album.

Solaris is a place where fiction and reality meet; an open invitation to join The Ocean on this next leg of
their voyage, through the cosmos and into the unknown.

Biography by Becky Laverty