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 has gone through radical changes, and the arrival of a new album in the shape of Solaris signals the beginning of a new era.
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. 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. 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 appeared at events such as CTM, Biennale or as part of Florentina Holzinger’s polarizing opera production Sancta.
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?
For the recording of Solaris, 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 act Spurv 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’s Low and Heroes, Iggy Pop’s Lust For Life and Depeche Mode’s Construction 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 the Solaris 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.
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.
Under the strain of severe burnout from heavy touring since the end of the pandemic, babies being born and members moving to other countries the Holocene-era line up crumbled in 2024, while The Ocean were playing the best and biggest shows of their career. In response Staps also leaned towards taking a longer break from music, but fate intervened and new collaborators entered his orbit.
Jordi Farré of Crippled Black Phoenix and Dolch was the first new member to join, after the departure of long-term drummer Paul Seidel. Through a common friend Lane Shi ended up at Staps’ home one evening to join a regular Pelagic team gathering for Chinese hot pot. Staps was familiar with her work in her former band, Elizabeth Colour Wheel, and the disintegration of their former band constellations gave Shi and Staps a lot of common ground for conversation.
Meanwhile long term friend Emmanuel Jessua of French post metal act Hypno5e came on board to play guitar, just as two other wayfarers appeared on the horizon: guitarist Marco Gennaro and vocalist and multi-instrumentalist Enrico Tiberi of the studio project Dark Side Bright Side. “For months I had been thinking about releasing this album instrumentally” Staps recalls. “But when Enrico appeared that changed. Suddenly, I could on the one hand imagine hearing his voice on the new songs, and on the other hand also envision performing existing Ocean songs with him in a way that does justice to the originals.”
Serendipitously, on the day of the final show with the old line up of The Ocean at Hellfest 2025, Shi texted Staps expressing an interest in joining the band. “Ever since our first meeting, I have seen in Lane someone who could connect to the live energy of our shows and at the same time add something fresh and unfamiliar to the mix,” comments Staps.
Get your tickets here:
https://pelagic-records.com/tickets/
The Solaris 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, Emma Ruth Rundle and more; his distinctive, highly detailed line work is instantly recognisable. Kvamme has worked with The Ocean on all albums since 2007’s Precambrian, and has worked on many Mike Patton projects over the years.
The colour scheme of off-white and dark red gives the album a retro-futuristic look, matching the album concept and inspirations. The colour scheme comes from the cosmonaut helmet Lane is wearing in the Light Pollution video. Martin Kvamme designed the layout and the distinctive Solaris signet, the iconic illustration on the cover which is reminiscent of a bird underneath three celestial bodies, and alludes alluding to the lyrics of the opening track.
Once you open the gatefold sleeve, the colour scheme changes dominant black on white, for all inner printed parts. Phillip Janta’s illustration of a ship rising from the sea was already used for a screen printed poster for Hellfest 2025, which was a transitional show for the band: the last for the old band members Rossetti and Ahfeldt, the first with new drummer Jordi Farré. The poster read “prepare for departure”, a line from the lyrics of Subatlantic, the last track on Holocene, signaling the end of one era and the beginning of a new one. Already back then, this illustration was destined to be on the centre spread of the gatefold of Solaris.
The deluxe version of the album will be accompanied by a hardcover, fabric-wrapped book with copper hot foil print on the front, back and spine. It is loosely inspired by the J. J. Abrams Ship of Theseus.
The records themselves will be contained in printed inner sleeves. Alongside the music, there will be an assortment of ephemera to enhance the immersive Solaris experience. The book itself takes centre-stage, with 32 pages of an adapted travel diary by Dutch explorer William Barents, adapted with fictional elements to align with the Solaris story. There are also seven art prints by Phillip Janta as well as a customised, retro-futurists star constellation finder.
The regular version of Solaris is in and of itself still a striking physical product; the gatefold is printed on special 360 g/sm Performa Cream cardboard material with red metallic hot foil on front and back, and the double LP in printed inner sleeves is accompanied by a poster.
In the age of streaming and thumbnail-sized album art, Solaris —with its sharp focus on physical formats— stands as an absolute statement album.
Pre-order /stream / download ‘Solaris’ here:
https://orcd.co/theocean-solaris
