{"product_id":"the-ocean-solaris-cd","title":"The Ocean \"Solaris\" CD","description":"\u003cp\u003e• digisleeve printed on 360 g\/sm cream-coloured cardboard with metallic red hot foil print\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e• foldout booklet\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eThe end of The Ocean’s 2023 album Holocene concludes with a bleak vision of a\u003cbr\u003edystopian landscape on Earth, depleted and uninhabitable. The only option to ensure\u003cbr\u003esurvival is a drastic course of action; one that signals a new era: the creation of new,\u003cbr\u003eartificial worlds with living conditions resembling those on Earth. Human intelligence\u003cbr\u003eforms the foundation of technological progress; yet it is precisely this progress that\u003cbr\u003einevitably leads to self-destruction. As rational beings, we are fundamentally just as\u003cbr\u003ecapable of initiating our own extinction as we are of preventing it.\u003cbr\u003eSince the release of Holocene, The Ocean itself has gone through radical changes, and\u003cbr\u003ethe arrival of a new album in the shape of Solaris signals the beginning of a new era for\u003cbr\u003ethe band.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eSolaris introduces new vocalists Lane Shi and Enrico Tiberi, as well as guitarists Emmanuel Jessua and\u003cbr\u003eMarco Gennaro, who join founding guitarist Robin Staps, longtime bassist Mattias Hägerstrand, and\u003cbr\u003edrummer Jordi Farré. Each contributes their own unique flair to bring to life the near-70 minute opus that\u003cbr\u003emarks a new high point for The Ocean in terms of ambition and narrative scope.\u003cbr\u003eAs theHolocene-era lineup collapsed in the wake of heavy touring, shifting life priorities and band\u003cbr\u003emembers moving away to other countries, Staps contemplated the future of the band he had dedicated\u003cbr\u003ealmost 25 years of his life to. The way forward became clear through a series of chance encounters and\u003cbr\u003eexisting connections: one by one, pieces of the new band formation fell into place, and when the old\u003cbr\u003elineup played their last show at Hellfest 2025, he found himself already in the middle of working on a new\u003cbr\u003ealbum. Existing instrumental compositions gained a new impetus under the gaze of the fresh incarnation\u003cbr\u003eof The Ocean, and over the course of 2025, Solaris began to take on a tangible shape and presence.\u003cbr\u003eSolaris is the name of an intelligent ocean in Andrey Tarkovsky’s 1972 film of the same name, and\u003cbr\u003ecombines the dystopian sci-fi storytelling with existential contemplation inspired by the journals and\u003cbr\u003erecords of real-life explorers. By poring over the historic documents related to explorers such as Da\u003cbr\u003eGama, Magellan, and Sir Frances Drake,Solaris draws parallels between the cosmic explorations of\u003cbr\u003eTarkovsky’s film, the explorative nature of artists and current-day political leaders. It asks questions of\u003cbr\u003ethose among us who are seekers; what is the psychological cost of being so driven? What do we leave\u003cbr\u003ebehind in pursuit of answers? What is the tipping point between exploring new terrains and dominating\u003cbr\u003ethem for our own gain?\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eSolaris is The Ocean’s 12th studio album – one that honours the progress of the band to date and\u003cbr\u003eimbues it with a fresh sense of intensity.Featuring members from six different countries in the core line\u003cbr\u003eup, The Ocean returns to its collective formation and is able to draw on the experiences and talents of a\u003cbr\u003epool of extraordinary musicians. Whilst never seeking to replicate what has gone before, Enrico Tiberi’s\u003cbr\u003evocals deliver a familiarity, energy and vocal range that is sure to resonate with long-time fans of The\u003cbr\u003eOcean. Meanwhile, Lane Shi who used to sing for the American band Elizabeth Colour Wheel and also\u003cbr\u003eperforms under the solo moniker Otay:Onii adds a new direction to The Ocean sound and performance,\u003cbr\u003ecomprising elements and experience as a musician and performance artist who has appearedat events\u003cbr\u003esuch as CTM, Biennale or as part of Florentina Holzinger’s polarizing opera production ‘Sancta‘.\u003cbr\u003eFor the recording ofSolaris, they expanded the circle further still to incorporate the contributions of\u003cbr\u003eThorsten Quaeschning of Tangerine Dream on modular synths, Greek composer Orestis Zafiriou\u003cbr\u003e(Playgrounded) who also contributed electronics and synths to the record, and Simen Eifring of\u003cbr\u003eNorwegian post rock actSpurv on trombone. During a week of collaborative work at Quaeschning’s\u003cbr\u003estudio in Berlin-Rudow, the synth maestro immersed himself deeply in the rhythmically intricate world of\u003cbr\u003eThe Ocean lurking beneath the surface — a challenge for his work with step sequencers.\u003cbr\u003eIn many ways,Solaris signals a homecoming for the band who played more than 100 shows per year\u003cbr\u003esince the end of the pandemic, on all continents except Antarctica. The meeting point for the line up –\u003cbr\u003eboth literally and figuratively – is immortalised in the opening track 52°30’11” N, 13°26’12“ E, the\u003cbr\u003ecoordinates of the band’s studio and rehearsal space in Berlin. The album was tracked at the legendary\u003cbr\u003eHansa Studios, Berlin, where David Bowie’sLow andHeroes, Iggy Pop’sLust For Life and Depeche\u003cbr\u003eMode’sConstruction Time Again were recorded. Within the studio walls,Solaris became a living,\u003cbr\u003ebreathing testament to the power of exploration and teamwork. With new vocalist Tiberi being a virtuous\u003cbr\u003epiano player and multi-instrumentalist, the tones of the celesta, grand piano, Rhodes and Hammond\u003cbr\u003ebecame an integral and idiosyncratic component of theSolaris sound. The Ocean’s signature\u003cbr\u003eatmospheric post-metal is embellished by the adventurous spirit of their new members, as well as the\u003cbr\u003econtributions from the excellent guest musicians.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eLike the opener, the album’s closing track title are coordinates again, this time making reference to the\u003cbr\u003ehistoric exploration of the South American continent: Ultima Esperanza (Spanish: “last hope”) is a\u003cbr\u003eprovince in Southern Patagonia, the fictional cosmic journey ends back on earth. It’s a full circle\u003cbr\u003econceptually and musically, concluding with the same haunting sound of the celesta as at the very\u003cbr\u003ebeginning of the record.\u003cbr\u003eAfter taking a different route with previous albumHolocene, the expansive and organic sound of Solaris\u003cbr\u003eis once again the work of Swedish producer Jens Bogren, who already mixed the band’s most popular\u003cbr\u003ealbumsPelagial andPhanerozoic I andII. “In the light of the recent lineup changes, we wanted to offer\u003cbr\u003eour fans a core sound that they are familiar with”, says Staps.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eThe level of attention to detail extends beyond the musical component ofSolaris. The Ocean have\u003cbr\u003eenlisted the talents of filmmaker Craig Murray to bring the album’s narrative elements to life in a visceral\u003cbr\u003eand captivating way. TheSolaris album artwork is a collaborative effort by German artist Phillip Janta,\u003cbr\u003eand Norwegian designer Martin Kvamme. Janta is best known for his work with Metallica, Queens Of the\u003cbr\u003eStone Age, Envy or Emma Ruth Rundle; his distinctive, highly detailed line work is instantly\u003cbr\u003erecognisable.Kvamme has worked with The Ocean on all albums since 2007’sPrecambrian, and has\u003cbr\u003eworked on many Mike Patton projects over the years.\u003cbr\u003eThe deluxe version of the record comes as a fabric-wrapped hardcover book designed like a historical\u003cbr\u003enautical diary, with 6 screen prints by Janta, a celestial constellation finder and other printed ephemera\u003cbr\u003ethat further bind fantastical storytelling to real-life.When it comes to album packaging, The Ocean have\u003cbr\u003ealways gone to the limits of what is physically possible, andSolaris is no exception. In the age of\u003cbr\u003estreaming and thumbnail-sized album art,Solaris —with its sharp focus on physical formats— stands as\u003cbr\u003ean absolute statement album.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003eSolaris is a place where fiction and reality meet; an open invitation to join The Ocean on this next leg of\u003cbr\u003etheir voyage, through the cosmos and into the unknown.\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBiography by Becky Laverty\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"The Ocean","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45446144426044,"sku":"748804","price":25.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0267\/8122\/0924\/files\/e4bc7b39865d228ff9ec2333ca825057.png?v=1779900496","url":"https:\/\/www.indiemerchstore.com\/products\/the-ocean-solaris-cd","provider":"IndieMerchstore","version":"1.0","type":"link"}